A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70% meat, either via active predation or by scavenging. The remaining non-meat diet may consist of non-animal foods such as fungi, fruits or other plant material.[1][2] Some extant examples of hypercarnivorous animals include crocodilians, owls, shrikes, eagles, vultures, felids, most wild canids, cetaceans, snakes, spiders, scorpions, mantises, marlins, groupers, piranhas and most sharks. Every species in the familyFelidae, including the domesticated cat, is a hypercarnivore in its natural state. Additionally, this term is also used in paleobiology to describe taxa of animals which have an increased slicing component of their dentition relative to the grinding component.[2] Hypercarnivores need not be apex predators. For example, salmon are exclusively carnivorous, yet they are prey at all stages of life for a variety of organisms.
Many prehistoric mammals of the cladeCarnivoramorpha (Carnivora and Miacoidea without Creodonta), along with the early order Creodonta, and some mammals of the even earlier order Cimolesta, were hypercarnivores. The earliest carnivorous mammal is considered to be Cimolestes, which existed during the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene periods in North America about 66 million years ago. Theropoddinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex that existed during the late Cretaceous, although not mammals, were obligate carnivores.
Large hypercarnivores evolved frequently in the fossil record, often in response to an ecological opportunity afforded by the decline or extinction of previously dominant hypercarnivorous taxa. While the evolution of large size and carnivory may be favored at the individual level, it can lead to a macroevolutionary decline, wherein such extreme dietary specialization results in reduced population densities and a greater vulnerability for extinction.[3] As a result of these opposing forces, the fossil record of carnivores is dominated by successive clades of hypercarnivores that diversify and decline, only to be replaced by new hypercarnivorous clades.
As an example of related species with differing diets, even though they diverged only 150,000 years ago,[4] the polar bear is the most highly carnivorous bear (more than 90% of its diet is meat) while the grizzly bear is one of the least carnivorous in many locales, with less than 10% of its diet being meat.[5][6][7]
^Van Valkenburgh, Blaire (Spring 1988). "Trophic diversity in past and present guilds of large predatory mammals". Paleobiology. 14 (2): 155–73. doi:10.1017/S0094837300011891.
^ abHolliday, Jill A.; Steppan, Scott J. (2004). "Evolution of hypercarnivory: the effect of specialization on morphological and taxonomic diversity" (PDF). Paleobiology. 30 (1): 108–128. doi:10.1666/0094-8373(2004)030<0108:EOHTEO>2.0.CO;2.
^Van Valkenburgh, Blaire; Wang, Xiaoming; Damuth, John (October 2004). "Cope's Rule, Hypercarnivory, and Extinction in North American Canids". Science. 306 (5693): 101–4. Bibcode:2004Sci...306..101V. doi:10.1126/science.1102417. PMID 15459388. S2CID 12017658.
^Lindqvist, Charlotte; Schuster, Stephan C.; Sun, Yazhou; Talbot, Sandra L.; et al. (2010). "Complete mitochondrial genome of a Pleistocene jawbone unveils the origin of polar bear". PNAS. 107 (11): 5053–5057. Bibcode:2010PNAS..107.5053L. doi:10.1073/pnas.0914266107. PMC2841953. PMID 20194737.
^Herrero, Stephen (1985). Bear Attacks: Their Causes and Avoidance. Nick Lyons Books/Winchester Press. p. 156. ISBN0-8329-0377-9. OCLC 11726851.
^. PBS Nature. February 17, 2008. Archived from the original on 2008-07-16.
^. Hinterland Who's Who. Archived from the original on January 3, 2011. Retrieved March 4, 2010.
External linksedit
Look up hypercarnivore in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
February 16, 2024
hypercarnivore, hypercarnivore, animal, which, diet, that, more, than, meat, either, active, predation, scavenging, remaining, meat, diet, consist, animal, foods, such, fungi, fruits, other, plant, material, some, extant, examples, hypercarnivorous, animals, i. A hypercarnivore is an animal which has a diet that is more than 70 meat either via active predation or by scavenging The remaining non meat diet may consist of non animal foods such as fungi fruits or other plant material 1 2 Some extant examples of hypercarnivorous animals include crocodilians owls shrikes eagles vultures felids most wild canids cetaceans snakes spiders scorpions mantises marlins groupers piranhas and most sharks Every species in the family Felidae including the domesticated cat is a hypercarnivore in its natural state Additionally this term is also used in paleobiology to describe taxa of animals which have an increased slicing component of their dentition relative to the grinding component 2 Hypercarnivores need not be apex predators For example salmon are exclusively carnivorous yet they are prey at all stages of life for a variety of organisms The lion is a hypercarnivore Many prehistoric mammals of the clade Carnivoramorpha Carnivora and Miacoidea without Creodonta along with the early order Creodonta and some mammals of the even earlier order Cimolesta were hypercarnivores The earliest carnivorous mammal is considered to be Cimolestes which existed during the Late Cretaceous and early Paleogene periods in North America about 66 million years ago Theropod dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex that existed during the late Cretaceous although not mammals were obligate carnivores Large hypercarnivores evolved frequently in the fossil record often in response to an ecological opportunity afforded by the decline or extinction of previously dominant hypercarnivorous taxa While the evolution of large size and carnivory may be favored at the individual level it can lead to a macroevolutionary decline wherein such extreme dietary specialization results in reduced population densities and a greater vulnerability for extinction 3 As a result of these opposing forces the fossil record of carnivores is dominated by successive clades of hypercarnivores that diversify and decline only to be replaced by new hypercarnivorous clades As an example of related species with differing diets even though they diverged only 150 000 years ago 4 the polar bear is the most highly carnivorous bear more than 90 of its diet is meat while the grizzly bear is one of the least carnivorous in many locales with less than 10 of its diet being meat 5 6 7 See also editHypocarnivore List of feeding behaviours MesocarnivoreReferences edit Van Valkenburgh Blaire Spring 1988 Trophic diversity in past and present guilds of large predatory mammals Paleobiology 14 2 155 73 doi 10 1017 S0094837300011891 a b Holliday Jill A Steppan Scott J 2004 Evolution of hypercarnivory the effect of specialization on morphological and taxonomic diversity PDF Paleobiology 30 1 108 128 doi 10 1666 0094 8373 2004 030 lt 0108 EOHTEO gt 2 0 CO 2 Van Valkenburgh Blaire Wang Xiaoming Damuth John October 2004 Cope s Rule Hypercarnivory and Extinction in North American Canids Science 306 5693 101 4 Bibcode 2004Sci 306 101V doi 10 1126 science 1102417 PMID 15459388 S2CID 12017658 Lindqvist Charlotte Schuster Stephan C Sun Yazhou Talbot Sandra L et al 2010 Complete mitochondrial genome of a Pleistocene jawbone unveils the origin of polar bear PNAS 107 11 5053 5057 Bibcode 2010PNAS 107 5053L doi 10 1073 pnas 0914266107 PMC 2841953 PMID 20194737 Herrero Stephen 1985 Bear Attacks Their Causes and Avoidance Nick Lyons Books Winchester Press p 156 ISBN 0 8329 0377 9 OCLC 11726851 Arctic Bears PBS Nature February 17 2008 Archived from the original on 2008 07 16 Grizzly Hinterland Who s Who Archived from the original on January 3 2011 Retrieved March 4 2010 External links edit nbsp Look up hypercarnivore in Wiktionary the free dictionary Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hypercarnivore amp oldid 1192994966, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
