Artificial selection for predatory behavior results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal

Abstract

The diet of an individual is a result of the availability of dietary items and the individuals foraging skills and preferences. Behavioral differences may thus influence diet variation, but the evolvability of diet choice through behavioral evolution has not been studied. We used experimental evolution combined with a field enclosure experiment to test whether behavioral selection leads to dietary divergence. We analysed the individual dietary niche via stable isotope ratios of nitrogen ({delta}15N) and carbon ({delta}13C) in the hair of an omnivorous mammal, bank vole, from 4 lines selected for predatory behavior and 4 unselected control lines. Predatory voles had higher hair {delta}15N values than control voles, supporting our hypothesis that predatory voles would consume a higher trophic level diet (more animal vs. plant foods). This difference was significant in the early but not the late summer season. The {delta}13C values also indicated a seasonal change in the consumed plant matter and a difference in food sources among selection lines in the early summer. These results imply that environmental factors interact with evolved behavioral tendencies to determine dietary niche heterogeneity. Behavioral selection thus has potential to contribute to the evolution of diet choice and ultimately the species ecological niche breadth.