Dr. Ryan Ferrer, Professor of Biology, and collaboartor Richard Zimmer, are co-authors of a new study in the peer-reviewed journal Functional Ecology. This study, "Allochthonous chemical cues drive predation by a top carnivore", investigated environmental cues associated with predattion among California newts. Newts demonstrated a strong preference for leaf-based substrates over more sandy substrates during predation. Ferrer and Zimmer provided experimental evidence that this substrate preference was driven by chemical cues released by decaying plant matter and not by prey-secreted odors. This study provides the first evidence that chemical cues from organic matter such as leaf litter can strongly influence predator-prey interactions.
Posted: Friday, May 1, 2026