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Contrary to the assertion by Maynard-Smith and Slatkin (1978), the concept of prudent predation does not involve group selection. 2. While an "evolutionary race" may exist between predators and prey, there is reason to believe the prey mm keep ahead in that race. 8. Prudent predation evolves as a consequence of several well-supported biological observations and theoretical assertions, namely: a) Mortality sources tend to become synchronous in life history by natural selection and tend to concentrate on ages with low reproductive value. b) By a predator acting as a strong age-selective mortality source it selects for shifts in the life history distribution which lowers the reproductive value of its preferred prey. c) Consuming animals of low reproductive value is optimally prudent predatory behavior.
Lawrence B. Slobodkin (Sun,) studied this question.