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{{CompPsy}}
  
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'''Feeding''' is the process by which organisms, typically [[animal]]s, obtain [[food]]. Terminology often uses either the [[suffix]] ''-vore'' from Latin ''vorare'', meaning 'to devour', or ''phagy'', from Greek ''φαγειν'', meaning 'to eat'.
   
   
−
Many animals have evolved to [[Food intake|take in]] particular types of food and can be classified by their diets [[Image:Python sebae.jpg|right|thumb|[[Rock python]]s are bulk feeders, and may eat prey as large as [[gazelle]]s.]]
  
−
'''Feeding''' is the process by which organisms, typically [[animal]]s, obtain [[food]]. There are many types of feeding that animals exhibit, including:
  
   
  +
==Evolutionary history==
⚫
*[[filter feeder|filter feeding]] - obtaining food suspended in the water column
  
  +
The evolution of different feeding strategies is varied with some feeding strategies evolving several times in independent lineages. In terrestrial vertebrates, the earliest forms were large amphibious piscivores 400 million years ago. While amphibians continued to feed on fish and later insects, reptiles began exploring two new food types, other tetrapods (carnivory), and
⚫
*[[deposit feeder|deposit feeding]] - obtaining food particles in soil
  
  +
later, plants (herbivory). Carnivory was a natural transition from insectivory for medium and large tetrapods, requiring minimal adaptation (in contrast, a complex set of adaptations was necessary for feeding on highly fibrous plant materials).<ref name="SahneyBentonFerry2010RainforestCollapse">{{ cite journal | url=http://geology.geoscienceworld.org/cgi/content/abstract/38/12/1079 | author= Sahney, S., Benton, M.J. & Falcon-Lang, H.J. | year=2010 | title= Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica | journal=Geology | volume = 38 | pages = 1079–1082 | format=PDF | doi=10.1130/G31182.1 | issue=12}}</ref>
⚫
*[[fluid feeder|fluid feeding]] - obtaining food by consuming other organisms fluids
  
−
*[[bulk feeder|bulk feeding]] - obtaining food by eating pieces of other organisms or swallowing them whole
  
−
*[[phagocytosis|phagocytosis]] - engulfing food with cell membrane
  
   
  +
==Evolutionary adaptations==
⚫
Another classification refers to the food groups some animals specialize in, such as:
  
  ⚫
The specialization of organisms towards specific food sources is one of the major causes of [[evolution]] of form and function, such as:
  ⚫
* [[mouth]] parts and [[tooth|teeth]], such as in [[whale]]s, [[vampire bat]]s, [[leech]]es, [[mosquito]]s, predatory animals such as [[felidae|feline]]s and [[fish]]es, etc.
  ⚫
* distinct forms of [[beak]]s in [[birds]], such as in [[hawk]]s, [[woodpecker]]s, [[pelican]]s, [[hummingbird]]s, [[parrot]]s, [[kingfisher]]s, etc.
  ⚫
* specialized [[claw]]s and other appendages, for apprehending or killing (including fingers in [[primate]]s)
  ⚫
* changes in body colour for facilitating [[camouflage]], disguise, setting up traps for preys, etc.
  ⚫
* changes in the [[digestion|digestive]] system, such as the system of [[stomach]]s of herbivores, [[commensalism]] and [[symbiosis]]
   
  +
==Classification==
⚫
* [[Carnivore]] - [[meat]]
  
  +
==Method of feeding==
⚫
* [[Detritivore]] - decomposing material
  
−
* [[Folivore]] - [[leaf|leaves]]
 +
* [[Browsing (herbivory)|Browsing]]
−
* [[Frugivore]] - [[fruit]]s
 +
* [[Feeding frenzy]]
−
* [[Granivore]] - [[seed]]s
 +
* [[Grazing]]
  +
* [[Hypercarnivore]]
⚫
* [[Herbivore]] - [[plant]]s
  
−
* [[Insectivore]] - [[insect]]s
 +
* [[Intraguild predation]]
  +
* [[Kleptoparasitism]]
⚫
* [[Nectarivore]] - [[nectar]]
  
  +
* [[Scavenger|Scavenging]]
⚫
* [[Omnivore]] - plants and meat
  
  +
* [[Trophallaxis]]
⚫
* [[Piscivore]] - [[fish]]es
  
−
* [[Sanguinivore]] - [[blood]]
  
−
* [[Saprovore]] - dead matter
  
   
  +
===By mode of ingestion===
  +
There are many modes of feeding that animals exhibit, including:
  ⚫
*[[filter feeder|Filter feeding]] - obtaining nutrients from particles suspended in water
  ⚫
*[[deposit feeder|Deposit feeding]] - obtaining nutrients from particles suspended in soil
  ⚫
*[[fluid feeder|Fluid feeding]] - obtaining nutrients by consuming other organisms' fluids
  +
*Bulk feeding - obtaining nutrients by eating all of an organism
  +
*[[Ram feeding]] and [[suction feeding]] - ingesting prey via the fluids around it.
   
  +
===By mode of digestion===
−
There are also several food sources which have caused the development of specialized feeding behaviors, such as:
  
  +
*[[Extra-cellular digestion]] - excreting digesting enzymes and then reabsorbing the products
  +
*[[Myzocytosis]] - one cell pierces another using a feeding tube, and sucks out cytoplasm
  +
*[[Phagocytosis]] - engulfing food matter into living cells, where it is digested
   
  +
===By food type===
⚫
* [[Ophiophagy]]: feeding on [[snake]]s
  
  +
[[wikt:Polyphagy|Polyphagy]] is the ability of an animal to eat a variety of food, whereas monophagy is the intolerance of every food except of one specific type (see [[generalist and specialist species]]).
⚫
* [[Hematophagy]]: feeding on [[blood]]
  
⚫
* [[Coprophagy]]: feeding on [[faeces]]
  
⚫
* [[Cannibalism (zoology)|Cannibalism]]: feeding on members of the same species (''[[anthropophagy]]'' is the proper scientific term for human cannibalism)
  
⚫
* [[Trophallaxis]]: [[regurgitation]] of food to another animal
  
⚫
* [[Paedophagy]]: feeding on the young of other species
  
⚫
* [[Lepidophagy]]: of fish, feeding on the scales of other fish
  
   
  ⚫
Another classification refers to the specific food animals specialize in eating, such as:
⚫
In many instances, the specialization of organisms in a specific type of food source has been one of the major causes of [[evolution]] of form and function, such as:
  
  ⚫
* [[Carnivore]] - the eating of animals
  ⚫
** [[Hematophagy|Haematophagy]] - eating blood
  +
** [[Insectivore]] - eating insects
  +
*** [[Myrmecophagy]] - eating ants and/or termites
  +
** [[Keratophagy]] or [[Ceratophagy]] - eating horny material, such as wool by [[Tineidae|cloths moths]], or snakes eating their own skin after [[ecdysis]].
  ⚫
** [[Lepidophagy]] - eating fish scales
  +
** [[Man-eater]] - eating humans
  +
** [[Molluscivore]] - eating molluscs
  +
** [[Mucophagy]] - eating mucus
  ⚫
** [[Ophiophagy]] - eating snakes
  ⚫
** [[Piscivore]] - eating fish
  +
** [[Avivore]] - eating birds
  +
** [[Spongivore]] - eating sponges
  ⚫
* [[Herbivore]] - the eating of plants
  +
** [[Folivore]] - eating leaves
  +
** [[Frugivore]] - eating fruits
  +
** [[Graminivore]] - eating grasses
  +
** [[Granivore]] - eating seeds
  ⚫
** [[Nectarivore]] - eating nectar
  +
** [[Palynivore]] - eating pollen
  +
** [[Xylophagy]] - eating wood
  ⚫
* [[Omnivore]] - the eating of both plants and animals
  +
* [[Fungivore]] - the eating of fungus
  +
* [[Bacterivore]] - the eating of bacteria
   
  +
The eating of non-living or decaying matter:
−
[[Image:Birds beaks.jpg|center|framed|Many different forms of beaks in birds have evolved in function of feeding sources]]
  
  ⚫
* [[Coprophagy]] - eating faeces
−  
  ⚫
* [[Detritivore]] - eating decomposing material
⚫
* [[mouth]] parts and [[tooth|teeth]], such as in [[whale]]s, [[vampire bat]]s, [[leech]]es, [[mosquito]]s, predatory animals such as [[felidae|feline]]s and [[fish]]es, etc
  
  +
* [[Geophagy]] - eating inorganic earth
⚫
* distinct forms of [[beak]]s in [[birds]], such as in [[hawk]]s, [[woodpecker]]s, [[pelican]]s, [[hummingbird]]s, [[parrot]]s, [[kingfisher]]s, etc.
  
  +
* [[Osteophagy]] - eating bones
⚫
* specialized [[claw]]s and other appendages, for apprehending or killing (including fingers in [[primate]]s
  
  +
* [[Scavenger]] - eating carrion
⚫
* changes in body colour for facilitating [[camouflage]], disguise, setting up traps for preys, etc.
  
⚫
* changes in the [[digestive]] system, such as the system of [[stomach]]s of herbivores, [[commensalism]] and [[symbiosis]]
  
   
  +
There are also several unusual feeding behaviours, either normal, [[opportunism|opportunistic]], or pathological, such as:
  ⚫
* [[Cannibalism (zoology)|Cannibalism]] - feeding on members of the same species
  +
* [[Self-cannibalism]] - feeding on parts of one's own body (see also [[autophagy]])
  +
* [[Sexual cannibalism]] - cannibalism after mating
  +
* [[Kleptoparasitism]] - stealing food from another animal
  ⚫
* [[Trophallaxis]] - eating food regurgitated by another animal
  +
* [[Oophagy]] - eating eggs
  +
* [[Ovophagy]] - eating embryos
  ⚫
* [[Paedophagy]] - eating young animals
  +
* [[Pica (disorder)|Pica]] - appetite for largely non-nutritive substances, eg clay or hair, sometimes in pregnancy or in pathological states, typically a medical or veterinary concern.
  +
* [[Placentophagy]] - eating placenta
  +
An opportunistic feeder sustains itself from a number of different food sources, because the species is behaviorally sufficiently flexible.
   
  +
==Storage behaviours==
  +
Some animals exhibit [[Hoarding (animal behaviour)|hoarding]] and [[Cache (biology)|caching]] behaviours in which they store or hide food for later use.
   
   
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*[[Animal maternal behaviour]]
  
*[[Animal maternal behaviour]]
 
*[[Animal paternal behavior]]
  
*[[Animal paternal behavior]]
  +
*[[Consumer-resource systems]]
  +
*[[Feeding frenzy]]
 
*[[Feeding practices]]
  
*[[Feeding practices]]
 
*[[Food intake]]
  
*[[Food intake]]
  +
*[[Kleptoparasitism]]
  +
*[[List of herbivorous animals]]
  +
*[[List of omnivores]]
 
*[[Hunger]]
  
*[[Hunger]]
 
*[[Ingestion]]
  
*[[Ingestion]]
  +
*[[Reciprocal food sharing]]
 
*[[Sucking]]
  
*[[Sucking]]
   
 
==References & Bibliography==
 
==References & Bibliography==
 
<References/>
  
<References/>
  +
 
==Key texts==
 
==Key texts==
 
===Books===
  
===Books===
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{{Feeding}}
  
{{Feeding}}
  +
  +
[[Image:Anopheles stephensi.jpeg|right|thumb|[[Mosquito]] drinking blood]]
  +
[[Image:Rosy boa eating.JPG|right|thumb|[[Rosy boa]] eating a mouse whole]]
  +
[[Image:Kangur.rudy.drs.jpg|right|thumb|[[Red Kangaroo]] eating grass]]
  +
[[File:Pegesimallus sp robberfly.jpg|thumb|The [[robberfly]] is an [[insectivore]]]]
  +
[[Image:Robin eating a worm in spring.jpg|right|thumb|[[American robin|Robin]] eating a worm]]
  +
[[Image:Colibri-thalassinus-001-edit.jpg|right|thumb|[[Hummingbird]] drinking nectar]]
  +
[[Image:Filterkrillkils2.gif|right|thumb|[[Krill]] filter feeding]]
  +
[[File:Myrmicaria brunnea.jpg|thumb|[[Myrmicaria brunnea]] feeding on [[sugar]] crystals]]
   
 
[[Category:Ethology]]
  
[[Category:Ethology]]

Latest revision as of 23:11, 19 September 2012

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Feeding is the process by which organisms, typically animals, obtain food. Terminology often uses either the suffix -vore from Latin vorare, meaning 'to devour', or phagy, from Greek φαγειν, meaning 'to eat'.


Evolutionary history

The evolution of different feeding strategies is varied with some feeding strategies evolving several times in independent lineages. In terrestrial vertebrates, the earliest forms were large amphibious piscivores 400 million years ago. While amphibians continued to feed on fish and later insects, reptiles began exploring two new food types, other tetrapods (carnivory), and later, plants (herbivory). Carnivory was a natural transition from insectivory for medium and large tetrapods, requiring minimal adaptation (in contrast, a complex set of adaptations was necessary for feeding on highly fibrous plant materials).[1]

Evolutionary adaptations

The specialization of organisms towards specific food sources is one of the major causes of evolution of form and function, such as:

Classification

Method of feeding

By mode of ingestion

There are many modes of feeding that animals exhibit, including:

  • Filter feeding - obtaining nutrients from particles suspended in water
  • Deposit feeding - obtaining nutrients from particles suspended in soil
  • Fluid feeding - obtaining nutrients by consuming other organisms' fluids
  • Bulk feeding - obtaining nutrients by eating all of an organism
  • Ram feeding and suction feeding - ingesting prey via the fluids around it.

By mode of digestion

  • Extra-cellular digestion - excreting digesting enzymes and then reabsorbing the products
  • Myzocytosis - one cell pierces another using a feeding tube, and sucks out cytoplasm
  • Phagocytosis - engulfing food matter into living cells, where it is digested

By food type

Polyphagy is the ability of an animal to eat a variety of food, whereas monophagy is the intolerance of every food except of one specific type (see generalist and specialist species).

Another classification refers to the specific food animals specialize in eating, such as:

  • Carnivore - the eating of animals
    • Haematophagy - eating blood
    • Insectivore - eating insects
      • Myrmecophagy - eating ants and/or termites
    • Keratophagy or Ceratophagy - eating horny material, such as wool by cloths moths, or snakes eating their own skin after ecdysis.
    • Lepidophagy - eating fish scales
    • Man-eater - eating humans
    • Molluscivore - eating molluscs
    • Mucophagy - eating mucus
    • Ophiophagy - eating snakes
    • Piscivore - eating fish
    • Avivore - eating birds
    • Spongivore - eating sponges
  • Herbivore - the eating of plants
    • Folivore - eating leaves
    • Frugivore - eating fruits
    • Graminivore - eating grasses
    • Granivore - eating seeds
    • Nectarivore - eating nectar
    • Palynivore - eating pollen
    • Xylophagy - eating wood
  • Omnivore - the eating of both plants and animals
  • Fungivore - the eating of fungus
  • Bacterivore - the eating of bacteria

The eating of non-living or decaying matter:

  • Coprophagy - eating faeces
  • Detritivore - eating decomposing material
  • Geophagy - eating inorganic earth
  • Osteophagy - eating bones
  • Scavenger - eating carrion

There are also several unusual feeding behaviours, either normal, opportunistic, or pathological, such as:

  • Cannibalism - feeding on members of the same species
  • Self-cannibalism - feeding on parts of one's own body (see also autophagy)
  • Sexual cannibalism - cannibalism after mating
  • Kleptoparasitism - stealing food from another animal
  • Trophallaxis - eating food regurgitated by another animal
  • Oophagy - eating eggs
  • Ovophagy - eating embryos
  • Paedophagy - eating young animals
  • Pica - appetite for largely non-nutritive substances, eg clay or hair, sometimes in pregnancy or in pathological states, typically a medical or veterinary concern.
  • Placentophagy - eating placenta

An opportunistic feeder sustains itself from a number of different food sources, because the species is behaviorally sufficiently flexible.

Storage behaviours

Some animals exhibit hoarding and caching behaviours in which they store or hide food for later use.


See also

References & Bibliography

  1. ↑ Sahney, S., Benton, M.J. & Falcon-Lang, H.J. (2010). Rainforest collapse triggered Pennsylvanian tetrapod diversification in Euramerica. Geology 38 (12): 1079–1082.

Key texts

Books

Papers

Additional material

Books

Papers

External links

v·d·e
Feeding behaviours
Carnivores

adult

Hematophagy · Insectivore · Lepidophagy · Man-eater · Molluscivore · Mucophagy · Myrmecophagy · Ophiophagy · Piscivore · Spongivore

reproductive

Oophagy · Ovophagy · Paedophagy · Placentophagy · Breastfeeding · Weaning

cannibalistic

Cannibalism · Human cannibalism · Self-cannibalism · Sexual cannibalism

Red-tailed hawk eating a California meadow vole
Herbivores

Folivore · Frugivore · Graminivore · Granivore · Nectarivore · Palynivore · Xylophagy · Osteophagy

Others

Phagocytosis · Bacterivore · Coprophagia · Detritivore · Fungivore · Geophagy · Omnivore

Methods

Apex predator · Bottom feeding · Browsing  ·Hypercarnivore · Intraguild predation · Filter feeding · Grazing · Kleptoparasitism · Scavenging · Trophallaxis

Predation · Antipredator adaptation · Category:Eating behaviors
File:Anopheles stephensi.jpeg

Mosquito drinking blood

File:Rosy boa eating.JPG

Rosy boa eating a mouse whole

File:Kangur.rudy.drs.jpg

Red Kangaroo eating grass

File:Pegesimallus sp robberfly.jpg

The robberfly is an insectivore

Robin eating a worm in spring

Robin eating a worm

File:Colibri-thalassinus-001-edit.jpg

Hummingbird drinking nectar

File:Filterkrillkils2.gif

Krill filter feeding

File:Myrmicaria brunnea.jpg

Myrmicaria brunnea feeding on sugar crystals

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