Predation is a key ecological interaction. It has also been invoked to explain many evolutionary changes, for example the evolution of hard parts, growing particular structures (e.g. spines) and even the success or demise of particular groups of organisms. There are interesting fossils where predators have been ‘caught in the act’ but however fascinating they are can’t be used to collect serious amounts of data, sufficient to test these interesting hypotheses. This talk will explore the history of predation and explore ways in which we can build up robust data sets.
