Research overview: age and sex selectivity in felid prey

A survey of how cats do not take prey at random but select particular age and sex classes, with consequences for prey populations. Felids frequently kill disproportionately young, old or otherwise vulnerable individuals, and prey sex can matter where males are larger, solitary or in poorer condition during the rut. This overview synthesizes evidence on age and sex bias in lion, puma, leopard and lynx kills, the mechanisms behind it such as differential vulnerability and behavior, and how selective predation shapes prey demography and the compensatory-versus-additive debate. It connects prey choice to population dynamics and to the evolutionary effects of predation on prey life history. The topic clarifies that which individuals cats kill, not just how many, governs their impact on prey.