1
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Tennant JH, Cosentino BJ, Cleckner LB, Brubaker KM, Razavi NR. Methylmercury Concentrations More Strongly Associated With Trait Variation Than Food Web Position in Plethodontid Salamanders. ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY AND CHEMISTRY 2024. [PMID: 39031493 DOI: 10.1002/etc.5947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2024] [Revised: 03/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/22/2024]
Abstract
Salamanders serve as bioindicators of mercury (Hg) in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats and are an important link in the food web between low-trophic prey and higher-trophic predators. We investigated the drivers of methylmercury (MeHg) exposure in three common plethodontid salamander species in New York State, USA, including comparisons among regions, habitat types (terrestrial and semiaquatic), and color morphs of Plethodon cinereus (striped and unstriped). Nonlethal tail samples were collected from one terrestrial species (P. cinereus) and two semiaquatic species (Eurycea bislineata and Desmognathus spp.) in the Adirondack Mountains (ADK) and the Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF) regions. Samples were analyzed for MeHg and stable isotopes, including δ15N and δ13C which are proxies of trophic position and diet, respectively. Despite elevated biota Hg concentrations typically found in the ADK, salamander MeHg concentrations did not differ by region in the terrestrial species and one of the semiaquatic species. In addition, diet and trophic level did not explain MeHg exposure in salamanders. Semiaquatic salamanders exhibited higher MeHg concentrations than terrestrial salamanders in the FLNF only. Within species, only snout-vent length predicted MeHg concentrations in E. bislineata with few other variables significant as predictors of MeHg concentrations in path models. Among P. cinereus individuals in the FLNF, the striped morph had greater MeHg concentrations than the unstriped morph, and food web tracers were not different between morphs. Overall, New York State salamander Hg concentrations were elevated compared to other locations where these species are present. The present study establishes baseline Hg data in salamanders for future assessments of changes in Hg bioavailability to forests of New York State. Environ Toxicol Chem 2024;00:1-13. © 2024 SETAC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremiah H Tennant
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA
| | - Bradley J Cosentino
- Department of Biology, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Lisa B Cleckner
- Department of Environmental Studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York, USA
- Finger Lakes Institute, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - Kristen M Brubaker
- Department of Environmental Studies, Hobart and William Smith Colleges, Geneva, New York, USA
| | - N Roxanna Razavi
- Department of Environmental Biology, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, New York, USA
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2
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Gefaell J, Vigo R, González-Vázquez AH, Galindo J, Rolán-Alvarez E. Temporal stability and directional change in a color cline of a marine snail from NW Spain. Curr Zool 2024; 70:163-173. [PMID: 38726245 PMCID: PMC11078050 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoad009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2022] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
The evolution and maintenance of color clines is a classic topic of research in evolutionary ecology. However, studies analyzing the temporal dynamics of such clines are much less frequent, due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable data about past color distributions along environmental gradients. In this article, we describe a case of decades-long temporal stability and directional change in a color cline of the marine snail Littorina saxatilis along the coastal inlet of the Ría de Vigo (NW Spain). L. saxatilis from this area shows a clear color cline with 3 distinct areas from the innermost to the more wave-exposed localities of the Ría: the inner, protected localities show an abundance of fawn-like individuals; the intermediate localities show a high diversity of colors; and the outer, wave-exposed localities show populations with a high frequency of a black and lineated morph. We compare data from the 1970s and 2022 in the same localities, showing that the cline has kept relatively stable for at least over half a century, except for some directional change and local variability in the frequency of certain morphs. Multiple regression analyses and biodiversity measures are presented to provide clues into the selective pressures that might be involved in the maintenance of this color cline. Future research avenues to properly test the explanatory power of these selective agents as well as the possible origins of the cline are discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Juan Gefaell
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Ramón Vigo
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - A Honorato González-Vázquez
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Juan Galindo
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Emilio Rolán-Alvarez
- Centro de Investigación Mariña, Universidade de Vigo, Departamento de Bioquímica, Genética e Inmunología, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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3
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Straub CS, Cuomo RG, Jimenez G. Habitat selection and refuge-use by a color polymorphic salamander reveal behavioral niche differences. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10978. [PMID: 38414572 PMCID: PMC10897528 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10978] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 12/28/2023] [Accepted: 01/10/2024] [Indexed: 02/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphic species provide an excellent opportunity to investigate the ecology and evolution of intraspecific niche differences. The red-backed salamander, Plethodon cinereus, is a fully terrestrial lungless salamander with two common color forms, striped and unstriped. Previous research suggests the morphs may be differentially adapted to surface and subsurface microhabitats, with the unstriped morph being more fossorial. This hypothesis predicts that the unstriped morph should be more sensitive to the risks of surface activity (e.g., thermal stress, dehydration, predation), and therefore be more selective than striped morphs when choosing soil surface microhabitats. To test this hypothesis, we experimentally manipulated leaf litter mass in small forest patches (~0.45 m2). Leaf litter addition reduced soil temperatures, buffered against changes in air temperature, and likely provided physical protection from predators. Over 3 years, we found that unstriped adults responded positively to leaf litter addition, but striped adults did not. In addition, unstriped morphs spent significantly more time in protective refuges (opaque, moistened tubes) than striped morphs in laboratory assays. Taken together, the field and laboratory results support the hypothesis that the unstriped morph is more sensitive to the risks of surface activity, and therefore is more likely to be fossorial. This difference in microhabitat use, combined with spatiotemporal variation in leaf litter accumulation on the forest floor, may play an important role in the maintenance of the polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cory S Straub
- Department of Biology Ursinus College Collegeville Pennsylvania USA
| | - Rosella G Cuomo
- Department of Biology Ursinus College Collegeville Pennsylvania USA
| | - Gabriel Jimenez
- Department of Biology Ursinus College Collegeville Pennsylvania USA
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4
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Buckingham E, Streicher JW, Fisher‐Reid MC, Jezkova T, Wiens JJ. Population genomic analyses support sympatric origins of parapatric morphs in a salamander. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e9537. [PMCID: PMC9702563 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Revised: 10/31/2022] [Accepted: 11/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Emily Buckingham
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Life Sciences Imperial College London (South Kensington) London UK
| | - Jeffrey W. Streicher
- Department of Life Sciences The Natural History Museum London UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
| | - M. Caitlin Fisher‐Reid
- Department of Biological Sciences Bridgewater State University Bridgewater Massachusetts USA
| | | | - John J. Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Arizona Tucson Arizona USA
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5
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Waldron BP, Ganzfried MC, Hickerson CAM, Anthony CD. Repeatability of foraging behavior following a simulated predation attempt depends on color morph, sex, and foraging metric in Red-backed salamanders ( Plethodon cinereus). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1941268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Brian P. Waldron
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH 44118, USA
| | - Marissa C. Ganzfried
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH 44118, USA
| | - Cari-Ann M. Hickerson
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH 44118, USA
| | - Carl D. Anthony
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, 1 John Carroll Blvd, University Heights, OH 44118, USA
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6
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Hantak MM, Guralnick RP, Zare A, Stucky BJ. Computer vision for assessing species color pattern variation from web-based community science images. iScience 2022; 25:104784. [PMID: 35982791 PMCID: PMC9379571 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2022] [Revised: 05/16/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Openly available community science digital vouchers provide a wealth of data to study phenotypic change across space and time. However, extracting phenotypic data from these resources requires significant human effort. Here, we demonstrate a workflow and computer vision model for automatically categorizing species color pattern from community science images. Our work is focused on documenting the striped/unstriped color polymorphism in the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus). We used an ensemble convolutional neural network model to analyze this polymorphism in 20,318 iNaturalist images. Our model was highly accurate (∼98%) despite image heterogeneity. We used the resulting annotations to document extensive niche overlap between morphs, but wider niche breadth for striped morphs at the range-wide scale. Our work showcases key design principles for using machine learning with heterogeneous community science image data to address questions at an unprecedented scale. We built a deep learning model to group color morphs from community science images Our model achieved 98% accuracy for classifying striped and unstriped salamanders We used our model to classify >20,000 images and built morph-specific niche models We then determined if Red-backed salamanders niche partition at a range-wide scale
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie M. Hantak
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Corresponding author
| | - Robert P. Guralnick
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Alina Zare
- Department of Electrical, and Computer Engineering, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Brian J. Stucky
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
- Agricultural Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beltsville, MD 20705, USA
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7
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Venesky MD, DeMarchi J, Hickerson C, Anthony CD. Does the thermal mismatch hypothesis predict disease outcomes in different morphs of a terrestrial salamander? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2022; 337:467-476. [PMID: 35167180 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2021] [Revised: 12/23/2021] [Accepted: 01/19/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Many aspects of ectotherm physiology are temperature-dependent. The immune system of temperate-dwelling ectothermic host species is no exception and their immune function is often downregulated in cold temperatures. Likewise, species of ectothermic pathogens experience temperature-mediated effects on rates of transmission and/or virulence. Although seemingly straightforward, predicting the outcomes of ectothermic host-pathogen interactions is quite challenging. A recent hypothesis termed the thermal mismatch hypothesis posits that cool-adapted host species should be most susceptible to pathogen infection during warm temperature periods whereas warm-adapted host species should be most susceptible to pathogens during periods of cool temperatures. We explore this hypothesis using two ecologically and physiologically differentiated color morphs of the Eastern Red-backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus) and a pathogenic chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis; hereafter "Bd") using a fully factorial laboratory experiment. At cool temperatures, unstriped salamanders (i.e., those that are tolerant of warm temperatures) had a significantly higher probability of Bd infection compared with cool-tolerant striped salamanders, consistent with the thermal mismatch hypothesis. However, we found no support for this hypothesis when salamanders were exposed to Bd at warm temperatures: the probability of Bd infection in the cool-tolerant striped salamanders was nearly identical in both cool and warm temperatures, opposite the predictions of the thermal mismatch hypothesis. Our results are most consistent with the fact that Bd grows poorly at warm temperatures. Alternatively, our data could indicate that the two color morphs do not differ in their tolerance to warm temperatures but that striped salamanders are more tolerant to cool temperatures than unstriped salamanders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew D Venesky
- Department of Biology, Allegheny College, Meadville, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Joseph DeMarchi
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Cari Hickerson
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
| | - Carl D Anthony
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio, USA
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8
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Abstract
Natural habitats are increasingly affected by anthropogenically driven environmental changes resulting from habitat destruction, chemical and light pollution, and climate change. Organisms inhabiting such habitats are faced with novel disturbances that can alter their modes of signaling. Coloration is one such sensory modality whose production, perception and function is being affected by human-induced disturbances. Animals that acquire pigment derivatives through diet are adversely impacted by the introduction of chemical pollutants into their environments as well as by general loss of natural habitat due to urbanization or logging leading to declines in pigment sources. Those species that do manage to produce color-based signals and displays may face disruptions to their signaling medium in the form of light pollution and turbidity. Furthermore, forest fragmentation and the resulting breaks in canopy cover can expose animals to predation due to the influx of light into previously dark environments. Global climate warming has been decreasing snow cover in arctic regions, causing birds and mammals that undergo seasonal molts to appear conspicuous against a snowless background. Ectotherms that rely on color for thermoregulation are under pressure to change their appearances. Rapid changes in habitat type through severe fire events or coral bleaching also challenge animals to match their backgrounds. Through this review, we aim to describe the wide-ranging impacts of anthropogenic environmental changes on visual ecology and suggest directions for the use of coloration both as an indicator of ecological change and as a tool for conservation.
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9
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Parallel evolution of urban-rural clines in melanism in a widespread mammal. Sci Rep 2022; 12:1752. [PMID: 35110609 PMCID: PMC8810909 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-05746-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2021] [Accepted: 01/17/2022] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Urbanization is the dominant trend of global land use change. The replicated nature of environmental change associated with urbanization should drive parallel evolution, yet insight into the repeatability of evolutionary processes in urban areas has been limited by a lack of multi-city studies. Here we leverage community science data on coat color in > 60,000 eastern gray squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis) across 43 North American cities to test for parallel clines in melanism, a genetically based trait associated with thermoregulation and crypsis. We show the prevalence of melanism was positively associated with urbanization as measured by impervious cover. Urban–rural clines in melanism were strongest in the largest cities with extensive forest cover and weakest or absent in cities with warmer winter temperatures, where thermal selection likely limits the prevalence of melanism. Our results suggest that novel traits can evolve in a highly repeatable manner among urban areas, modified by factors intrinsic to individual cities, including their size, land cover, and climate.
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10
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Hantak MM, Federico NA, Blackburn DC, Guralnick RP. Rapid phenotypic change in a polymorphic salamander over 43 years. Sci Rep 2021; 11:22681. [PMID: 34811418 PMCID: PMC8609024 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-02124-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/04/2021] [Accepted: 11/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphic animals offer a unique system for studying intraspecific phenotypic responses to climate change. Discrete color morphs are easy to identify, and correlated trait responses of morphs can indicate how climate warming may facilitate long-term maintenance of polymorphisms. We use a historical dataset spanning 43 years to examine temporal shifts in color morph frequency and body size in response to climate in the Eastern Red-backed Salamander, Plethodon cinereus, which contains a widespread striped/unstriped color polymorphism. We created a pipeline to extract high-throughput trait data from fluid-preserved museum specimens where we batch-photographed salamanders, de-aggregated individual specimens from photographs, and solicited help of community scientists to score color morphs. We used a linear modeling framework that includes information about spatial population structure to demonstrate that color morph frequency and body size vary in response to climate, elevation, and over time, with an overall trend of higher frequency and decreased body size of the striped morph, but increased size of the unstriped morph. These surprising results suggest that morphs may be responding to multiple climate and geographic drivers through co-adapted morphological changes. This work highlights new practices of extracting trait data from museum specimens to demonstrate species phenotypes response to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maggie M. Hantak
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Nicholas A. Federico
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - David C. Blackburn
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Robert P. Guralnick
- grid.15276.370000 0004 1936 8091Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
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11
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Glover JA, Lattanzio MS. Female preferences for discrete and continuous male colour expression may help reinforce colour polymorphism in a desert lizard. BEHAVIOUR 2021. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Despite recognition that colour can vary continuously, colour expression in colour polymorphic species is usually treated as discrete. We conducted three experiments to evaluate the extent that discrete and continuous male coloration influenced female mating preferences in long-tailed brush lizards (Urosaurus graciosus). Each experiment provided females with a different social context: a dimorphic choice between a yellow and an orange male (coloration treated as discrete), and a choice between either two orange males or two yellow males (coloration treated as continuous variation). Females preferred orange males over yellow males in the first experiment, and the findings of our second experiment suggested that males with moderate orange coloration were most preferred. In contrast, females behaved randomly with respect to two yellow males. Our findings show that females in colour polymorphic species can evaluate both discrete and continuous aspects of morph coloration during mate assessment, which may help maintain their polymorphism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenell A. Glover
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
| | - Matthew S. Lattanzio
- Department of Organismal and Environmental Biology, Christopher Newport University, Newport News, VA 23606, USA
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12
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Hantak MM, Brooks KM, Hickerson CAM, Anthony CD, Kuchta SR. A Spatiotemporal Assessment of Dietary Partitioning between Color Morphs of a Terrestrial Salamander. COPEIA 2020. [DOI: 10.1643/ce-19-264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Maggie M. Hantak
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701; (MMH) . Send reprint requests to MMH
| | - Kyle M. Brooks
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701; (MMH) . Send reprint requests to MMH
| | | | - Carl D. Anthony
- Department of Biology, John Carroll University, University Heights, Ohio 44118
| | - Shawn R. Kuchta
- Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio 45701; (MMH) . Send reprint requests to MMH
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13
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Pabijan M, Palomar G, Antunes B, Antoł W, Zieliński P, Babik W. Evolutionary principles guiding amphibian conservation. Evol Appl 2020; 13:857-878. [PMID: 32431739 PMCID: PMC7232768 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2019] [Revised: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/18/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The Anthropocene has witnessed catastrophic amphibian declines across the globe. A multitude of new, primarily human-induced drivers of decline may lead to extinction, but can also push species onto novel evolutionary trajectories. If these are recognized by amphibian biologists, they can be engaged in conservation actions. Here, we summarize how principles stemming from evolutionary concepts have been applied for conservation purposes, and address emerging ideas at the vanguard of amphibian conservation science. In particular, we examine the consequences of increased drift and inbreeding in small populations and their implications for practical conservation. We then review studies of connectivity between populations at the landscape level, which have emphasized the limiting influence of anthropogenic structures and degraded habitat on genetic cohesion. The rapid pace of environmental changes leads to the central question of whether amphibian populations can cope either by adapting to new conditions or by shifting their ranges. We gloomily conclude that extinction seems far more likely than adaptation or range shifts for most species. That said, conservation strategies employing evolutionary principles, such as selective breeding, introduction of adaptive variants through translocations, ecosystem interventions aimed at decreasing phenotype-environment mismatch, or genetic engineering, may effectively counter amphibian decline in some areas or for some species. The spread of invasive species and infectious diseases has often had disastrous consequences, but has also provided some premier examples of rapid evolution with conservation implications. Much can be done in terms of setting aside valuable amphibian habitat that should encompass both natural and agricultural areas, as well as designing protected areas to maximize the phylogenetic and functional diversity of the amphibian community. We conclude that an explicit consideration and application of evolutionary principles, although certainly not a silver bullet, should increase effectiveness of amphibian conservation in both the short and long term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maciej Pabijan
- Institute of Zoology and Biomedical ResearchFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Gemma Palomar
- Institute of Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Bernardo Antunes
- Institute of Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Weronika Antoł
- Institute of Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Piotr Zieliński
- Institute of Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
| | - Wiesław Babik
- Institute of Environmental SciencesFaculty of BiologyJagiellonian UniversityKrakówPoland
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14
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Developmental temperature influences color polymorphism but not hatchling size in a woodland salamander. Oecologia 2020; 192:909-918. [PMID: 32162072 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04630-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can be an important adaptive response to climate change, particularly for dispersal-limited species. Temperature frequently alters developmental and phenotypic traits including morphology, behavior, and reproductive cycles. We often lack crucial information about if and how thermal conditions during development will interact with genetic responses and facilitate persistence or adaptation under climate change. Polymorphic species offer an ideal test for this, as alternative morphs often confer differential adaptive advantages. However, few studies have examined the effects of incubation temperature on color expression or development in polymorphic taxa. Here we test if developmental temperature mediates morph frequency in the polymorphic salamander Plethodon cinereus. Although previous research suggests geographic variation in morph proportions results from differential climate adaptation, it remains unknown if plasticity also contributes to this variation. We used a split-clutch common garden experiment to determine the effects of developmental temperature on the color and development of P. cinereus. Our results indicate developmental temperature affects coloration in P. cinereus, either via plasticity or differential mortality, with eggs incubated at warmer temperatures yielding a higher proportion of unstriped individuals than those from cooler temperatures. This temperature response may contribute to the spatial variation in morph frequencies in natural populations. Surprisingly, we found neither temperature nor egg size affected hatchling size. Our study provides important insights into the potential for climate-induced responses to preserve diversity in dispersal-limited species, like P. cinereus, and enable time for adaptive evolution.
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15
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Radomski T, Hantak MM, Brown AD, Kuchta SR. Multilocus Phylogeography of Eastern Red-Backed Salamanders (Plethodon cinereus): Cryptic Appalachian Diversity and Postglacial Range Expansion. HERPETOLOGICA 2020. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-19-00045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tom Radomski
- Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Maggie M. Hantak
- Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Ashley D. Brown
- Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
| | - Shawn R. Kuchta
- Ohio Center for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, Department of Biological Sciences, Ohio University, Athens, OH 45701, USA
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16
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Cosentino BJ, Moore JD, Karraker NE, Ouellet M, Gibbs JP. Evolutionary response to global change: Climate and land use interact to shape color polymorphism in a woodland salamander. Ecol Evol 2017; 7:5426-5434. [PMID: 28770079 PMCID: PMC5528218 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary change has been demonstrated to occur rapidly in human‐modified systems, yet understanding how multiple components of global change interact to affect adaptive evolution remains a critical knowledge gap. Climate change is predicted to impose directional selection on traits to reduce thermal stress, but the strength of directional selection may be mediated by changes in the thermal environment driven by land use. We examined how regional climatic conditions and land use interact to affect genetically based color polymorphism in the eastern red‐backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). P. cinereus is a woodland salamander with two primary discrete color morphs (striped, unstriped) that have been associated with macroclimatic conditions. Striped individuals are most common in colder regions, but morph frequencies can be variable within climate zones. We used path analysis to analyze morph frequencies among 238,591 individual salamanders across 1,170 sites in North America. Frequency of striped individuals was positively related to forest cover in populations occurring in warmer regions (>7°C annually), a relationship that was weak to nonexistent in populations located in colder regions (≤7°C annually). Our results suggest that directional selection imposed by climate warming at a regional scale may be amplified by forest loss and suppressed by forest persistence, with a mediating effect of land use that varies geographically. Our work highlights how the complex interaction of selection pressures imposed by different components of global change may lead to divergent evolutionary trajectories among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jean-David Moore
- Direction de la recherche forestière Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs Québec City QC Canada
| | - Nancy E Karraker
- Department of Natural Resources Science University of Rhode Island Kingston RI USA
| | | | - James P Gibbs
- College of Environmental Science and Forestry State University of New York Syracuse NY USA
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