1
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Dubiner S, Meiri S, Levin E. Seasonal remodeling of visceral organs in the invasive desert gecko Tarentola annularis. Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 38348500 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12814] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
In winter, many reptiles have a period of inactivity ("brumation"). During brumation there is no energetic intake, therefore there would be an advantage to reducing energetic expenditure. The size of energetically costly organs, a major determinant of metabolic rate, is known to be flexible in many tetrapods. Seasonal plasticity of organ size could serve as both an energy-saving mechanism and a source of nutrients for brumating reptiles. We studied a population of an invasive gecko, Tarentola annularis, to test for seasonal changes in activity, metabolic rate, and mass of various organs. The observed period of inactivity was December-February. Standard metabolic rates during the activity season were 1.85 times higher than in brumating individuals. This may be attributed to decreased organ mass during winter: heart mass decreased by 37%, stomach mass by 25%, and liver mass by 69%. Interestingly, testes mass increased by 100% during winter, likely in preparation for the breeding season, suggesting that males prioritize breeding over other functions upon return to activity. The size of the kidneys and lungs remained constant. Organ atrophy occurred only after geckos reduced their activity, so we hypothesize that organ mass changes in response to (rather than in anticipation of) cold winter temperatures and the associated fasting. Degradation of visceral organs can maintain energy demands in times of low supply, and catabolism of the protein from these organs can serve as a source of both energy and water during brumation. These findings bring us closer to a mechanistic understanding of reptiles' physiological adaptations to environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shahar Dubiner
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Shai Meiri
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- The Steinhardt Museum of Natural History, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Eran Levin
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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2
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Liu S, Zhao B, Gu X, Du W. Behavioral thermoregulation by reptile embryos promotes hatching success and synchronization. Commun Biol 2023; 6:848. [PMID: 37582884 PMCID: PMC10427690 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-023-05229-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Reptile embryos can move inside eggs to seek optimal thermal conditions, falsifying the traditional assumption that embryos are simply passive occupants within their eggs. However, the adaptive significance of this thermoregulatory behavior remains a contentious topic. Here we demonstrate that behavioral thermoregulation by turtle embryos shortened incubation periods which may reduce the duration of exposure to dangerous environments, decreased egg mortality imposed by lethally high temperatures, and synchronized hatching which reduces predation risk. Our study provides empirical evidence that behavioral thermoregulation by turtle embryos is adaptive.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuo Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- College of life sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Bo Zhao
- College of Fisheries, Zhejiang Ocean University, Zhoushan, 316000, China
| | - Xiaoting Gu
- College of life sciences, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
| | - Weiguo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China.
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3
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Ma L, Hou C, Jiang ZW, Du WG. Divergent effects of climate change on the egg-laying opportunity of species in cold and warm regions. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2023; 37:e14056. [PMID: 36661061 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.14056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2022] [Revised: 11/24/2022] [Accepted: 11/29/2022] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Climate warming can substantially impact embryonic development and juvenile growth in oviparous species. Estimating the overall impacts of climate warming on oviparous reproduction is difficult because egg-laying events happen throughout the reproductive season. Successful egg laying requires the completion of embryonic development as well as hatching timing conducive to offspring survival and energy accumulation. We propose a new metric-egg-laying opportunity (EO)-to estimate the annual hours during which a clutch of freshly laid eggs yields surviving offspring that store sufficient energy for overwintering. We estimated the EO within the distribution of a model species, Sceloporus undulatus, under recent climate condition and a climate-warming scenario by combining microclimate data, developmental functions, and biophysical models. We predicted that EO will decline as the climate warms at 74.8% of 11,407 sites. Decreasing hatching success and offspring energy accounted for more lost EO hours (72.6% and 72.9%) than the occurrence of offspring heat stress (59.9%). Nesting deeper (at a depth of 12 cm) may be a more effective behavioral adjustment for retaining EO than using shadier (50% shade) nests because the former fully mitigated the decline of EO under the considered warming scenario at more sites (66.1%) than the latter (28.3%). We advocate for the use of EO in predicting the impacts of climate warming on oviparous animals because it encapsulates the integrative impacts of climate warming on all stages of reproductive life history.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- School of Ecology, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
- Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Chao Hou
- School of Science, Shenzhen Campus of Sun Yat-sen University, Shenzhen, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhong-Wen Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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4
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Brusch GA, Le Galliard J, Viton R, Gavira RSB, Clobert J, Lourdais O. Reproducing in a changing world: combined effects of thermal conditions by day and night and of water constraints during pregnancy in a cold‐adapted ectotherm. OIKOS 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.09536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- George A. Brusch
- Biological Sciences, California State Univ. San Marcos San Marcos CA USA
| | - Jean‐François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne Univ., CNRS, IRD, INRAe, Inst. d'Écologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement (IEES) Paris Cedex 5 France
- Ecole Normale Supérieure, PSL Univ., Dépt de Biologie, CNRS, UMS 3194, Centre de Recherche en Écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP‐Ecotron IleDeFrance) Saint‐Pierre‐lès‐Nemours France
| | - Robin Viton
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS Villiers en Bois France
| | | | - Jean Clobert
- Station d'Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale de Moulis, CNRS, UMR 5321 Saint Girons France
| | - Olivier Lourdais
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé, CNRS Villiers en Bois France
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State Univ. Tempe AZ USA
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5
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Consequences of Oviposition Site Choice for Geckos in Changing Environments. BIOLOGY 2022; 11:biology11091281. [PMID: 36138760 PMCID: PMC9495809 DOI: 10.3390/biology11091281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Revised: 08/24/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary Most lizards lay eggs inside nests where developing embryos experience large temperature fluctuations. As females do not incubate eggs, the embryos can experience lethally high temperatures during heatwaves. Thus, future changes in the frequency and intensity of summer heatwaves may threaten lizard populations. However, variation in female nest site choice might buffer the embryos in some nests from high temperatures. In this study, we incubated eggs of the velvet gecko under two fluctuating temperature regimes to mimic the temperatures experienced inside currently used sun-exposed (“warm”: mean = 25.4 °C; range = 16.5–35.5 °C) and shaded (“cold”: mean = 23.3 °C; 17.5–30.5 °C) communal nest sites. We found that warm-incubated hatchlings hatched 15 days earlier, on average, and were smaller than their cold-incubated clutch mates. We released the hatchlings to the wild, and monitored their survival over six months. Egg incubation treatment did not influence the survival of hatchlings. This result is reassuring, because even if air temperatures increase by 2 °C in future, some currently used shaded nests will provide thermal regimes that are suitable for embryonic development. Variation in female nest site choice may therefore allow some populations of velvet geckos to persist in changing environments. Abstract Most lizards lay eggs inside nests where embryos experience daily fluctuations in temperature. As embryos are sensitive to exposure to high temperatures, increases in nest temperatures may pose a risk to lizards. In the velvet gecko Amalosia lesueurii, nest temperatures are positively correlated with air temperatures, so nests may get hotter in future. However, maternal variation in oviposition site choice might buffer populations from future warming. To evaluate the consequences of oviposition site choice, we incubated eggs under two fluctuating temperature regimes that mimicked temperatures experienced inside sun-exposed (“warm”: mean = 25.4 °C; range = 16.5–35.5 °C) and shaded (“cold”: mean = 23.3 °C; 17.5–30.5 °C) communal nests. We measured the phenotypic traits of hatchlings, released them to the wild, and monitored their survival over 6 months. Warm-incubated hatchlings hatched 15 days earlier, on average, and were smaller than their cold-incubated clutch mates. Incubation treatment did not influence the apparent survival of hatchlings. Hence, even if air temperatures increase by 2 °C in future, thermal regimes inside some currently used shaded nests will be suitable for embryo development. Maternal variation in nest site choice may therefore allow southern populations of the velvet gecko to persist in changing environments.
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6
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Benefits of paternal thermoregulation: male midwife toads select warmer temperature to shorten embryonic development. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03155-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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7
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Pruett JE, Warner DA. Spatial and temporal variation in phenotypes and fitness in response to developmental thermal environments. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jenna E. Pruett
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama USA
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8
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Watson CM, Cox CL. Elevation, oxygen, and the origins of viviparity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2021; 336:457-469. [PMID: 34254734 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Research focused on understanding the evolutionary factors that shape parity mode evolution among vertebrates have long focused on squamate reptiles (snakes and lizards), which contain all but one of the evolutionary transitions from oviparity to viviparity among extant amniotes. While most hypotheses have focused on the role of cool temperatures in favoring viviparity in thermoregulating snakes and lizards, there is a growing appreciation in the biogeographic literature for the importance of lower oxygen concentrations at high elevations for the evolution of parity mode. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying how hypoxia might reduce fitness, and how viviparity can alleviate this fitness decrement, has not been systematically evaluated. We qualitatively evaluated previous research on reproductive and developmental physiology, and found that (1) hypoxia can negatively affect fitness of squamate embryos, (2) oxygen availability in the circulatory system of adult lizards can be similar or greater than an egg, and (3) gravid females can possess adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to hypoxia. These findings suggest that the impact of hypoxia on the development and physiology of oviparous and viviparous squamates would be a fruitful area of research for understanding the evolution of viviparity. To that end, we propose an integrative research program for studying hypoxia and the evolution of viviparity in squamates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles M Watson
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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9
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Whiteley SL, Georges A, Weisbecker V, Schwanz LE, Holleley CE. Ovotestes suggest cryptic genetic influence in a reptile model for temperature-dependent sex determination. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20202819. [PMID: 33467998 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.2819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Sex determination and differentiation in reptiles is complex. Temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), genetic sex determination (GSD) and the interaction of both environmental and genetic cues (sex reversal) can drive the development of sexual phenotypes. The jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus) is an attractive model species for the study of gene-environment interactions because it displays a form of Type II TSD, where female-biased sex ratios are observed at extreme incubation temperatures and approximately 50 : 50 sex ratios occur at intermediate temperatures. This response to temperature has been proposed to occur due to underlying sex determining loci, the influence of which is overridden at extreme temperatures. Thus, sex reversal at extreme temperatures is predicted to produce the female-biased sex ratios observed in A. muricatus. The occurrence of ovotestes during development is a cellular marker of temperature sex reversal in a closely related species Pogona vitticeps. Here, we present the first developmental data for A. muricatus, and show that ovotestes occur at frequencies consistent with a mode of sex determination that is intermediate between GSD and TSD. This is the first evidence suggestive of underlying unidentified sex determining loci in a species that has long been used as a model for TSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L Whiteley
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia.,Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
| | - Arthur Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia
| | - Vera Weisbecker
- College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Adelaide, Australia
| | - Lisa E Schwanz
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, Australia
| | - Clare E Holleley
- Australian National Wildlife Collection, CSIRO, Canberra, Australia
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10
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Evans KE, Brummett L, Combrink L, Holden K, Catalina G, Farrar S, Rodriguez C, Sparkman AM. Embryonic heart rate correlates with maternal temperature and developmental stage in viviparous snakes. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 253:110874. [PMID: 33348020 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110874] [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: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2020] [Accepted: 12/15/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Interactions between the environment and maternal and embryonic physiology can have critical ramifications for early-life phenotypes and survival in a range of species. A major component of the environment-maternal-embryonic nexus is the regulation of embryonic heart rate, which can have important ramifications for developmental phenology, but remains relatively unexplored in viviparous reptiles. The goal of this study was to test for a relationship between embryonic heart rate and maternal body temperature in two species of viviparous garter snakes. The embryonic heart rates of Thamnophis elegans and T. sirtalis were assessed using a field-portable ultrasound. For both T. elegans and T. sirtalis, embryonic heart rate was strongly correlated to maternal temperature. Interestingly, there was also a strong correlation between embryonic and maternal heart rate that was most likely mediated by a common response to maternal body temperature, in spite of the effects of handling during ultrasound on maternal heart rate. Furthermore, embryos at earlier developmental stages had lower heart rates. To our knowledge, this study is the first to explore embryonic heart rate in viviparous reptiles, providing a foundation for future work using ultrasonography to test ecological and evolutionary hypotheses related to developmental dynamics in free-ranging viviparous species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly E Evans
- Westmont College, 955 La Paz Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
| | - Lilly Brummett
- Westmont College, 955 La Paz Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
| | - Lucia Combrink
- Westmont College, 955 La Paz Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
| | | | | | - Sierra Farrar
- Westmont College, 955 La Paz Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
| | - Caleb Rodriguez
- Westmont College, 955 La Paz Rd, Santa Barbara, CA 93108, USA
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11
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Li S, Hao X, Sun B, Bi J, Zhang Y, DU W. Phenotypic consequences of maternally selected nests: a cross-fostering experiment in a desert lizard. Integr Zool 2020; 16:741-754. [PMID: 33190392 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12505] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Despite the importance of maternally selected nests in shaping offspring phenotypes, our understanding of how the nest environment affects embryonic development and offspring traits of most non-avian reptiles is rather limited largely due to the logistical difficulty in locating their nests. To identify the relative contributions of environmental (temporal [seasonal] and spatial [nest-site]) and intrinsic (clutch) factors on embryonic development and offspring traits, we conducted a cross-fostering experiment by swapping eggs between maternally-selected nests of the toad-headed agama (Phrynocephalus przewalskii) in the field. We found that nest environment explained a large proportion of variation in incubation duration, hatching success, and offspring size and growth. In contrast, clutch only explained a small proportion of variation in these embryonic and offspring traits. More significantly, compared with spatial effects, seasonal effects explained more phenotypic variation in both embryonic development and offspring traits. Eggs laid early in the nesting season had longer incubation durations and produced smaller hatchlings with higher post-hatching growth rates than did later-laid eggs. Consequently, hatchlings from early-laid eggs reached larger body sizes prior to winter. In addition, we found that female toad-headed agama did not select nests specific to reaction norms of their own offspring because hatchlings from original or translocated nests had similar phenotypic traits. Overall, our study demonstrates the importance of seasonal variation in nest environments in determining embryonic development and offspring phenotypes, which has not been widely appreciated at least in non-avian reptiles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shuran Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China.,International Society of Zoological Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Baojun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Junhuai Bi
- College of Life Science, Inner Mongolia Normal University, Hohhot, Inner Mongolia, China
| | - Yongpu Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Weiguo DU
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, China
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12
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Schwanz LE, Crawford-Ash J, Gale T. Context dependence of transgenerational plasticity: the influence of parental temperature depends on offspring environment and sex. Oecologia 2020; 194:391-401. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04783-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2020] [Accepted: 10/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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13
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Beltrán I, Durand V, Loiseleur R, Whiting MJ. Effect of early thermal environment on the morphology and performance of a lizard species with bimodal reproduction. J Comp Physiol B 2020; 190:795-809. [PMID: 32951106 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-020-01312-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Early developmental environments influence life-history traits and survival of reptiles. In fact, rising global temperatures have already caused widespread extinctions among lizards. Viviparous species might be more susceptible to increasing temperatures because of their inability to meet their energetic demands following rapid environmental changes. Nevertheless, we do not yet fully understand how lizards with different reproductive modes can respond to climate change. We investigated the effect of both maternal thermal environment during pregnancy and incubation temperature on hatchling morphology and physiological performance of two populations of the lizard Saiphos equalis differing in their mode of reproduction, to test whether reproductive mode affects the ability to buffer against rising temperatures. Gravid females from both populations were subjected to current or projected end-of-century (future) thermal environments, to evaluate differences in the body size, growth rate, thermal preference, and locomotor performance of their offspring. Our results show that independently of the mode of reproduction, high temperatures accelerated gestation periods. Thermal environments did not affect hatchling thermal preference, but viviparous hatchlings consistently preferred lower temperatures. Unlike viviparous lizards, oviparous hatchlings incubated under future temperatures were smaller and had a lower growth rate compared to current-incubated hatchlings. Finally, thermal environments did not affect hatchling endurance and speed when controlling for body size. Our results show that global warming is likely to have a negative impact on S. equalis, but suggest that some of its effects may be ameliorated by maternal responses during pregnancy, particularly in viviparous populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Beltrán
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Victorien Durand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of the Sciences of Life, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
| | - Rebecca Loiseleur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of the Sciences of Life, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
| | - Martin J Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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14
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Murphy KM, Radder RS, Shine R, Warner DA. Lizard Embryos Prioritize Posthatching Energy Reserves over Increased Hatchling Body Size during Development. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:339-346. [PMID: 32692615 DOI: 10.1086/710053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Embryonic development in oviparous organisms is fueled by maternally allocated yolk, and many organisms hatch before that energy store is used completely; the resultant leftover (residual) yolk is internalized and may support early posthatching life. However, embryos that use most, or all, of their yolk supply before hatching should hatch at a larger size than those that do not exhaust those energy reserves, which could also have benefits for posthatching growth and survival. To examine the trade-off between residual yolk and offspring size, we experimentally reduced yolk quantity at oviposition in lizard eggs (Amphibolurus muricatus) and then quantified offspring size and the amount of internalized residual yolk. This design enabled us to determine whether embryos (1) exhaust yolk supply during development (thereby maximizing neonatal size) or (2) reduce neonatal size by retaining yolk reserves at hatching. Our data support the latter scenario. Eggs from the yolk-reduced treatment produced smaller offspring with a proportion of residual yolk similar to that of offspring from unmanipulated eggs, suggesting that the fitness benefits of posthatching energy stores outweigh those of larger neonatal size.
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15
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Riley JL, Hudson S, Frenette-Ling C, Davy CM. All together now! Hatching synchrony in freshwater turtles. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2800-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
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16
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Steele AL, Warner DA. Sex-specific effects of developmental temperature on morphology, growth and survival of offspring in a lizard with temperature-dependent sex determination. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe developmental environment plays a pivotal role in shaping fitness-relevant phenotypes of all organisms. Phenotypes are highly labile during embryogenesis, and environmental factors experienced early in development can have profound effects on fitness-relevant traits throughout life. Many reptiles exhibit temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD), whereby temperature during embryonic development permanently determines offspring sex. The leading hypothesis for the adaptive significance of TSD posits that egg incubation temperature differentially affects the fitness of males vs. females so that each sex is produced at its optimal temperature. The goal of this research is to address this hypothesis by quantifying the sex-specific effects of incubation temperature on phenotypes and survival in a lizard (Agama picticauda) with TSD. By incubating eggs under constant and fluctuating temperatures, we demonstrated that incubation temperature affects fitness-relevant phenotypes in A. picticauda; but males and females had similar reaction norms. However, females produced from female-biased incubation temperatures had greater survival than those from male-biased temperatures, and male survival was lowest for individuals produced from a female-biased temperature. In addition, eggs incubated at male-biased temperatures hatched earlier than those incubated at female-biased temperatures, which may have sex-specific consequences later in life as predicted by models for the adaptive significance of TSD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ariel L Steele
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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17
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Moss JB, Gerber GP, Laaser T, Goetz M, Oyog T, Welch ME. Conditional female strategies influence hatching success in a communally nesting iguana. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:3424-3438. [PMID: 32273999 PMCID: PMC7141077 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2019] [Revised: 01/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
The decision of females to nest communally has important consequences for reproductive success. While often associated with reduced energetic expenditure, conspecific aggregations also expose females and offspring to conspecific aggression, exploitation, and infanticide. Intrasexual competition pressures are expected to favor the evolution of conditional strategies, which could be based on simple decision rules (i.e., availability of nesting sites and synchronicity with conspecifics) or on a focal individual's condition or status (i.e., body size). Oviparous reptiles that reproduce seasonally and provide limited to no postnatal care provide ideal systems for disentangling social factors that influence different female reproductive tactics from those present in offspring-rearing environments. In this study, we investigated whether nesting strategies in a West Indian rock iguana, Cyclura nubila caymanensis, vary conditionally with reproductive timing or body size, and evaluated consequences for nesting success. Nesting surveys were conducted on Little Cayman, Cayman Islands, British West Indies for four consecutive years. Use of high-density nesting sites was increasingly favored up to seasonal nesting activity peaks, after which nesting was generally restricted to low-density nesting areas. Although larger females were not more likely than smaller females to nest in high-density areas, larger females nested earlier and gained access to priority oviposition sites. Smaller females constructed nests later in the season, apparently foregoing investment in extended nest defense. Late-season nests were also constructed at shallower depths and exhibited shorter incubation periods. While nest depth and incubation length had significant effects on reproductive outcomes, so did local nest densities. Higher densities were associated with significant declines in hatching success, with up to 20% of egg-filled nests experiencing later intrusion by a conspecific. Despite these risks, nests in high-density areas were significantly more successful than elsewhere due to the benefits of greater chamber depths and longer incubation times. These results imply that communal nest sites convey honest signals of habitat quality, but that gaining and defending priority oviposition sites requires competitive ability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette B. Moss
- Biological Sciences DepartmentMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
| | - Glenn P. Gerber
- Institute for Conservation ResearchSan Diego Zoo GlobalEscondidoCAUSA
| | - Tanja Laaser
- Cayman Islands Department of EnvironmentGeorge TownCayman Islands
| | - Matthias Goetz
- Department of HerpetologyDurrell Wildlife Conservation TrustJerseyUK
| | - TayVanis Oyog
- Cayman Islands Department of EnvironmentGeorge TownCayman Islands
| | - Mark E. Welch
- Biological Sciences DepartmentMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
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18
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Hall JM, Mitchell TS, Thawley CJ, Stroud JT, Warner DA. Adaptive seasonal shift towards investment in fewer, larger offspring: Evidence from field and laboratory studies. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:1242-1253. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 01/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Timothy S. Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota St. Paul MN USA
| | - Christopher J. Thawley
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Rhode Island Kingston RI USA
- Department of Biology Davidson College Davidson NC USA
| | - James T. Stroud
- Department of Biology Washington University St. Louis MO USA
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
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19
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Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Burridge CP, Castelli MA, Clulow S, Dissanayake DSB, Dong CM, Doody JS, Edwards DL, Ezaz T, Friesen CR, Gardner MG, Georges A, Higgie M, Hill PL, Holleley CE, Hoops D, Hoskin CJ, Merry DL, Riley JL, Wapstra E, While GM, Whiteley SL, Whiting MJ, Zozaya SM, Whittington CM. Australian lizards are outstanding models for reproductive biology research. AUST J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Australian lizards are a diverse group distributed across the continent and inhabiting a wide range of environments. Together, they exhibit a remarkable diversity of reproductive morphologies, physiologies, and behaviours that is broadly representative of vertebrates in general. Many reproductive traits exhibited by Australian lizards have evolved independently in multiple lizard lineages, including sociality, complex signalling and mating systems, viviparity, and temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian lizards are thus outstanding model organisms for testing hypotheses about how reproductive traits function and evolve, and they provide an important basis of comparison with other animals that exhibit similar traits. We review how research on Australian lizard reproduction has contributed to answering broader evolutionary and ecological questions that apply to animals in general. We focus on reproductive traits, processes, and strategies that are important areas of current research, including behaviours and signalling involved in courtship; mechanisms involved in mating, egg production, and sperm competition; nesting and gestation; sex determination; and finally, birth in viviparous species. We use our review to identify important questions that emerge from an understanding of this body of research when considered holistically. Finally, we identify additional research questions within each topic that Australian lizards are well suited for reproductive biologists to address.
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20
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Warner DA, Mitchell TS, Bodensteiner BL, Janzen FJ. Sex and Incubation Temperature Independently Affect Embryonic Development and Offspring Size in a Turtle with Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:62-74. [DOI: 10.1086/706786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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21
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Qu YF, Zhao SZ, Jiang XF, Lin LH, Ji X. Can snakes use yolk reserves to maximize body size at hatching? Curr Zool 2019; 65:627-631. [PMID: 31857809 PMCID: PMC6911849 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2018] [Accepted: 12/12/2018] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
We experimentally miniaturized freshly laid eggs of the Chinese cobra Naja atra (Elapidae) by removing ∼10% and ∼20% of original yolk. We tested if yolk-reduced eggs would produce 1) normal-sized hatchlings with invariant yolk-free body mass (and thus invariant linear size) but dramatically reduced or even completely depleted residual yolk, 2) smaller hatchlings with normal-sized residual yolk but reduced yolk-free body mass, or 3) smaller hatchlings of which both yolk-free body mass and residual yolk are proportionally reduced. Yolk quantity affected hatchling linear size (both snout-vent length and tail length) and body mass. However, changes in yolk quantity did not affect incubation length or any hatchling trait examined after accounting for egg mass at laying (for control and sham-manipulated eggs) or after yolk removal (for manipulated eggs). Specifically, yolk-reduced eggs produced hatchlings of which all major components (carcass, residual yolk, and fat bodies) were scaled down proportionally. We show that snakes cannot use yolk reserves to maximize their body size at hatching. Furthermore, our data also suggest that the partitioning of yolk in embryonic snakes is species-specific.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yan-Fu Qu
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Shu-Zhan Zhao
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xu-Fei Jiang
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Long-Hui Lin
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Xiang Ji
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory for Biodiversity and Biotechnology, College of Life Sciences, Nanjing Normal University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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22
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Moss JB, Gerber GP, Welch ME. Heterozygosity-Fitness Correlations Reveal Inbreeding Depression in Neonatal Body Size in a Critically Endangered Rock Iguana. J Hered 2019; 110:818-829. [PMID: 31617903 DOI: 10.1093/jhered/esz060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 01/16/2023] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression, though challenging to identify in nature, may play an important role in regulating the dynamics of small and isolated populations. Conversely, greater expression of genetic load can enhance opportunities for natural selection. Conditional expression concentrates these opportunities for selection and may lead to failure of detection. This study investigates the possibility for age-dependent expression of inbreeding depression in a critically endangered population of rock iguanas, Cyclura nubila caymanensis. We employ heterozygote-fitness correlations to examine the contributions of individual genetic factors to body size, a fitness-related trait. Nonsignificant reductions in homozygosity (up to 7%) were detected between neonates and individuals surviving past their first year, which may reflect natural absorption of inbreeding effects by this small, fecund population. The majority of variation in neonate body size was attributed to maternal or environmental effects (i.e., clutch identity and incubation length); however, heterozygosity across 22 microsatellite loci also contributed significantly and positively to model predictions. Conversely, effects of heterozygosity on fitness were not detectable when adults were examined, suggesting that inbreeding depression in body size may be age dependent in this taxon. Overall, these findings emphasize the importance of taking holistic, cross-generational approaches to genetic monitoring of endangered populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeanette B Moss
- Biological Sciences Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
| | - Glenn P Gerber
- Institute for Conservation Research, San Diego Zoo Global, Escondido, CA
| | - Mark E Welch
- Biological Sciences Department, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS
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23
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Du WG, Shine R, Ma L, Sun BJ. Adaptive responses of the embryos of birds and reptiles to spatial and temporal variations in nest temperatures. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192078. [PMID: 31744441 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural nests of egg-laying birds and reptiles exhibit substantial thermal variation, at a range of spatial and temporal scales. Rates and trajectories of embryonic development are highly sensitive to temperature, favouring an ability of embryos to respond adaptively (i.e. match their developmental biology to local thermal regimes). Spatially, thermal variation can be significant within a single nest (top to bottom), among adjacent nests (as a function of shading, nest depth etc.), across populations that inhabit areas with different weather conditions, and across species that differ in climates occupied and/or nest characteristics. Thermal regimes also vary temporally, in ways that generate differences among nests within a single population (e.g. due to seasonal timing of laying), among populations and across species. Anthropogenic activities (e.g. habitat clearing, climate change) add to this spatial and temporal diversity in thermal regimes. We review published literature on embryonic adaptations to spatio-temporal heterogeneity in nest temperatures. Although relatively few taxa have been studied in detail, and proximate mechanisms remain unclear, our review identifies many cases in which natural selection appears to have fine-tuned embryogenesis to match local thermal regimes. Developmental rates have been reported to differ between uppermost versus lower eggs within a single nest, between eggs laid early versus late in the season, and between populations from cooler versus warmer climates. We identify gaps in our understanding of thermal adaptations of early (embryonic) phases of the life history, and suggest fruitful opportunities for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China.,Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming 650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Richard Shine
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, North Ryde, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Bao-Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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24
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Pearson PR, Warner DA. Early hatching enhances survival despite beneficial phenotypic effects of late-season developmental environments. Proc Biol Sci 2019. [PMID: 29540523 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal shifts in environmental conditions provide predictable cues to which organisms can respond in adaptive ways. For example, seasonal changes in temperature can induce phenotypes at different times of the year that have season-specific fitness benefits. Here, we tested the hypothesis that embryo responses to seasonal changes in thermal environments are adaptively matched to the timing of reproduction (environmental-matching hypothesis). We collected eggs of the brown anole lizard (Anolis sagrei) from early and late seasons, and exposed them to early and late thermal regimes that mimic nest temperatures. After measuring offspring morphology and performance, we quantified their survival in the field. Females had higher fecundity, but produced smaller eggs, early in the season compared with late in the season. Late-season eggs exposed to late thermal regimes had relatively high survival, but early-season eggs exposed to early thermal regimes had similar survival rates to those exposed to mismatched conditions. Late-season nest temperatures and late-season eggs produced offspring that were relatively large and fast runners. However, despite phenotypic benefits of late-season conditions, early-season hatchlings had greater survival in the field. Our results do not fully support the environmental-matching hypothesis but suggest that selection favours seasonal shifts in reproductive investment of mothers (high early-season fecundity) over plastic responses of embryos to seasonal environmental changes.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Pearson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA .,Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
| | - D A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA
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25
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Li Q, Luo S, Yang C, Li S, Guo J, He J, Chen Y, Huang C, Wu Z, Du W. Impacts of maternal characteristics and temperature on juvenile survival in the crocodile lizard: Implications for conservation. Zoo Biol 2019; 38:272-280. [PMID: 30614073 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Revised: 12/05/2018] [Accepted: 12/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Captive breeding is an important conservation measure that may restore and enhance wild populations of rare and endangered species. Multiple anthropogenic hazards have brought the crocodile lizard, Shinisaurus crocodilurus, to the brink of extinction. We initiated a captive breeding program and quantified female reproductive traits, including reproductive timing, litter size, litter mass, and neonate size. To identify the internal and external factors affecting female reproductive function, we then analyzed how maternal age is related to body size, temperature, and female reproductive traits. We found that larger female crocodile lizards produced more offspring than smaller ones, as both litter size and litter mass were positively related to maternal body size. In contrast, neonate size was independent of maternal body size. Maternal reproductive output varied among different age groups. Young and old females had significantly smaller living litter size and mass than middle-aged females. Among captive females, one-third exhibited early parturition in autumn and winter instead of the following spring, a pattern probably associated with higher ambient temperatures in captivity. Although female reproductive output and neonatal body size did not differ between early- and normal-parturition females, offspring from the former group died earlier than those from the latter. Our study highlights the danger of climate change in hastening parturition, a phenomenon that could significantly hamper neonate survival and impede population recruitment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiyu Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuyi Luo
- Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Chunsheng Yang
- Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuran Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, People's Republic of China
| | - Jun Guo
- Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiasong He
- Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Yaohuan Chen
- Daguishan National Nature Reserve for Crocodile Lizards, Hezhou, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Chengming Huang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Zhengjun Wu
- Key Laboratory of Ecology of Rare and Endangered Species and Environmental Protection (Guangxi Normal University), Ministry of Education, Guilin, Guangxi, People's Republic of China.,Guangxi Key Laboratory of Rare and Endangered Animal Ecology, Guangxi Normal University, Guilin, Guangxi, People's Republic of China
| | - Weiguo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
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26
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Hall JM, Buckelew A, Lovern M, Secor SM, Warner DA. Seasonal Shifts in Reproduction Depend on Prey Availability for an Income Breeder. Physiol Biochem Zool 2018; 91:1129-1147. [DOI: 10.1086/700341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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27
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Sun B, Ma L, Li S, Williams CM, Wang Y, Hao X, Du W. Phenology and the physiological niche are co‐adapted in a desert‐dwelling lizard. Funct Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Bao‐Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Department of Integrative Biology University of California Berkeley California
| | - Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Shu‐Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | | | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Wei‐Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- Center for Excellence in Animal Evolution and Genetics Chinese Academy of SciencesKunming China
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28
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Noble DWA, Stenhouse V, Riley JL, Warner DA, While GM, Du WG, Uller T, Schwanz LE. A comprehensive database of thermal developmental plasticity in reptiles. Sci Data 2018; 5:180138. [PMID: 30015809 PMCID: PMC6049033 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
How temperature influences development has direct relevance to ascertaining the impact of climate change on natural populations. Reptiles have served as empirical models for understanding how the environment experienced by embryos can influence phenotypic variation, including sex ratio, phenology and survival. Such an understanding has important implications for basic eco-evolutionary theory and conservation efforts worldwide. While there is a burgeoning empirical literature of experimental manipulations of embryonic thermal environments, addressing widespread patterns at a comparative level has been hampered by the lack of accessible data in a format that is amendable to updates as new studies emerge. Here, we describe a database with nearly 10, 000 phenotypic estimates from 155 species of reptile, collected from 300 studies manipulating incubation temperature (published between 1974-2016). The data encompass various morphological, physiological, behavioural and performance traits along with growth rates, developmental timing, sex ratio and survival (e.g., hatching success). This resource will serve as an important data repository for addressing overarching questions about thermal plasticity of reptile embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. A. Noble
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Vaughn Stenhouse
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University, Wellington 6037, New Zealand
| | - Julia L. Riley
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey M. While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lisa E. Schwanz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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29
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Booth DT. Incubation temperature induced phenotypic plasticity in oviparous reptiles: Where to next? JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:343-350. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2018] [Revised: 05/17/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- David T. Booth
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Queensland; Queensland Australia
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30
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Mitchell TS, Janzen FJ, Warner DA. Quantifying the effects of embryonic phenotypic plasticity on adult phenotypes in reptiles: A review of current knowledge and major gaps. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:203-214. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2018] [Revised: 05/10/2018] [Accepted: 05/12/2018] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Timothy S. Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior University of Minnesota Saint Paul Minnesota
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology Iowa State University Ames Iowa
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama
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31
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Hansson A, Olsson M. The Influence of Incubation Temperature on Phenotype of Australian Painted Dragons (Ctenophorus pictus). HERPETOLOGICA 2018. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00052.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Hansson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Gothenburg, Medicinaregatan 18, SE 413 90 Gothenburg, Sweden
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32
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DeNardo DF, Moeller KT, Seward M, Repp R. Evidence for atypical nest overwintering by hatchling lizards, Heloderma suspectum. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:rspb.2018.0632. [PMID: 29794051 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/27/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The timing of reproductive events (e.g. oviposition and hatching) to coincide with favourable seasonal conditions is critical for successful reproduction. However, developmental time may not match the duration between the optimal time for oviposition and the optimal time for hatchling survival. Thus, strategies that alter the time between oviposition and hatchling emergence can be highly advantageous. Arrested development and the resulting extension of the duration between oviposition and hatching has been widely documented across oviparous amniotes, but nest overwintering by hatchlings has only been documented in aquatic chelonians that live where winters are quite cold. Herein, we present a compilation of evidence regarding reproductive phenology by hatchlings of the Gila monster (Heloderma suspectum), a lizard inhabiting the Sonoran Desert of North America. Our data demonstrate that (i) Gila monster hatchlings from eggs oviposited in July do not emerge from their nests until late spring or summer of the following year, yet (ii) Gila monster eggs artificially incubated at field-relevant temperatures hatch in 4-5 months. Furthermore, we describe a fortuitous excavation of a hatching Gila monster nest in late October, which coincides with the artificial incubation results. Together, these results provide strong support for the existence of overwintering in the nest by a lizard, and suggest that this reproductive strategy should be explored in a broader array of taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dale F DeNardo
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Karla T Moeller
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | | | - Roger Repp
- National Optical Astronomy Observatory, Tucson, AZ, USA
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33
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Lu HL, Wang J, Xu DD, Dang W. Maternal warming influences reproductive frequency, but not hatchling phenotypes in a multiple-clutched oviparous lizard. J Therm Biol 2018; 74:303-310. [PMID: 29801642 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/04/2017] [Revised: 04/29/2018] [Accepted: 04/29/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The understanding of life-history responses to increased temperature is helpful for evaluating the potential of species for tackling future climate change. Herein, adult southern grass lizards, Takydromus sexlineatus, were maintained under two thermal regimes simulating current thermal environment and a 4 °C warming scenario to determine the effects of experimental warming on female reproduction and offspring phenotypes. Experimental warming caused females to oviposit earlier and more frequently; however, it did not affect other reproductive traits, including clutch size, egg mass and clutch mass. Accelerated embryonic development and energy accumulation rate might have occurred in warmed females. Maternal warming appeared to increase early embryonic mortality, but did not shift hatchling size and locomotor performance. Embryos of oviparous lizards might be more vulnerable to climate change at early stages than at later stages. The impacts of climate change in oviparous lizards might be adverse in the longer term because of the shift in pre-ovipositional embryo viability, which possibly led to a decreased number of hatchlings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hong-Liang Lu
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Jie Wang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, Zhejiang, China
| | - Da-De Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Zhaoqing University, Zhaoqing 526061, Guangdong, China
| | - Wei Dang
- Hangzhou Key Laboratory for Animal Adaptation and Evolution, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310036, Zhejiang, China
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34
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Ma L, Sun BJ, Li SR, Hao X, Bi JH, Du WG. The vulnerability of developing embryos to simulated climate warming differs between sympatric desert lizards. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:252-261. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2179] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2017] [Revised: 05/07/2018] [Accepted: 05/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Liang Ma
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Bao-Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Shu-Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
- College of Life and Environmental Science; Wenzhou University; Wenzhou People's Republic of China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
| | - Jun-Huai Bi
- College of Life Sciences; Inner Mongolia Normal University; Hohhot People's Republic of China
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology; Institute of Zoology; Chinese Academy of Sciences; Beijing People's Republic of China
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35
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Andrews RM. Developmental plasticity in reptiles: Insights into thermal and maternal effects on chameleon phenotypes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:298-307. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2160] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2018] [Revised: 03/16/2018] [Accepted: 03/24/2018] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin M. Andrews
- Department of Biological Sciences; Virginia Tech; Blacksburg Virginia
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36
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Mitchell TS, Hall JM, Warner DA. Female investment in offspring size and number shifts seasonally in a lizard with single-egg clutches. Evol Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-018-9936-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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37
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Ma L, Sun BJ, Cao P, Li XH, Du WG. Phenotypic plasticity may help lizards cope with increasingly variable temperatures. Oecologia 2018; 187:37-45. [DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4127-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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38
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Judson JLM, Knapp CR, Welch ME. Age-dependent, negative heterozygosity-fitness correlations and local effects in an endangered Caribbean reptile, Iguana delicatissima. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:2088-2096. [PMID: 29468027 PMCID: PMC5817140 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3826] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2017] [Revised: 12/15/2017] [Accepted: 12/18/2017] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Inbreeding depression can have alarming impacts on threatened species with small population sizes. Assessing inbreeding has therefore become an important focus of conservation research. In this study, heterozygosity-fitness correlations (HFCs) were measured by genotyping 7 loci in 83 adult and 184 hatchling Lesser Antillean Iguanas, Iguana delicatissima, at a communal nesting site in Dominica to assess the role of inbreeding depression on hatchling fitness and recruitment to the adult population in this endangered species. We found insignificant correlations between multilocus heterozygosity and multiple fitness proxies in hatchlings and adults. Further, multilocus heterozygosity did not differ significantly between hatchlings and adults, which suggests that the survivorship of homozygous hatchlings does not differ markedly from that of their heterozygous counterparts. However, genotypes at two individual loci were correlated with hatching date, a finding consistent with the linkage between specific marker loci and segregating deleterious recessive alleles. These results provide only modest evidence that inbreeding depression influences the population dynamics of I. delicatissima on Dominica.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Charles R. Knapp
- San Diego Zoo Institute for Conservation ResearchEscondidoCAUSA
- Present address:
Daniel P. Haerter Center for Conservation and ResearchJohn G. Shedd AquariumChicagoILUSA
| | - Mark E. Welch
- Department of Biological SciencesMississippi State UniversityMississippi StateMSUSA
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39
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Lovich JE, Averill-Murray RC, Agha M, Ennen JR, Austin M. Variation in Annual Clutch Phenology of Sonoran Desert Tortoises (Gopherus morafkai) in Central Arizona. HERPETOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-17-00007.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeffrey E. Lovich
- US Geological Survey, Southwest Biological Science Center, 2255 North Gemini Drive, MS-9394, Flagstaff, AZ 86001, USA
| | | | - Mickey Agha
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Conservation Biology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Joshua R. Ennen
- Tennessee Aquarium Conservation Institute, 175 Baylor School Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405, USA
| | - Meaghan Austin
- Trileaf Environmental Corporation, 2121 West Chandler Boulevard, Suite 203, Chandler, AZ 85224, USA
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40
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Pearson PR, Warner DA. Habitat- and season-specific temperatures affect phenotypic development of hatchling lizards. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0646. [PMID: 28120809 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0646] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2016] [Accepted: 09/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Embryonic environments influence phenotypic development, but relatively few experiments have explored the effects of natural environmental variation. We incubated eggs of the lizard Anolis sagrei under conditions that mimicked natural spatial and temporal thermal variation to determine their effects on offspring morphology and performance. Incubation temperatures mimicked two microhabitats (open, shade) at two different times of the incubation season (April, July). Egg survival, incubation duration and offspring size were influenced by interactions between habitat- and season-specific nest temperatures, and locomotor performance was influenced primarily by temporal factors. These findings highlight the importance of spatial and temporal environmental variation in generating variation in fitness-related phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- P R Pearson
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA .,Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - D A Warner
- Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.,Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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41
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Shine R, Wapstra E, Olsson M. Seasonal shifts along the oviparity–viviparity continuum in a cold‐climate lizard population. J Evol Biol 2017; 31:4-13. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/22/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- R. Shine
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
| | - E. Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tasmania Australia
| | - M. Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Gothenburg Sweden
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42
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Kim SY, Metcalfe NB, da Silva A, Velando A. Thermal conditions during early life influence seasonal maternal strategies in the three-spined stickleback. BMC Ecol 2017; 17:34. [PMID: 29126411 PMCID: PMC5681783 DOI: 10.1186/s12898-017-0144-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2017] [Accepted: 11/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Conditions experienced by a female during early life may affect her reproductive strategies and maternal investment later in life. This effect of early environmental conditions is a potentially important mechanism by which animals can compensate for the negative impacts of climate change. In this study, we experimentally tested whether three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) change their maternal strategy according to environmental temperatures experienced earlier in life. We studied maternal investment from a life-history perspective because females are expected to adjust their reproductive strategy in relation to their current and future reproductive returns as well as offspring fitness. RESULTS F1 families were reared in control and elevated winter temperatures and their reproductive trajectories were studied when returned to common conditions. Females that had experienced the warm winter treatment (n = 141) had a lower fecundity and reduced breeding and total lifespan compared to the control individuals (n = 159). Whereas the control females tended to produce their heaviest and largest clutches in their first reproductive attempt, the warm-acclimated females invested less in their first clutch, but then produced increasingly heavy clutches over the course of the breeding season. Egg mass increased with clutch number at a similar rate in the two groups. The warm-acclimated females increased the investment of carotenoids in the first and last clutches of the season. Thus, any transgenerational effects of the maternal thermal environment on offspring phenotype may be mediated by the allocation of antioxidants into eggs but not by egg size. CONCLUSIONS Our results indicate that conditions experienced by females during juvenile life have a profound effect on life-time maternal reproductive strategies. The temperature-induced changes in maternal strategy may be due to constraints imposed by the higher energetic costs of a warm environment, but it is possible that they allow the offspring to compensate for higher energetic costs and damage when they face the same thermal stress as did their mothers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sin-Yeon Kim
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Neil B. Metcalfe
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ UK
| | - Alberto da Silva
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
| | - Alberto Velando
- Departamento de Ecoloxía e Bioloxía Animal, Universidade de Vigo, 36310 Vigo, Spain
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43
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Hall JM, Warner DA. Winter Microhabitat Selection and Growth of Jacky Dragons (Amphibolurus muricatus). COPEIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1643/ch-16-548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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44
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Li S, Hao X, Wang Y, Sun B, Bi J, Zhang Y, Janzen FJ, Du W. Female lizards choose warm, moist nests that improve embryonic survivorship and offspring fitness. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12995] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Shu‐Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- College of Life and Environmental ScienceWenzhou University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Xin Hao
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
- University of Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Bao‐Jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Jun‐Huai Bi
- College of Life ScienceInner Mongolia Normal University Hohhot Inner Mongolia China
| | - Yong‐Pu Zhang
- College of Life and Environmental ScienceWenzhou University Wenzhou Zhejiang China
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal BiologyIowa State University Ames IA USA
| | - Wei‐Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation BiologyInstitute of ZoologyChinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
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45
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Hall JM, Warner DA. Body size and reproduction of a non-native lizard are enhanced in an urban environment. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
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46
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Fetters TL, McGlothlin JW. Life histories and invasions: accelerated laying rate and incubation time in an invasive lizard, Anolis sagrei. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
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47
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Wang Y, Li S, Zeng Z, Liang L, Du W. Maternal food availability affects offspring performance and survival in a viviparous lizard. Funct Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.12903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yang Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Shu‐Ran Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Zhi‐Gao Zeng
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
| | - Liang Liang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
- University of Chinese Academy of Science Beijing China
| | - Wei‐Guo Du
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing100101 China
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48
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Noble DWA, Stenhouse V, Schwanz LE. Developmental temperatures and phenotypic plasticity in reptiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:72-97. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. A. Noble
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052; Australia
| | - Vaughn Stenhouse
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University; Wellington 6037 New Zealand
| | - Lisa E. Schwanz
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052; Australia
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49
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Dayananda B, Penfold S, Webb JK. The effects of incubation temperature on locomotor performance, growth and survival in hatchling velvet geckos. J Zool (1987) 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- B. Dayananda
- School of Life Sciences; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
| | - S. Penfold
- School of Life Sciences; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
| | - J. K. Webb
- School of Life Sciences; University of Technology Sydney; Broadway NSW Australia
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50
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Embryonic yolk removal affects neither morphology nor escape performance of larval axolotls. ZOOLOGY 2017; 122:7-15. [PMID: 28365231 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2017.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2016] [Revised: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 03/06/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Maternal effects, the influences of maternal phenotype on the phenotypes of her offspring, mediate early ontogenetic traits through maternal investment. In amphibians, provisioning eggs with yolk is the main source of maternal investment. While larger eggs generally result in larger, higher-quality offspring, the relationship between egg size and offspring phenotype is complicated because offspring can evolve to be more or less responsive to variation in yolk provisions. Previous studies of several ambystomatid salamanders suggest that the effects of embryonic yolk reserve reduction on hatchling life history traits increase with egg size. In this study, a similar controlled experimental yolk removal technique in Ambystoma mexicanum was used to determine the effects of reduced yolk reserves on phenotypes including hatching time and stage, hatchling and larval size and performance in predation trials with fish. Surprisingly, yolk reduction revealed no effects on any traits. These findings suggest that larval morphology in A. mexicanum is highly canalized and larval phenotypes are decoupled from yolk reserve variation. This surprising lack of yolk removal effects in hatchling and larval axolotls illustrates the evolutionary flexibility of early life history traits. Traits can evolve to increase or decrease their response to resources and can even become completely unresponsive. Since we found no effects in early life history, we hypothesize that domestication of the axolotl may have altered yolk properties or allocation dynamics and that maternal investment in yolk reserves may manifest at later life stages by reducing the time to reproductive maturity or increasing fecundity.
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