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Oborová V, Šugerková M, Gvoždík L. Sensitivity of amphibian embryos to timing and magnitude of present and future thermal extremes. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY 2024; 341:377-388. [PMID: 38327237 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2023] [Revised: 12/21/2023] [Accepted: 01/16/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024]
Abstract
Ongoing climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events. Unlike the gradual increase on average environmental temperatures, these short-term and unpredictable temperature extremes impact population dynamics of ectotherms through their effect on individual survival. While previous research has predominantly focused on the survival rate of terrestrial embryos under acute heat stress, less attention has been dedicated to the nonlethal effects of ecologically realistic timing and magnitude of temperature extremes on aquatic embryos. In this study, we investigated the influence of the timing and magnitude of current and projected temperature extremes on embryonic life history traits and hatchling behavior in the alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris. Using a factorial experiment under controlled laboratory conditions, we exposed 3- or 10-day-old embryos to different regimes of extreme temperatures for 3 days. Our results show that exposure to different extreme temperature regimes led to a shortened embryonic development time and an increase in hatchling length, while not significantly affecting embryonic survival. The duration of development was sensitive to the timing of temperature extremes, as early exposure accelerated embryo development. Exposure to temperature extremes during embryonic development heightened the exploratory activity of hatched larvae. We conclude that the timing and magnitude of ecologically realistic temperature extremes during embryogenesis have nonlethal effects on life history and behavioral traits. This suggests that species' vulnerability to climate change might be determined by other ecophysiological traits beyond embryonic thermal tolerance in temperate pond-breeding amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentína Oborová
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Monika Šugerková
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
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2
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Baškiera S, Gvoždík L. Thermal dependence and individual variation in tonic immobility varies between sympatric amphibians. J Therm Biol 2021; 97:102896. [PMID: 33863452 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2021] [Revised: 02/18/2021] [Accepted: 02/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Tonic immobility (TI) is an important antipredator response employed by prey in the last stages of a predation sequence. Evolution by natural selection assumes consistent individual variation (repeatability) in this trait. In ectotherms, which experience variable body temperatures, TI should be repeatable over a thermal gradient to be targeted by natural selection; however, information on thermal repeatability of this trait is missing. We examined thermal repeatability of TI in juveniles of two sympatric amphibians, smooth (Lissotriton vulgaris) and alpine (Ichthyosaura alpestris) newts. Both species showed disparate TI responses to body temperature variation (13-28 °C). While the proportion of TI response was repeatable in both taxa, it increased with body temperature in alpine newts but was temperature independent in smooth newts. Duration of TI decreased with body temperature in both taxa but was only repeatable in smooth newts. Our results suggest that a warming climate may affect population dynamics of sympatric ectotherms through asymmetry in thermal reaction norms for antipredator responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senka Baškiera
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Sciences, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.
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3
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Baškiera S, Gvoždík L. Repeatability and heritability of resting metabolic rate in a long-lived amphibian. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2020; 253:110858. [PMID: 33276133 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2020.110858] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2020] [Revised: 11/28/2020] [Accepted: 11/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Resting metabolic rate (RMR), i.e. spent energy necessary to maintain basic life functions, is a basic component of energy budget in ectotherms. The evolution of RMR through natural selection rests on the premise of its non-zero repeatability and heritability, i.e. consistent variation within individual lifetimes and resemblance between parents and their offspring, respectively. Joint estimates of RMR repeatability and heritability are missing in ectotherms, however, which precludes estimations of the evolutionary potential of this trait. We examined RMR repeatability and heritability in a long-lived ectotherm, the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris). Individual RMR was repeatable over both six-month (0.28 ± 0.09 [SE]) and five-year (0.16 ± 0.07) periods. While there was no resemblance between parent and offspring RMR (0.21 ± 0.34), the trait showed similarity among offspring within families (broad-sense heritability; 0.25 ± 0.09). Similar repeatability and broad-sense heritability values in parental and offspring generations, respectively, and non-conclusive narrow-sense heritability suggest the contribution of non-additive genetic factors to total phenotypic variance in this trait. We conclude that RMR evolutionary trajectories are shaped by other processes than natural selection in this long-lived ectotherm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Senka Baškiera
- Department of Botany and Zoology, Faculty of Science, Masaryk University, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic.
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4
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Gvoždík L, Boukal DS. Impacts of predator-induced behavioural plasticity on the temperature dependence of predator-prey activity and population dynamics. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:503-514. [PMID: 33159686 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2020] [Accepted: 11/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Predation is a key ecological interaction affecting populations and communities. Climate warming can modify this interaction both directly by the kinetic effects of temperature on biological rates and indirectly through integrated behavioural and physiological responses of the predators and prey. Temperature dependence of predation rates can further be altered by predator-induced plasticity of prey locomotor activity, but empirical data about this effect are lacking. We propose a general framework to understand the influence of predator-induced developmental plasticity on behavioural thermal reaction norms in prey and their consequences for predator-prey dynamics. Using a mesocosm experiment with dragonfly larvae (predator) and newt larvae (prey), we tested if the predator-induced plasticity alters the elevation or the slope of the thermal reaction norms for locomotor activity metrics in prey. We also estimated the joint predator-prey thermal response in mean locomotor speed, which determines prey encounter rate, and modelled the effect of both phenomena on predator-prey population dynamics. Thermal reaction norms for locomotor activity in prey were affected by predation risk cues but with minor influence on the joint predator-prey behavioural response. We found that predation risk cues significantly decreased the intercept of thermal reaction norm for total activity rate (i.e. all body movements) but not the other locomotor activity metrics in the prey, and that prey locomotor activity rate and locomotor speed increased with prey density. Temperature had opposite effects on the mean relative speed of predator and prey as individual speed increased with temperature in predators but decreased in prey. This led to a negligible effect of body temperature on predicted prey encounter rates and predator-prey dynamics. The behavioural component of predator-prey interaction varied much more between individuals than with temperature and the presence of predation risk cues in our system. We conclude that within-population variation in locomotor activity can buffer the influence of body temperature and predation risk cues on predator-prey interactions, and further research should focus on the magnitude and sources of behavioural variation in interacting species to predict the impact of climate change on predator-prey interactions and food web dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - David S Boukal
- Department of Ecosystem Biology, Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech Republic.,Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre, Institute of Entomology, České Budějovice, Czech Republic
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5
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Winterová B, Gvoždík L. Individual variation in seasonal acclimation by sympatric amphibians: A climate change perspective. Funct Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Barbora Winterová
- Department of Botany and Zoology Masaryk University Brno Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Czech Academy of Sciences Institute of Vertebrate Biology Brno Czech Republic
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6
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Schulte LM, Ringler E, Rojas B, Stynoski JL. Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives. HERPETOLOGICAL MONOGRAPH 2020; 34:71-97. [PMID: 38989507 PMCID: PMC7616153 DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-19-00002.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Despite rising interest among scientists for over two centuries, parental care behavior has not been as thoroughly studied in amphibians as it has in other taxa. The first reports of amphibian parental care date from the early 18th century, when Maria Sibylla Merian went on a field expedition in Suriname and reported frog metamorphs emerging from their mother's dorsal skin. Reports of this and other parental behaviors in amphibians remained descriptive for decades, often as side notes during expeditions with another purpose. However, since the 1980s, experimental approaches have proliferated, providing detailed knowledge about the adaptive value of observed behaviors. Today, we recognize more than 30 types of parental care in amphibians, but most studies focus on just a few families and have favored anurans over urodeles and caecilians. Here, we provide a synthesis of the last three centuries of parental care research in the three orders comprising the amphibians. We draw attention to the progress from the very first descriptions to the most recent experimental studies, and highlight the importance of natural history observations as a source of new hypotheses and necessary context to interpret experimental findings. We encourage amphibian parental care researchers to diversify their study systems to allow for a more comprehensive perspective of the behaviors that amphibians exhibit. Finally, we uncover knowledge gaps and suggest new avenues of research using a variety of disciplines and approaches that will allow us to better understand the function and evolution of parental care behaviors in this diverse group of animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa M. Schulte
- Goethe University Frankfurt, Faculty of Biological Sciences, Max-von-Laue-Strasse 13, 60438Frankfurt, Germany
| | - Eva Ringler
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Veterinaerplatz 1, A-1210Vienna, Austria
- University of Vienna, Department of Integrative Zoology, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090Vienna, Austria
| | - Bibiana Rojas
- University of Jyvaskyla, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, P.O. Box 35, 40014, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Jennifer L. Stynoski
- Colorado State University, Department of Biology, 200 W. Lake Street, Fort Collins, CO, 48823USA
- Instituto Clodomiro Picado, Universidad de Costa Rica, Dulce Nombre de Coronado, San José, Costa Rica
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Baškiera S, Gvoždík L. Repeatability of thermal reaction norms for spontaneous locomotor activity in juvenile newts. J Therm Biol 2019; 80:126-132. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2019.01.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2018] [Revised: 01/10/2019] [Accepted: 01/11/2019] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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8
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Winterová B, Gvoždík L. Influence of interspecific competitors on behavioral thermoregulation: developmental or acute plasticity? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2587-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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9
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Armbruster WS, Bolstad GH, Hansen TF, Keller B, Conti E, Pélabon C. The measure and mismeasure of reciprocity in heterostylous flowers. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2017; 215:906-917. [PMID: 28556899 DOI: 10.1111/nph.14604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 03/31/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The goal of biological measurement is to capture underlying biological phenomena in numerical form. The reciprocity index applied to heterostylous flowers is meant to measure the degree of correspondence between fertile parts of opposite sex on complementary (inter-compatible) morphs, reflecting the correspondence of locations of pollen placement on, and stigma contact with, pollinators. Pollen of typical heterostylous flowers can achieve unimpeded fertilization only on opposite-morph flowers. Thus, the implicit goal of this measurement is to assess the likelihood of 'legitimate' pollinations between compatible morphs, and hence reproductive fitness. Previous reciprocity metrics fall short of this goal on both empirical and theoretical grounds. We propose a new measure of reciprocity based on theory that relates floral morphology to reproductive fitness. This method establishes a scale based on adaptive inaccuracy, a measure of the fitness cost of the deviation of phenotypes in a population from the optimal phenotype. Inaccuracy allows the estimation of independent contributions of maladaptive bias (mean departure from optimum) and imprecision (within-population variance) to the phenotypic mismatch (inaccuracy) of heterostylous morphs on a common scale. We illustrate this measure using data from three species of Primula (Primulaceae).
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Affiliation(s)
- W Scott Armbruster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, PO1 2DY, UK
- Institute of Arctic Biology, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, 99775, USA
| | - Geir H Bolstad
- Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, NO-7485, Norway
| | - Thomas F Hansen
- Department of Biology, CEES & Evogene, University of Oslo, PB1016, Oslo, 0316, Norway
| | - Barbara Keller
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland
| | - Elena Conti
- Department of Systematic and Evolutionary Botany, University of Zürich, Zollikerstrasse 107, Zürich, 8008, Switzerland
| | - Christophe Pélabon
- Institute of Biology, Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, 7491, Norway
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10
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Reichard M, Blažek R, Polačik M, Vrtílek M. Hatching date variability in wild populations of four coexisting species of African annual fishes. Dev Dyn 2017; 246:827-837. [DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.24500] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2016] [Revised: 02/17/2017] [Accepted: 03/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Reichard
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Czech Republic
| | - Radim Blažek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Czech Republic
| | - Matej Polačik
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Czech Republic
| | - Milan Vrtílek
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology; Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic; Czech Republic
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11
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Influence of temperature on female, embryonic and hatchling traits in syntopic newts, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris. J Therm Biol 2017; 63:24-30. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.10.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2016] [Revised: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 10/25/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
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12
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Variation in winter metabolic reduction between sympatric amphibians. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 201:110-114. [PMID: 27418441 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2016] [Revised: 06/28/2016] [Accepted: 07/06/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Distribution and abundance of temperate ectotherms is determined, in part, by the depletion of their limited caloric reserves during wintering. The magnitude of winter energy drain depends on the species-specific capacity to seasonally modify the minimal maintenance costs. We examined seasonal variation of minimum oxygen consumption between two newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris. Oxygen consumption was measured in both species during their active season (daily temperature range=12-22°C) and wintering period (4°C) at 4°C and 8°C. The seasonal reduction in metabolic rates differed between species and experimental temperatures. Wintering newts reduced their metabolic rates at 4°C and 8°C in I. alpestris, but only at 8°C in L. vulgaris. Both species reduced the thermal sensitivity of oxygen consumption during wintering. Theoretical calculations of winter depletion of caloric reserves under various thermal conditions revealed that seasonal metabolic reduction is more effective in I. alpestris than in L. vulgaris, and its effectiveness will increase with the proportion of warmer days during wintering period. The variation in winter metabolic reduction between sympatric newt species potentially contributes to their distribution patterns and population dynamics under climate change.
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Do female newts modify thermoregulatory behavior to manipulate egg size? J Therm Biol 2016; 57:72-7. [PMID: 27033041 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2016.02.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2015] [Revised: 02/15/2016] [Accepted: 02/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
Abstract
Reproductive females manipulate offspring phenotypes by modifying conditions during embryogenesis. In ectotherms, the environmental control over embryogenesis is often realized by changes in maternal thermoregulation during gravidity. To determine if reproduction influences thermoregulatory behavior in species where females lay eggs shortly after fertilization (strict oviparity), we compared preferred body temperatures (Tp) between reproductive (egg-laying) and non-reproductive female newts, Ichthyosaura alpestris. Next, we exposed reproductive females to temperatures mimicking Tp ranges of reproductive and non-reproductive individuals to find out whether the maternally modified thermal regime influences ovum and jelly coat volume, and early cleavage rates at the time of oviposition. In the thermal gradient, reproductive females maintained their body temperatures within a narrower range than non-reproductive individuals. The exposure of ovipositing females to temperatures preferred during their reproductive and non-reproductive period had a negligible influence on egg size and early cleavage rates. We conclude that the modification of maternal thermoregulatory behavior provides a limited opportunity to manipulate egg traits in newts.
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Gvoždík L, Smolinský R. Body size, swimming speed, or thermal sensitivity? Predator-imposed selection on amphibian larvae. BMC Evol Biol 2015; 15:238. [PMID: 26525734 PMCID: PMC4630873 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-015-0522-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Accepted: 10/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Many animals rely on their escape performance during predator encounters. Because of its dependence on body size and temperature, escape velocity is fully characterized by three measures, absolute value, size-corrected value, and its response to temperature (thermal sensitivity). The primary target of the selection imposed by predators is poorly understood. We examined predator (dragonfly larva)-imposed selection on prey (newt larvae) body size and characteristics of escape velocity using replicated and controlled predation experiments under seminatural conditions. Specifically, because these species experience a wide range of temperatures throughout their larval phases, we predict that larvae achieving high swimming velocities across temperatures will have a selective advantage over more thermally sensitive individuals. Results Nonzero selection differentials indicated that predators selected for prey body size and both absolute and size-corrected maximum swimming velocity. Comparison of selection differentials with control confirmed selection only on body size, i.e., dragonfly larvae preferably preyed on small newt larvae. Maximum swimming velocity and its thermal sensitivity showed low group repeatability, which contributed to non-detectable selection on both characteristics of escape performance. Conclusions In the newt-dragonfly larvae interaction, body size plays a more important role than maximum values and thermal sensitivity of swimming velocity during predator escape. This corroborates the general importance of body size in predator–prey interactions. The absence of an appropriate control in predation experiments may lead to potentially misleading conclusions about the primary target of predator-imposed selection. Insights from predation experiments contribute to our understanding of the link between performance and fitness, and further improve mechanistic models of predator–prey interactions and food web dynamics. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12862-015-0522-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, CZ 60365, Brno, Czech Republic.
| | - Radovan Smolinský
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, CZ 60365, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Piasečná K, Pončová A, Tejedo M, Gvoždík L. Thermoregulatory strategies in an aquatic ectotherm from thermally-constrained habitats: An evaluation of current approaches. J Therm Biol 2015; 52:97-107. [PMID: 26267504 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2015.06.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2015] [Revised: 06/10/2015] [Accepted: 06/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
Many ectotherms employ diverse behavioral adjustments to effectively buffer the spatio-temporal variation in environmental temperatures, whereas others remain passive to thermal heterogeneity. Thermoregulatory studies are frequently performed on species living in thermally benign habitats, which complicate understanding of the thermoregulation-thermoconformity continuum. The need for new empirical data from ectotherms exposed to thermally challenging conditions requires the evaluation of available methods for quantifying thermoregulatory strategies. We evaluated the applicability of various thermoregulatory indices using fire salamander larvae, Salamandra salamandra, in two aquatic habitats, a forest pool and well, as examples of disparate thermally-constrained environments. Water temperatures in the well were lower and less variable than in the pool. Thermal conditions prevented larvae from reaching their preferred body temperature range in both water bodies. In contrast to their thermoregulatory abilities examined in a laboratory thermal gradient, field body temperatures only matched the mean and range of operative temperatures, showing thermal passivity of larvae in both habitats. Despite apparent thermoconformity, thermoregulatory indices indicated various strategies from active thermoregulation, to thermoconformity, and even thermal evasion, which revealed their limited applicability under thermally-constrained conditions. Salamander larvae abandoned behavioral thermoregulation despite varying opportunities to increase their body temperature above average water temperatures. Thermoconformity represents a favored strategy in these ectotherms living in more thermally-constrained environments than those examined in previous thermoregulatory studies. To understand thermal ecology and its impact on population dynamics, the quantification of thermoregulatory strategies of ectotherms in thermally-constrained habitats requires the careful choice of an appropriate method to avoid misleading results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karin Piasečná
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Alena Pončová
- Czech Union for Nature Conservation, V Zálomu 2948/1, 70030 Ostrava, Czech Republic
| | - Miguel Tejedo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana, CSIC, Americo Vespucio, 41092 Sevilla, Spain
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Květná 8, 60365 Brno, Czech Republic.
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16
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Balogová M, Gvoždík L. Can newts cope with the heat? Disparate thermoregulatory strategies of two sympatric species in water. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0128155. [PMID: 25993482 PMCID: PMC4439017 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0128155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2015] [Accepted: 04/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Many ectotherms effectively reduce their exposure to low or high environmental temperatures using behavioral thermoregulation. In terrestrial ectotherms, thermoregulatory strategies range from accurate thermoregulation to thermoconformity according to the costs and limits of thermoregulation, while in aquatic taxa the quantification of behavioral thermoregulation have received limited attention. We examined thermoregulation in two sympatric newt species, Ichthyosaura alpestris and Lissotriton vulgaris, exposed to elevated water temperatures under semi-natural conditions. According to a recent theory, we predicted that species for which elevated water temperatures pose a lower thermal quality habitat, would thermoregulate more effectively than species in thermally benign conditions. In the laboratory thermal gradient, L. vulgaris maintained higher body temperatures than I. alpestris. Semi-natural thermal conditions provided better thermal quality of habitat for L. vulgaris than for I. alpestris. Thermoregulatory indices indicated that I. alpestris actively thermoregulated its body temperature, whereas L. vulgaris remained passive to the thermal heterogeneity of aquatic environment. In the face of elevated water temperatures, sympatric newt species employed disparate thermoregulatory strategies according to the species-specific quality of the thermal habitat. Both strategies reduced newt exposure to suboptimal water temperatures with the same accuracy but with or without the costs of thermoregulation. The quantification of behavioral thermoregulation proves to be an important conceptual and methodological tool for thermal ecology studies not only in terrestrial but also in aquatic ectotherms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Monika Balogová
- Institute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P.J. Šafárik University, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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17
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Gvoždík L. Mismatch Between Ectotherm Thermal Preferenda and Optima for Swimming: A Test of the Evolutionary Pace Hypothesis. Evol Biol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-015-9305-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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18
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Smolinský R, Gvoždík L. Effect of temperature extremes on the spatial dynamics of predator–prey interactions: A case study with dragonfly nymphs and newt larvae. J Therm Biol 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2013.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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19
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Gvoždík L, Černická E, Van Damme R. Predator-prey interactions shape thermal patch use in a newt larvae-dragonfly nymph model. PLoS One 2013; 8:e65079. [PMID: 23755175 PMCID: PMC3670910 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0065079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2013] [Accepted: 04/22/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Thermal quality and predation risk are considered important factors influencing habitat patch use in ectothermic prey. However, how the predator's food requirement and the prey's necessity to avoid predation interact with their respective thermoregulatory strategies remains poorly understood. The recently developed 'thermal game model' predicts that in the face of imminent predation, prey should divide their time equally among a range of thermal patches. In contrast, predators should concentrate their hunting activities towards warmer patches. In this study, we test these predictions in a laboratory setup and an artificial environment that mimics more natural conditions. In both cases, we scored thermal patch use of newt larvae (prey) and free-ranging dragonfly nymphs (predators). Similar effects were seen in both settings. The newt larvae spent less time in the warm patch if dragonfly nymphs were present. The patch use of the dragonfly nymphs did not change as a function of prey availability, even when the nymphs were starved prior to the experiment. Our behavioral observations partially corroborate predictions of the thermal game model. In line with asymmetric fitness pay-offs in predator-prey interactions (the 'life-dinner' principle), the prey's thermal strategy is more sensitive to the presence of predators than vice versa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lumír Gvoždík
- Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Brno, Czech Republic.
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Smolinský R, Gvoždík L. Does developmental acclimatization reduce the susceptibility to predation in newt larvae? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2012.02004.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Radovan Smolinský
- Department of Population Biology; Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR; Studenec 122; 67502; Koněšín; Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Department of Population Biology; Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR; Studenec 122; 67502; Koněšín; Czech Republic
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Smolinský R, Gvoždík L. Interactive influence of biotic and abiotic cues on the plasticity of preferred body temperatures in a predator-prey system. Oecologia 2012; 170:47-55. [PMID: 22358997 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-012-2283-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2011] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
The ability to modify phenotypes in response to heterogeneity of the thermal environment represents an important component of an ectotherm's non-genetic adaptive capacity. Despite considerable attention being dedicated to the study of thermally-induced developmental plasticity, whether or not interspecific interactions shape the plastic response in both a predator and its prey remains unknown. We tested several predictions about the joint influence of predator/prey scents and thermal conditions on the plasticity of preferred body temperatures (T (p)) in both actors of this interaction, using a dragonfly nymphs-newt larvae system. Dragonfly nymphs (Aeshna cyanea) and newt eggs (Ichthyosaura alpestris) were subjected to fluctuating cold and warm thermal regimes (7-12 and 12-22°C, respectively) and the presence/absence of a predator or prey chemical cues. Preferred body temperatures were measured in an aquatic thermal gradient (5-33°C) over a 24-h period. Newt T (p) increased with developmental temperature irrespective of the presence/absence of predator cues. In dragonflies, thermal reaction norms for T (p) were affected by the interaction between temperature and prey cues. Specifically, the presence of newt scents in cold regime lowered dragonfly T (p). We concluded that predator-prey interactions influenced thermally-induced plasticity of T (p) but not in a reciprocal fashion. The occurrence of frequency-dependent thermal plasticity may have broad implications for predator-prey population dynamics, the evolution of thermal biology traits, and the consequences of sustaining climate change within ecological communities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Radovan Smolinský
- Department of Population Biology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology AS CR, Studenec 122, 67502, Koněšín, Czech Republic
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Kurdíková V, Smolinský R, Gvoždík L. Mothers matter too: benefits of temperature oviposition preferences in newts. PLoS One 2011; 6:e23842. [PMID: 21887330 PMCID: PMC3161085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0023842] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2011] [Accepted: 07/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal manipulation hypothesis states that ectothermic females modify thermal conditions during embryonic development to benefit their offspring (anticipatory maternal effect). However, the recent theory suggests that the ultimate currency of an adaptive maternal effect is female fitness that can be maximized also by decreasing mean fitness of individual offspring. We evaluated benefits of temperature oviposition preferences in Alpine newts (Ichthyosaura [formerly Triturus] alpestris) by comparing the thermal sensitivity of maternal and offspring traits across a range of preferred oviposition temperatures (12, 17, and 22°C) and by manipulating the egg-predation risk during oviposition in a laboratory thermal gradient (12–22°C). All traits showed varying responses to oviposition temperatures. Embryonic developmental rates increased with oviposition temperature, whereas hatchling size and swimming capacity showed the opposite pattern. Maternal oviposition and egg-predation rates were highest at the intermediate temperature. In the thermal gradient, females oviposited at the same temperature despite the presence of caged egg-predators, water beetles (Agabus bipustulatus). We conclude that female newts prefer a particular temperature for egg-deposition to maximize their oviposition performance rather than offspring fitness. The evolution of advanced reproductive modes, such as prolonged egg-retention and viviparity, may require, among others, the transition from selfish temperature preferences for ovipositon to the anticipatory maternal effect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vendula Kurdíková
- Department of Population Biology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Radovan Smolinský
- Department of Population Biology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
| | - Lumír Gvoždík
- Department of Population Biology, Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Brno, Czech Republic
- * E-mail:
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Armbruster WS, Gong YB, Huang SQ. Are Pollination “Syndromes” Predictive? Asian Dalechampia Fit Neotropical Models. Am Nat 2011; 178:135-43. [DOI: 10.1086/660279] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Hadamová M, Gvoždík L. Seasonal Acclimation of Preferred Body Temperatures Improves the Opportunity for Thermoregulation in Newts. Physiol Biochem Zool 2011; 84:166-74. [DOI: 10.1086/658202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Šamajová P, Gvoždík L. Inaccurate or disparate temperature cues? Seasonal acclimation of terrestrial and aquatic locomotor capacity in newts. Funct Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2435.2010.01720.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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