1
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Kar F, Nakagawa S, Noble DWA. Heritability and developmental plasticity of growth in an oviparous lizard. Heredity (Edinb) 2024; 132:67-76. [PMID: 37968348 PMCID: PMC10844306 DOI: 10.1038/s41437-023-00660-3] [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: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 10/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/29/2023] [Indexed: 11/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Selective processes act on phenotypic variation although the evolutionary potential of a trait relies on the underlying heritable variation. Developmental plasticity is an important source of phenotypic variation, but it can also promote changes in genetic variation, yet we have a limited understanding of how they are both impacted. Here, we quantified the influence of developmental temperature on growth in delicate skinks (Lampropholis delicata) and partitioned total phenotypic variance using an animal model fitted with a genomic relatedness matrix. We measured mass for 261 individuals (nhot = 125, ncold = 136) over 16 months (nobservations = 3002) and estimated heritability and maternal effects over time. Our results show that lizards reared in cold developmental temperatures had consistently higher mass across development compared to lizards that were reared in hot developmental temperatures. However, developmental temperature did not impact the rate of growth. On average, additive genetic variance, maternal effects and heritability were higher in the hot developmental temperature treatment; however, these differences were not statistically significant. Heritability increased with age, whereas maternal effects decreased upon hatching but increased again at a later age, which could be driven by social competition or intrinsic changes in the expression of variation as an individual's growth. Our work suggests that the evolutionary potential of growth is complex, age-dependent and not overtly affected by extremes in natural nest temperatures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fonti Kar
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- Diabetes and Metabolism Division, Garvan Institute of Medical Research, 384 Victoria Street, Darlinghurst, Sydney, NSW, 2010, Australia
| | - Daniel W A Noble
- School of Biological Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, Australia.
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2
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Virgin EE, Lewis EL, Lidgard AD, Kepas ME, Marchetti JR, Hudson SB, Smith GD, French SS. Egg viability and egg mass underlie immune tradeoffs and differences between urban and rural lizard egg yolk physiology. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2023; 337:114258. [PMID: 36870544 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2022] [Revised: 01/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization can cause innumerable abiotic and biotic changes that have the potential to influence the ecology, behavior, and physiology of native resident organisms. Relative to their rural conspecifics, urban Side-blotched Lizard (Uta stansburiana) populations in southern Utah have lower survival prospects and maximize reproductive investment via producing larger eggs and larger clutch sizes. While egg size is an important predictor of offspring quality, physiological factors within the egg yolk are reflective of the maternal environment and can alter offspring traits, especially during energetically costly processes, such as reproduction or immunity. Therefore, maternal effects may represent an adaptive mechanism by which urban-dwelling species can persist within a variable landscape. In this study, we assess urban and rural differences in egg yolk bacterial killing ability (BKA), corticosterone (CORT), oxidative status (d-ROMs), and energy metabolites (free glycerol and triglycerides), and their association with female immune status and egg quality. Within a laboratory setting, we immune challenged urban lizards via lipopolysaccharide injection (LPS) to test whether physiological changes associated with immune system activity impacted egg yolk investment. We found urban females had higher mite loads than rural females, however mite burden was related to yolk BKA in rural eggs, but not urban eggs. While yolk BKA differed between urban and rural sites, egg mass and egg viability (fertilized vs. unfertilized) were strong predictors of yolk physiology and may imply tradeoffs exist between maintenance and reproduction. LPS treatment caused a decrease in egg yolk d-ROMs relative to the control treatments, supporting results from previous research. Finally, urban lizards laid a higher proportion of unfertilized eggs, which differed in egg yolk BKA, CORT, and triglycerides in comparison to fertilized eggs. Because rural lizards laid only viable eggs during this study, these results suggest that reduced egg viability is a potential cost of living in an urban environment. Furthermore, these results help us better understand potential downstream impacts of urbanization on offspring survival, fitness, and overall population health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily E Virgin
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA.
| | - Erin L Lewis
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Audrey D Lidgard
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Megen E Kepas
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Department of Biological Sciences, Utah Tech University, St. George, UT 84770, USA
| | - Jack R Marchetti
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Spencer B Hudson
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
| | - Geoffrey D Smith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Utah Tech University, St. George, UT 84770, USA
| | - Susannah S French
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, 5305 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA; Ecology Center, Utah State University, 5205 Old Main Hill, Logan, UT 84322, USA
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3
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Fargevieille A, Reedy AM, Kahrl AF, Mitchell TS, Durso AM, Delaney DM, Pearson PR, Cox RM, Warner DA. Propagule size and sex ratio influence colonisation dynamics after introduction of a non-native lizard. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:845-857. [PMID: 35114034 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 01/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
The composition of founding populations plays an important role in colonisation dynamics and can influence population growth during early stages of biological invasion. Specifically, founding populations with small propagules (i.e., low number of founders) are vulnerable to the Allee effect and have reduced likelihood of establishment compared to those with large propagules. The founding sex ratio can also impact establishment via its influence on mating success and offspring production. Our goal was to test the effects of propagule size and sex ratio on offspring production and annual population growth following introductions of a non-native lizard species (Anolis sagrei). We manipulated propagule composition on nine small islands, then examined offspring production, population growth, and survival rate of founders and their descendants encompassing three generations. By the third reproductive season, per capita offspring production was higher on islands seeded with a relatively large propagule size, but population growth was not associated with propagule size. Propagule sex ratio did not affect offspring production, but populations with a female-biased propagule had positive growth, whereas those with a male-biased propagule had negative growth in the first year. Populations were not affected by propagule sex ratio in subsequent years, possibly due to rapid shifts towards balanced (or slightly female-biased) population sex ratios. Overall, we show that different components of population fitness have different responses to propagule size and sex ratio in ways that could affect early stages of biological invasion. Despite these effects, the short lifespan and high fecundity of A. sagrei likely helped small populations to overcome Allee effects and enabled all populations to successfully establish. Our rare experimental manipulation of propagule size and sex ratio can inform predictions of colonisation dynamics in response to different compositions of founding populations, which is critical in the context of population ecology and invasion dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amélie Fargevieille
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive (CEFE), Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France
| | - Aaron M Reedy
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Ariel F Kahrl
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA.,Department of Zoology/Ethology, Stockholm University, Svante Arrhenius väg, 18B SE-10691, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Timothy S Mitchell
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, 55108, USA
| | - Andrew M Durso
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida Gulf Coast University, Fort Myers, FL, 33965, USA
| | - David M Delaney
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado Boulder, Boulder, Colorado, 80302, USA
| | - Phillip R Pearson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA.,Centre for Conservation, Ecology and Genomics, University of Canberra, Bruce, ACT, 2617, Australia
| | - Robert M Cox
- Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA, 22904, USA
| | - Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.,Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, 50011, USA.,Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, 35294, USA
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4
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Abalos J, Pérez i de Lanuza G, Bartolomé A, Aubret F, Uller T, Font E. Viability, behavior, and color expression in the offspring of matings between common wall lizard Podarcis muralis color morphs. Curr Zool 2021; 68:41-55. [PMID: 35169628 PMCID: PMC8836344 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2020] [Accepted: 05/07/2021] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphisms are widely studied to identify the mechanisms responsible for the origin and maintenance of phenotypic variability in nature. Two of the mechanisms of balancing selection currently thought to explain the long-term persistence of polymorphisms are the evolution of alternative phenotypic optima through correlational selection on suites of traits including color and heterosis. Both of these mechanisms can generate differences in offspring viability and fitness arising from different morph combinations. Here, we examined the effect of parental morph combination on fertilization success, embryonic viability, newborn quality, antipredator, and foraging behavior, as well as inter-annual survival by conducting controlled matings in a polymorphic lacertid Podarcis muralis, where color morphs are frequently assumed to reflect alternative phenotypic optima (e.g., alternative reproductive strategies). Juveniles were kept in outdoor tubs for a year in order to study inter-annual growth, survival, and morph inheritance. In agreement with a previous genome-wide association analysis, morph frequencies in the year-old juveniles matched the frequencies expected if orange and yellow expressions depended on recessive homozygosity at 2 separate loci. Our findings also agree with previous literature reporting higher reproductive output of heavy females and the higher overall viability of heavy newborn lizards, but we found no evidence for the existence of alternative breeding investment strategies in female morphs, or morph-combination effects on offspring viability and behavior. We conclude that inter-morph breeding remains entirely viable and genetic incompatibilities are of little significance for the maintenance of discrete color morphs in P. muralis from the Pyrenees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Javier Abalos
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Guillem Pérez i de Lanuza
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos da Universidade do Porto, Porto, Portugal
| | - Alicia Bartolomé
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Fabien Aubret
- SETE, Station d’Ecologie Théorique et Expérimentale, UPR2001, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Enrique Font
- Ethology Lab, Instituto Cavanilles de Biodiversidad y Biología Evolutiva, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
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5
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Sakai O. One or two eggs: what underlies clutch size variation within a gecko species? ZOOLOGY 2021; 146:125911. [PMID: 33711783 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125911] [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: 09/26/2020] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Although the majority of reptiles show variable clutch sizes, geckos have a fixed clutch size (one or two eggs) and modify reproductive output by changing the offspring size or clutch frequency. However, the clutch size of several geckos is not strictly fixed at the species level; they actually lay both single- and double-egg clutches. We still do not fully understand if clutch size variation within a gecko species is due to adaptive control or reproductive failure like accidental absorption of one of two eggs. This study investigated differences between single- and double-egg clutches of a gecko species in terms of reproductive frequency, egg size, and offspring trait. I housed mourning geckos Lepidodactylus lugubris in a controlled environment and observed their reproduction for seven years. No large differences between single- and double-egg clutches were detected in reproductive frequency and egg size, indicating that life-history trade-offs do not explain much about clutch size variation. Single-egg was comparable in egg size to double-egg, but hatchlings from single-egg showed significantly lower body condition than did those from double-egg. These results suggest that the single-egg is not only a reduction of reproductive output per clutch, but it may provide negative effect on ontogeny.
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Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Sakai
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kitashirakawa Oiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan.
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6
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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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7
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Aubry LM, Hudson SB, Kluever BM, Webb AC, French SS. Competing reproductive and physiological investments in an all-female lizard, the Colorado checkered whiptail. Evol Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-020-10081-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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8
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Pruett JE, Fargevieille A, Warner DA. Temporal variation in maternal nest choice and its consequences for lizard embryos. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractMicrohabitat choice of nest sites is an important maternal effect that influences the survival and development of embryos in oviparous species. Embryos of many species display a high degree of plasticity in response to developmental environments, which places maternal nesting behavior under strong selective pressure, particularly in temporally changing environments. Nesting behavior varies widely across taxa that exhibit diverse reproductive strategies. The brown anole (Anolis sagrei), for example, lays one egg every 7–10 days across an extended reproductive season from April to October. This aspect of their reproduction provides an opportunity to examine temporal shifts in nesting behavior and its consequences on egg survival and offspring development under seasonally changing climatic conditions. We conducted a two-part study to quantify temporal variation in maternal nesting behavior and its effect on development of A. sagrei embryos. First, we measured nest micro-environments over the nesting season. Second, we “planted” eggs across the landscape at our field site to examine the influence of nest conditions on egg survival and hatchling phenotypes. We also incubated eggs inside chambers in the field to decouple effects of nest moisture from those of other environmental variables (e.g., temperature). Females chose nest sites with higher moisture and lower temperatures relative to what was generally available across the landscape during the nesting season. In addition, eggs exposed to relatively cool temperatures had higher hatching success, and high nest moisture increased egg survival and body condition of hatchlings. Overall, we provide evidence in the field that maternal nesting behavior facilitates offspring survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenna E Pruett
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Rouse Life Sciences, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Amélie Fargevieille
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Rouse Life Sciences, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Rouse Life Sciences, Auburn, AL, USA
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9
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Dees A, Wilson K, Reali C, Pruett JE, Hall JM, Brandt R, Warner DA. Communal egg‐laying behaviour and the consequences of egg aggregation in the brown anole (
Anolis sagrei
). Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Allison Dees
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Kayla Wilson
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
- Department of Biological Sciences University of Alabama at Huntsville Huntsville AL USA
| | - Chanel Reali
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Jenna E. Pruett
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Joshua M. Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
| | - Renata Brandt
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
- School of the Environment Laurentian University Sudbury ON Canada
- Science North Sudbury ON Canada
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn AL USA
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10
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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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11
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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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12
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Hulbert AC, Hall JM, Mitchell TS, Warner DA. Use of human-made structures facilitates persistence of a non-native ectotherm. Biol Invasions 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10530-020-02236-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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13
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Tiatragul S, Hall JM, Pavlik NG, Warner DA. Lizard nest environments differ between suburban and forest habitats. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/bly204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
AbstractNesting success is critical for oviparous species to maintain viable populations. Many species often do not provide parental care (e.g. oviparous reptiles), so embryos are left to develop in the prevailing conditions of the nest. For species that occupy diverse habitats, embryos must be able to complete development across a broad range of environmental conditions. Although much research has investigated how environmental conditions influence embryo development, we know little about how nest conditions differ between diverse habitats. Anolis lizards are commonly found in various habitats including those heavily modified by humans (e.g. cities). We describe nest sites of anoles in two different habitat types: a suburban area and a nearby forest. The suburban area had less total nesting habitat but a greater variety of microenvironment conditions for females to use for nesting, compared to the forest. Suburban nests were warmer and drier with greater thermal variance compared to forest nests. Finally, we use data from the literature to predict how nest conditions may influence development. Our study provides the first quantitative assessment of anole nest sites in human-modified environments and shows how suburban habitats may generate variation in developmental rate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarin Tiatragul
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Joshua M Hall
- 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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14
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Hall JM, Warner DA. Thermal tolerance in the urban heat island: thermal sensitivity varies ontogenetically and differs between embryos of two sympatric ectotherms. J Exp Biol 2019; 222:jeb.210708. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.210708] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Most studies of thermal tolerance use adults, but early-life stages (e.g. embryos) are often more sensitive to thermal agitation. Studies that examine effects on embryos rarely assess the potential for thermal tolerance to change with ontogeny or how effects differ among sympatric species, and often utilize unrealistic temperature treatments. We used thermal fluctuations from nests within the urban-heat island to determine how thermal tolerance of embryos changes across development and differs among two sympatric lizard species (Anolis sagrei and A. cristatellus). We applied fluctuations that varied in frequency and magnitude at different times during development and measured effects on embryo physiology, egg survival, and hatchling morphology, growth, and survival. Thermal tolerance differed between the species by∼2 °C: embryos of A. sagrei, a lizard that prefers warmer, open-canopy microhabitats, were more robust to thermal stress than embryos of A. cristatellus, which prefers cooler, closed-canopy microhabitats. Moreover, thermal tolerance changed through development; however, the nature of this change differed between the species. For A. cristatellus, thermal tolerance was greatest mid-development. For A. sagrei the relationship was not statistically clear. The greatest effects of thermal stress were on embryo and hatchling survival and embryo physiology. Hatchling morphology and growth were less affected. Inter-specific responses and the timing of stochastic thermal events with respect to development have important effects on egg mortality. Thus, research that integrates ecologically-meaningful thermal treatments, considers multiple life-history stages, and examines interspecific responses will be critical to make robust predictions of the impacts of global change on wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joshua M. Hall
- Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Auburn University, Department of Biological Sciences, 101 Rouse Life Sciences Building, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
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15
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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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