1
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Warner DA, Mitchell TS, Janzen FJ. Increased nest temperature during winter does not affect residual yolk metabolism of hatchling painted turtles (Chrysemys picta). Integr Zool 2024. [PMID: 39228211 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12890] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/05/2024]
Abstract
Rising global temperatures have a wide range of effects at organismal, population, and ecosystem levels. Increased winter temperatures are expected to alter the energetics of species that are dormant during this time. Hatchling painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) spend their first ∼8 months in shallow nests on land, where they putatively rely on residual yolk reserves to fuel energetic demands during this period of inactivity before they emerge in the spring. We performed a laboratory experiment to characterize changes in residual yolk quantity in hatchling C. picta and experimentally tested the effect of temperature on residual yolk, hatchling size, and survival over the winter brumation period. We manipulated winter nest temperature by simulating two natural thermal regimes ("low" vs "high" treatments) and one regime that approximates warmer temperatures expected by 2100 ("future" treatment). Because high temperature increases metabolism, we predicted that the future temperature treatment would decrease the amount of residual yolk remaining by the end of winter and reduce hatchling mass and survival. Residual yolk over winter did not differ from that before winter, and the temperature had no effect on the quantity of residual yolk or hatchling survival by the following spring. However, hatchlings that experienced future temperatures lost more mass over winter than those from the other treatments. These results correspond with previous work indicating that residual yolk does not fuel the energetic needs of hatchlings during winter. The effect of future warming temperatures on body mass may have negative consequences during energetically demanding activities during spring emergence and dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel A Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
| | - Timothy S Mitchell
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Fredric J Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, Michigan, USA
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2
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Pettersen AK, Ruuskanen S, Nord A, Nilsson JF, Miñano MR, Fitzpatrick LJ, While GM, Uller T. Population divergence in maternal investment and embryo energy use and allocation suggests adaptive responses to cool climates. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:1771-1785. [PMID: 37340858 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2023] [Accepted: 06/05/2023] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Abstract
The thermal sensitivity of early life stages can play a fundamental role in constraining species distributions. For egg-laying ectotherms, cool temperatures often extend development time and exacerbate developmental energy cost. Despite these costs, egg laying is still observed at high latitudes and altitudes. How embryos overcome the developmental constraints posed by cool climates is crucial knowledge for explaining the persistence of oviparous species in such environments and for understanding thermal adaptation more broadly. Here, we studied maternal investment and embryo energy use and allocation in wall lizards spanning altitudinal regions, as potential mechanisms that enable successful development to hatching in cool climates. Specifically, we compared population-level differences in (1) investment from mothers (egg mass, embryo retention and thyroid yolk hormone concentration), (2) embryo energy expenditure during development, and (3) embryo energy allocation from yolk towards tissue. We found evidence that energy expenditure was greater under cool compared with warm incubation temperatures. Females from relatively cool regions did not compensate for this energetic cost of development by producing larger eggs or increasing thyroid hormone concentration in yolk. Instead, embryos from the high-altitude region used less energy to complete development, that is, they developed faster without a concomitant increase in metabolic rate, compared with those from the low-altitude region. Embryos from high altitudes also allocated relatively more energy towards tissue production, hatching with lower residual yolk: tissue ratios than low-altitude region embryos. These results are consistent with local adaptation to cool climate and suggest that this is underpinned by mechanisms that regulate embryonic utilisation of yolk reserves and its allocation towards tissue, rather than shifts in maternal investment of yolk content or composition.
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Affiliation(s)
- A K Pettersen
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - S Ruuskanen
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - A Nord
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - J F Nilsson
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - M R Miñano
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - L J Fitzpatrick
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - G M While
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - T Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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3
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Du WG, Li SR, Sun BJ, Shine R. Can nesting behaviour allow reptiles to adapt to climate change? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220153. [PMID: 37427463 PMCID: PMC10331901 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0153] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2022] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
A range of abiotic parameters within a reptile nest influence the viability and attributes (including sex, behaviour and body size) of hatchlings that emerge from that nest. As a result of that sensitivity, a reproducing female can manipulate the phenotypic attributes of her offspring by laying her eggs at times and in places that provide specific conditions. Nesting reptiles shift their behaviour in terms of timing of oviposition, nest location and depth of eggs beneath the soil surface across spatial and temporal gradients. Those maternal manipulations affect mean values and variances of both temperature and soil moisture, and may modify the vulnerability of embryos to threats such as predation and parasitism. By altering thermal and hydric conditions in reptile nests, climate change has the potential to dramatically modify the developmental trajectories and survival rates of embryos, and the phenotypes of hatchlings. Reproducing females buffer such effects by modifying the timing, location and structure of nests in ways that enhance offspring viability. Nonetheless, our understanding of nesting behaviours in response to climate change remains limited in reptiles. Priority topics for future studies include documenting climate-induced changes in the nest environment, the degree to which maternal behavioural shifts can mitigate climate-related deleterious impacts on offspring development, and ecological and evolutionary consequences of maternal nesting responses to climate change. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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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
| | - Shu-Ran Li
- College of Life and Environmental Science, Wenzhou University, Zhejiang 325035, 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
| | - Richard Shine
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
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4
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Bodensteiner BL, Iverson JB, Lea CA, Milne-Zelman CL, Mitchell TS, Refsnider JM, Voves K, Warner DA, Janzen FJ. Mother knows best: nest-site choice homogenizes embryo thermal environments among populations in a widespread ectotherm. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220155. [PMID: 37427473 PMCID: PMC10331915 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2022] [Accepted: 05/02/2023] [Indexed: 07/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Species with large geographical ranges provide an excellent model for studying how different populations respond to dissimilar local conditions, particularly with respect to variation in climate. Maternal effects, such as nest-site choice greatly affect offspring phenotypes and survival. Thus, maternal behaviour has the potential to mitigate the effects of divergent climatic conditions across a species' range. We delineated natural nesting areas of six populations of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) that span a broad latitudinal range and quantified spatial and temporal variation in nest characteristics. To quantify microhabitats available for females to choose, we also identified sites within the nesting area of each location that were representative of available thermal microhabitats. Across the range, females nested non-randomly and targeted microhabitats that generally had less canopy cover and thus higher nest temperatures. Nest microhabitats differed among locations but did not predictably vary with latitude or historic mean air temperature during embryonic development. In conjunction with other studies of these populations, our results suggest that nest-site choice is homogenizing nest environments, which buffers embryos from thermally induced selection and could slow embryonic evolution. Thus, although effective at a macroclimatic scale, nest-site choice is unlikely to compensate for novel stressors that rapidly increase local temperatures. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolutionary ecology of nests: a cross-taxon approach'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brooke L. Bodensteiner
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06511, USA
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
| | - John B. Iverson
- Department of Biology, Earlham College, Richmond, IN 60071, USA
| | - Carter A. Lea
- Office of Research Proposal Development, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118, USA
| | | | - Timothy S. Mitchell
- College of Biological Sciences, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Jeanine M. Refsnider
- Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Toledo, Toledo, OH 43606, USA
| | | | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA
- Kellogg Biological Station, Michigan State University, Hickory Corners, MI 49060, USA
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5
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Warner DA, Kelly C, Pruett JE, Fargevieille A, Klabacka RL. Fluctuating environments hinder the ability of female lizards to choose suitable nest sites for their embryos. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-023-03310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
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6
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Consistent Nest Site Selection by Turtles across Habitats with Varying Levels of Human Disturbance. DIVERSITY 2023. [DOI: 10.3390/d15020275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Human disturbance impacts the breeding behavior of many species, and it is particularly important to understand how these human-caused changes affect vulnerable taxa, such as turtles. Habitat alteration can change the amount and quality of suitable nesting habitat, while human presence during nesting may influence nesting behavior. Consequently, both habitat alteration and human presence can influence the microhabitat that females choose for nesting. In the summer of 2019, we located emydid turtle nests in east-central Alabama, USA, in areas with varying levels of human disturbance (high, intermediate, low). We aimed to determine whether turtles selected nest sites based on a range of microhabitat variables comparing maternally selected natural nests to randomly chosen artificial nests. We also compared nest site choice across areas with different levels of human disturbance. Natural nests had less variance in canopy openness and average daily mean and minimum temperature than artificial nests, but microhabitat variables were similar across differing levels of disturbance. Additionally, we experimentally quantified nest predation across a natural to human-disturbed gradient. Nest predation rates were higher in areas with low and intermediate levels of disturbance than in areas with high human disturbance. Overall, these results show that turtles are not adjusting their choices of nest microhabitat when faced with anthropogenic change, suggesting that preserving certain natural microhabitat features will be critical for populations in human-disturbed areas.
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7
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Geller GA, Parker SL. What Are the Primary Cues Used by Mammalian Predators to Locate Freshwater Turtle Nests? A Critical Review of the Evidence. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.784786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Turtle biologists have long been interested in the biotic and abiotic factors that influence the detection of freshwater turtle nests by mammalian predators. Increased knowledge of nest predation dynamics may help develop conservation strategies to increase turtle nesting success by altering or reducing the signal strength of predominant nest location cues. However, despite this long-standing interest, the related research has produced inconsistent and sometimes conflicting results across studies. Here we review much of the existing literature on freshwater turtle nest predation by mammalian predators and attempt to synthesize some general, underlying themes. Available data suggest that raccoons (Procyon lotor) primarily use olfactory cues associated with nest cavity construction to locate turtle nests. However, some other predators, including red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) and other canids, may commonly use a wider array of cues, including scents from nesting turtles and their eggs as well as visual cues, while foraging. The literature also suggests that the length of the period turtle nests remain vulnerable to nest predation is dependent on the predator community, with raccoons exhibiting relatively short timelines relative to some other predators, including canids. This review has revealed a strong North American bias in published work, highlighting the need for additional studies of turtle nest predation dynamics in other areas of the world where chelonians are often imperiled elements of the biota.
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8
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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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9
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Delaney DM, Hoekstra LA, Janzen FJ. Age Predicts Risky Investment Better Than Residual Reproductive Value. Am Nat 2021; 197:461-472. [PMID: 33755533 DOI: 10.1086/713174] [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] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractLife-history theory predicts that investment in reproduction should increase as future reproductive potential (i.e., residual reproductive value [RRV]) decreases. Researchers have thus intuitively used age as a proxy for RRV and assume that RRV decreases with age when interpreting age-specific investment. Yet age is an imperfect proxy for RRV and may even be a poor correlate in some systems. We used a 31-year study of the nesting ecology of painted turtles (Chrysemys picta) to assess how age and RRV compare in explaining variation in a risky investment behavior. We predicted that RRV would be a better predictor of risky investment than age because RRV accounts for variation in future reproductive potential across life. We found that RRV was high in early life, slowly decreased until midlife, and then steadily decreased to terminal reproduction. However, age predicted risky behavior better than RRV. This finding suggests that stronger correlates of age (e.g., size) may be more responsible for this behavior in turtles. This study highlights that researchers should not assume that age-specific investment is driven by RRV and that future work should quantify RRV to more directly test this key element of life-history theory.
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10
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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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11
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Bougie T, Byer N, Lapin C, Peery MZ, Woodford J, Pauli J. Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta) nest protection reduces depredation and increases success, but annual variation influences its effectiveness. CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2020-0064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Habitat loss is the leading cause of species extinctions and is especially detrimental to habitat specialists. Freshwater turtles require specific habitat types at different points in their life cycle; notably, the loss of nesting habitat has led to increased nest depredation and adult mortality. In response, conservationists have implemented nest protection and habitat restoration programs to recover declining populations. Although assumed to increase nest survival, effectiveness of these methods has not been rigorously quantified. We located Wood Turtle (Glyptemys insculpta (Le Conte, 1830)) nests in Wisconsin (USA) and conducted two analyses — logistic regression and logistic exposure — to investigate the influence of management actions and environmental factors on nest survival. The depredation rate decreased by 47% for protected nests and declined as nests aged; the success rate increased by 28% for protected nests and increased for nests in areas with fewer roads. We found high annual variation in success, and although weather variables were not predictive, likely due to their coarse scale, we posit that this inter-annual variation was driven by variation in weather conditions. Our results suggest that nest protection is effective at increasing nest survival, but future efforts should span multiple years to account for the effects of annual variation in environmental conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- T.A. Bougie
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - N.W. Byer
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - C.N. Lapin
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 107 Sutliff Avenue, Rhinelander, WI 54501, USA
| | - M. Zachariah Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
| | - J.E. Woodford
- Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, 107 Sutliff Avenue, Rhinelander, WI 54501, USA
| | - J.N. Pauli
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology, University of Wisconsin, 1630 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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12
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Houpt N, Borowiec BG, Bose APH, Brown NAW, Scott GR, Balshine S. Parental Males of the Plainfin Midshipman Are Physiologically Resilient to the Challenges of the Intertidal Zone. Physiol Biochem Zool 2020; 93:111-128. [PMID: 32013739 DOI: 10.1086/707408] [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
The decision of where to rear young is influenced by both the needs of offspring and the costs parents incur in certain rearing environments. Plainfin midshipman fish (Porichthys notatus) provide extended paternal care in rocky intertidal zones, where they experience regular bouts of aquatic hypoxia and air exposure during low-tide events. We investigated the physiological responses of plainfin midshipman males to three conditions for 6 h that simulate what these fish naturally experience during tidal cycles while nesting: normoxia, progressive hypoxia, or air exposure. Hypoxia- and air-exposed fish exhibited shifts in energy metabolites, driven largely by elevated lactate and glucose content and reduced glycogen content in several tissues (muscle, heart, liver, and brain), but the magnitude of these changes was relatively modest. Hematocrit increased most in air-exposed fish relative to normoxia-exposed fish, contributing to an increase in whole-blood hemoglobin concentration. Air exposure reduced swim bladder oxygen content, suggesting that internal O2 stores are drawn on during air exposure. In a second experiment, we found that aquatic surface respiration and gill ventilation frequency increased in hypoxia-exposed fish relative to normoxia-exposed fish. Overall, our results suggest that plainfin midshipman overcome the challenges of the intertidal environment through a variety of physiological strategies and exhibit little physiological disturbance in response to the fluctuating and extreme conditions created by regular low tides.
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13
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Taylor EN, Diele‐Viegas LM, Gangloff EJ, Hall JM, Halpern B, Massey MD, Rödder D, Rollinson N, Spears S, Sun B, Telemeco RS. The thermal ecology and physiology of reptiles and amphibians: A user's guide. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2020; 335:13-44. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.2396] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2020] [Revised: 06/12/2020] [Accepted: 06/13/2020] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Emily N. Taylor
- Biological Sciences Department California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo California
| | | | | | - Joshua M. Hall
- Department of Biological Sciences Auburn University Auburn Alabama
| | | | - Melanie D. Massey
- Department of Biology Dalhousie University Halifax Nova Scotia Canada
| | - Dennis Rödder
- Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig Bonn Germany
| | - Njal Rollinson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology University of Toronto St. Toronto Ontario Canada
- School of the Environment University of Toronto Toronto Ontario Canada
| | - Sierra Spears
- Department of Zoology Ohio Wesleyan University Delaware Ohio
| | - Bao‐jun Sun
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology Chinese Academy of Sciences Beijing China
| | - Rory S. Telemeco
- Department of Biology California State University Fresno California
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14
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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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15
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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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