Mitochondrial DNA evolution in the Anaxyrus boreas species group

Quantifying intraspecific variation in host resistance and tolerance to a lethal pathogen

Testing for intraspecific variation for host tolerance or resistance in wild populations is important for informing conservation decisions about captive breeding, translocation, and disease treatment. Here, we test the importance of tolerance and resistance in multiple populations of boreal toads (Anaxyrus boreas boreas) against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), the amphibian fungal pathogen responsible for the greatest host biodiversity loss due to disease. Boreal toads have severely declined in Colorado (CO) due to Bd, but toad populations challenged with Bd in western Wyoming (WY) appear to be less affected. We used a common garden infection experiment to expose post-metamorphic toads sourced from four populations (2 in CO and 2 in WY) to Bd and monitored changes in mass, pathogen burden and survival for 8 weeks. We used a multi-state modelling approach to estimate weekly survival and transition probabilities between infected and cleared states, reflecting a dynamic infection process that traditional approaches fail to capture. We found that WY boreal toads are more tolerant to Bd infection with higher survival probabilities than those in CO when infected with identical pathogen burdens. WY toads also appeared more resistant to Bd with a higher probability of infection clearance and an average of 5 days longer to reach peak infection burdens. Our results demonstrate strong intraspecific differences in tolerance and resistance that likely contribute to why population declines vary regionally across this species. Our multi-state framework allowed us to gain inference on typically hidden disease processes when testing for host tolerance or resistance. Our findings demonstrate that describing an entire host species as 'tolerant' or 'resistant' (or lack thereof) is unwise without testing for intraspecific variation.

Morphology and vocalization comparison of the Houston Toad and the Dwarf American Toad: implications for their historic range

Documenting changes in the distribution and abundance of a given taxon requires historical data. In the absence of long-term monitoring data collected throughout the range of a taxon, conservation biologists often rely on preserved museum specimens to determine the past or present, putative geographic distribution. Distributional data for the Houston Toad (Anaxyrus houstonensis) has consistently been confounded by similarities with a sympatric congener, the Dwarf American Toad (A. americanus charlesmithi), both in monitoring data derived from chorusing surveys, and in historical data via museum specimens. In this case, misidentification can have unintended impacts on conservation efforts, where the Houston Toad is federally endangered, and the Dwarf American Toad is of least concern. Previously published reports have compared these two taxon on the basis of their male advertisement call and morphological appearance, often with the goal of using these characters to substantiate their taxonomic status prior to the advent of DNA sequencing technology. However, numerous studies report findings that contradict one another, and no consensus on the true differences or similarities can be drawn. Here, we use contemporary recordings of wild populations of each taxon to test for quantifiable differences in male advertisement call. Additionally, we quantitatively examine a subset of vouchered museum specimens representing each taxon to test previously reported differentiating morphometric characters used to distinguish among other Bufonids of East-Central Texas, USA. Finally, we assemble and qualitatively evaluate a database of photographs representing catalogued museum vouchers for each taxon to determine if their previously documented historic ranges may be larger than are currently accepted. Our findings reveal quantifiable differences between two allopatric congeners with respect to their male advertisement call, whereas we found similarities among their detailed morphology. Additionally, we report on the existence of additional, historically overlooked, museum records for the Houston Toad in the context of its putative historic range, and discuss errors associated with the curation of these specimens whose identity and nomenclature have not been consistent through time. These results bookend decades of disagreement regarding the morphology, voice, and historic distribution of these taxa, and alert practitioners of conservation efforts for the Houston Toad to previously unreported locations of occurrence.

Using genome-wide data to ascertain taxonomic status and assess population genetic structure for Houston toads (Bufo [= Anaxyrus] houstonensis)

The Houston toad (Bufo [= Anaxyrus] houstonensis) is an endangered amphibian with a small geographic range. Land-use changes have primarily driven decline in B. houstonensis with population supplementation predominant among efforts to reduce its current extinction risk. However, there has been historic uncertainty regarding the evolutionary and conservation significance of B. houstonensis. To this end, we used 1170 genome-wide nuclear DNA markers to examine phylogenetic relationships between our focal taxon, representatives of the Nearctic B. americanus group, and B. nebulifer, a sympatric Middle American species. Phylogenetic analyses indicate B. houstonensis is a taxon that is distinct from B. americanus. We corroborated such genetic distinctiveness with an admixture analysis that provided support for recent reproductive isolation between B. americanus and B. houstonensis. However, ABBA-BABA tests for ancient admixture indicated historic gene flow between Nearctic species while no signal of historic gene flow was detected between Nearctic and Middle-American species. We used an admixture analysis to recognize four Management Units (MU) based on observed genetic differentiation within B. houstonensis and recommend captive propagation, population supplementation, and habitat restoration efforts specific to each MU. Our results re-affirm the evolutionary novelty of an endangered relict.

Conservation genomics of an endangered montane amphibian reveals low population structure, low genomic diversity and selection pressure from disease

Wildlife diseases are a major global threat to biodiversity. Boreal toads (Anaxyrus [Bufo] boreas) are a state-endangered species in the southern Rocky Mountains of Colorado and New Mexico, and a species of concern in Wyoming, largely due to lethal skin infections caused by the amphibian chytrid fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). We performed conservation and landscape genomic analyses using single nucleotide polymorphisms from double-digest, restriction site-associated DNA sequencing in combination with the development of the first boreal toad (and first North American toad) reference genome to investigate population structure, genomic diversity, landscape connectivity and adaptive divergence. Genomic diversity (π = 0.00034-0.00040) and effective population sizes (Ne = 8.9-38.4) were low, likely due to post-Pleistocene founder effects and Bd-related population crashes over the last three decades. Population structure was also low, likely due to formerly high connectivity among a higher density of geographically proximate populations. Boreal toad gene flow was facilitated by low precipitation, cold minimum temperatures, less tree canopy, low heat load and less urbanization. We found >8X more putatively adaptive loci related to Bd intensity than to all other environmental factors combined, and evidence for genes under selection related to immune response, heart development and regulation and skin function. These data suggest boreal toads in habitats with Bd have experienced stronger selection pressure from disease than from other, broad-scale environmental variations. These findings can be used by managers to conserve and recover the species through actions including reintroduction and supplementation of populations that have declined due to Bd.

Comparative Analysis of Skin Bacterial Diversity and Its Potential Antifungal Function Between Desert and Pine Forest Populations of Boreal Toads Anaxyrus boreas

The skin microbiome in amphibians has gained a lot of attention as some of its members play a protective role against pathogens such as the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd). The composition of skin bacterial communities has been suggested as one of the factors explaining differences in susceptibility to Bd among amphibian species and populations. The boreal toad Anaxyrus boreas is known to be susceptible to Bd, and severe population declines in its southeastern range have been documented. However, throughout A. boreas distribution, populations present differences in susceptibility to Bd infections which may be associated with differences in skin microbial diversity. This study compared the skin bacterial diversity and Bd infection levels of A. boreas in one desert population and one pine forest population from Baja California, Mexico. We found that desert and pine forest toad populations exhibit differences in skin bacterial community structure but show similar Bd infection levels. Using a predictive method, we found that the abundance of bacteria with potential Bd-inhibitory properties differed between uninfected and infected individuals but not between populations. Our data suggest that several bacteria in the skin community may be offering protection from Bd infections in these A. boreas populations. This study provides foundational evidence for future studies seeking to understand the skin-microbial variation among boreal toads' populations and its relation with Bd susceptibility.

Reduced genetic diversity associated with the northern expansion of an amphibian species with high habitat specialization, Ascaphus truei, resolved using two types of genetic markers

Reconstruction of historical relationships between geographic regions within a species' range can indicate dispersal patterns and help predict future responses to shifts in climate. Ascaphus truei (coastal tailed frog) is an indicator species of the health of forests and perennial streams in the Coastal and Cascade Mountains of the Pacific Northwest of North America. We used two genetic techniques-microsatellite and genotype-by-sequencing (GBS)-to compare the within-region genetic diversity of populations near the northern extent of the species' range (British Columbia, Canada) to two geographic regions in British Columbia and two in Washington, USA, moving toward the core of the range. Allelic richness and heterozygosity declined substantially as latitude increased. The northernmost region had the lowest mean expected heterozygosities for both techniques (microsatellite, M = 0.20, SE = 0.080; GBS, M = 0.025, SE = 0.0010) and the southernmost region had the highest (microsatellite, M = 0.88, SE = 0.054; GBS, M = 0.20, SE = 0.0029). The northernmost regions (NC and MC) clustered together in population structure models for both genetic techniques. Our discovery of reduced diversity may have important conservation and management implications for population connectivity and the response of A. truei to climate change.

Phylogeographic analysis of shrubby beardtongues reveals range expansions during the Last Glacial Maximum and implicates the Klamath Mountains as a hotspot for hybridization

Quaternary glacial cycles often altered species' geographic distributions, which in turn altered the geographic structure of species' genetic diversity. In many cases, glacial expansion forced species in temperate climates to contract their ranges and reside in small pockets of suitable habitat (refugia), where they were likely to interact closely with other species, setting the stage for potential gene exchange. These introgression events, in turn, would have degraded species boundaries, making the inference of phylogenetic relationships challenging. Using high-throughput sequence data, we employed a combination of species distribution models and hybridization tests to assess the effect of glaciation on the geographic distributions, phylogenetic relationships, and patterns of gene flow of five species of Penstemon subgenus Dasanthera, long-lived shrubby angiosperms distributed throughout the Pacific Northwest of North America. Surprisingly, we found that rather than reducing their ranges to small refugia, most Penstemon subgenus Dasanthera species experienced increased suitable habitat during the Last Glacial Maximum relative to the present day. We also found substantial evidence for gene exchange between species, with the bulk of introgression events occurring in or near the Klamath Mountains of southwestern Oregon and northwestern California. Subsequently, our phylogenetic inference reveals blurred taxonomic boundaries in the Klamath Mountains, where introgression is most prevalent. Our results question the classical paradigm of temperate species' responses to glaciation and highlight the importance of contextualizing phylogenetic inference with species' histories of introgression.

Population genetic analysis of the recently rediscovered Hula painted frog (Latonia nigriventer) reveals high genetic diversity and low inbreeding

After its recent rediscovery, the Hula painted frog (Latonia nigriventer) has remained one of the world's rarest and least understood amphibian species. Together with its apparently low dispersal capability and highly disturbed niche, the low abundance of this living fossil calls for urgent conservation measures. We used 18 newly developed microsatellite loci and four different models to calculate the effective population size (N_e) of a total of 125 Hula painted frog individuals sampled at a single location. We compare the N_e estimates to the estimates of potentially reproducing adults in this population (N_ad) determined through a capture-recapture study on 118 adult Hula painted frogs captured at the same site. Surprisingly, our data suggests that, despite N_ad estimates of only ~234-244 and N_e estimates of ~16.6-35.8, the species appears to maintain a very high genetic diversity (H_O = 0.771) and low inbreeding coefficient (F_IS = -0.018). This puzzling outcome could perhaps be explained by the hypotheses of either genetic rescue from one or more unknown Hula painted frog populations nearby or by recent admixture of genetically divergent subpopulations. Independent of which scenario is correct, the original locations of these populations still remain to be determined.

Identification of Bufadienolides from the Boreal Toad, Anaxyrus boreas, Active Against a Fungal Pathogen

Amphibian granular glands provide a wide range of compounds on the skin that defend against pathogens and predators. We identified three bufadienolides-the steroid-like compounds arenobufagin, gamabufotalin, and telocinobufagin-from the boreal toad, Anaxyrus boreas, through liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC/MS). Compounds were detected both after inducing skin gland secretions and in constitutive mucosal rinses from toads. We described the antimicrobial properties of each bufadienolide against Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), an amphibian fungal pathogen linked with boreal toad population declines. All three bufadienolides were found to inhibit Bd growth at similar levels. The maximum Bd inhibition produced by arenobufagin, gamabufotalin, and telocinobufagin were approximately 50%, in contrast to the complete Bd inhibition shown by antimicrobial skin peptides produced by some amphibian species. In addition, skin mucus samples significantly reduced Bd viability, and bufadienolides were detected in 15 of 62 samples. Bufadienolides also appeared to enhance growth of the anti-Bd bacterium Janthinobacterium lividum, and thus may be involved in regulation of the skin microbiome. Here, we localized skin bacteria within the mucus layer and granular glands of toads with fluorescent in situ hybridization. Overall, our results suggest that bufadienolides can function in antifungal defense on amphibian skin and their production is a potentially convergent trait similar to antimicrobial peptide defenses found on the skin of other species. Further studies investigating bufadienolide expression across toad populations, their regulation, and interactions with other components of the skin mucosome will contribute to understanding the complexities of amphibian immune defense.

Extremely low prevalence of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in frog populations from neotropical dry forest of Costa Rica supports the existence of a climatic refuge from disease

Population declines and extinctions of numerous species of amphibians, especially stream-breeding frogs, have been linked to the emerging infectious disease chytridiomycosis, caused by the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. In Central America, most of the 34 species of the Craugastor punctariolus species group have disappeared in recent years in high- and low-elevation rainforests. Distribution models for B. dendrobatidis and the continuous presence of the extirpated stream-dwelling species, Craugastor ranoides, in the driest site of Costa Rica (Santa Elena Peninsula), suggest that environmental conditions might restrict the growth and development of B. dendrobatidis, existing as a refuge from chytridiomycosis-driven extinction. We conducted field surveys to detect and quantify the pathogen using Real-time PCR in samples from 15 species of frogs in two locations of tropical dry forest. In Santa Elena Peninsula, we swabbed 310 frogs, and only one sample of the species, C. ranoides, tested positive for B. dendrobatidis (prevalence <0.1%). In Santa Rosa Station, we swabbed 100 frogs, and nine samples from three species tested positive (prevalence = 9.0%). We failed to detect signs of chytridiomycosis in any of the 410 sampled frogs, and low quantities of genetic equivalents (between 0 and 1073) were obtained from the ten positive samples. The difference in the prevalence between locations might be due not only to the hotter and drier conditions of Santa Elena Peninsula but also to the different compositions of species in both locations. Our results suggest that B. dendrobatidis is at the edge of its distribution in these dry and hot environments of tropical dry forest. This study supports the existence of climatic refuges from chytridiomycosis and highlights the importance of tropical dry forest conservation for amphibians in the face of epidemic disease.

Temporal population genetic instability in range-edge western toads, Anaxyrus boreas

In this article, we address the temporal stability of population genetic structure in a range-edge population that is undergoing continual, short-distance colonization events. We sampled western toad, Anaxyrus boreas, breeding populations over 2 seasons near their northern range limit in southeast Alaska. We sampled 20 ponds each during the summers of 2008 and 2009, with 14 ponds sampled in both summers. We found considerable turnover in the population genetic relationships among ponds in those 2 seasons, as well as biologically meaningful genetic differentiation between years within some ponds. We found relatively consistent relationships between major population centers, whereas the relationships between the central ponds and smaller, outlying populations differed year to year. This finding indicates that multiple years of genetic sampling may be important for understanding the genetic landscape of some populations.

Environmental refuge from disease-driven amphibian extinction

Species that are tolerant of broad environmental gradients may be less vulnerable to epizootic outbreaks of disease. Chytridriomycosis, caused by the fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, has been linked to extirpations and extinctions of amphibian species in many regions. The pathogen thrives in cool, moist environments, and high amphibian mortality rates have commonly occurred during chytridiomycosis outbreaks in amphibian populations in high-elevation tropical rainforests. In Australia several high-elevation species, including the armored mist frog (Litoria lorica), which is designated as critically endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), were believed to have gone extinct during chytridiomycosis outbreaks in the 1980s and early 1990s. Species with greater elevational ranges disappeared from higher elevations, but remained common in the lowlands. In June 2008, we surveyed a stream in a high-elevation dry sclerophyll forest and discovered a previously unknown population of L. lorica and a population of the waterfall frog (Litoria nannotis). We conducted 6 additional surveys in June 2008, September 2008, March 2009, and August 2009. Prevalences of B. dendrobatidis infection (number infected per total sampled) were consistently high in frogs (mean 82.5%, minimum 69%) of both species and in tadpoles (100%) during both winter (starting July) and summer (starting February). However, no individuals of either species showed clinical signs of disease, and they remained abundant (3.25 - 8.75 individuals of L. lorica and 6.5-12.5 individuals of L. nannotis found/person/100 m over 13 months). The high-elevation dry sclerophyll site had little canopy cover, low annual precipitation, and a more defined dry season than a nearby rainforest site, where L. nannotis was more negatively affected by chytridiomycosis. We hypothesize this lack of canopy cover allowed the rocks on which frogs perched to warm up, thereby slowing growth and reproduction of the pathogen on the hosts. In addition, we suggest surveys for apparently extinct or rare species should not be limited to core environments.

Temperature, hydric environment, and prior pathogen exposure alter the experimental severity of chytridiomycosis in boreal toads

Prevalence of the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), implicated in amphibian population declines worldwide, is associated with habitat moisture and temperature, but few studies have varied these factors and measured the response to infection in amphibian hosts. We evaluated how varying humidity, contact with water, and temperature affected the manifestation of chytridiomycosis in boreal toads Anaxyrus (Bufo) boreas boreas and how prior exposure to Bd affects the likelihood of survival after re-exposure, such as may occur seasonally in long-lived species. Humidity did not affect survival or the degree of Bd infection, but a longer time in contact with water increased the likelihood of mortality. After exposure to approximately 10(6) Bd zoospores, all toads in continuous contact with water died within 30 d. Moreover, Bd-exposed toads that were disease-free after 64 d under dry conditions, developed lethal chytridiomycosis within 70 d of transfer to wet conditions. Toads in unheated aquaria (mean = 15 degrees C) survived less than 48 d, while those in moderately heated aquaria (mean = 18 degrees C) survived 115 d post-exposure and exhibited behavioral fever, selecting warmer sites across a temperature gradient. We also found benefits of prior Bd infection: previously exposed toads survived 3 times longer than Bd-naïve toads after re-exposure to 106 zoospores (89 vs. 30 d), but only when dry microenvironments were available. This study illustrates how the outcome of Bd infection in boreal toads is environmentally dependent: when continuously wet, high reinfection rates may overwhelm defenses, but periodic drying, moderate warming, and previous infection may allow infected toads to extend their survival.

Effects of amphibian chytrid fungus on individual survival probability in wild boreal toads

Chytridiomycosis is linked to the worldwide decline of amphibians, yet little is known about the demographic effects of the disease. We collected capture-recapture data on three populations of boreal toads (Bufo boreas [Bufo = Anaxyrus]) in the Rocky Mountains (U.S.A.). Two of the populations were infected with chytridiomycosis and one was not. We examined the effect of the presence of amphibian chytrid fungus (Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis [Bd]; the agent of chytridiomycosis) on survival probability and population growth rate. Toads that were infected with Bd had lower average annual survival probability than uninfected individuals at sites where Bd was detected, which suggests chytridiomycosis may reduce survival by 31-42% in wild boreal toads. Toads that were negative for Bd at infected sites had survival probabilities comparable to toads at the uninfected site. Evidence that environmental covariates (particularly cold temperatures during the breeding season) influenced toad survival was weak. The number of individuals in diseased populations declined by 5-7%/year over the 6 years of the study, whereas the uninfected population had comparatively stable population growth. Our data suggest that the presence of Bd in these toad populations is not causing rapid population declines. Rather, chytridiomycosis appears to be functioning as a low-level, chronic disease whereby some infected individuals survive but the overall population effects are still negative. Our results show that some amphibian populations may be coexisting with Bd and highlight the importance of quantitative assessments of survival in diseased animal populations.

Decreased winter severity increases viability of a montane frog population

Many proximate causes of global amphibian declines have been well documented, but the role that climate change has played and will play in this crisis remains ambiguous for many species. Breeding phenology and disease outbreaks have been associated with warming temperatures, but, to date, few studies have evaluated effects of climate change on individual vital rates and subsequent population dynamics of amphibians. We evaluated relationships among local climate variables, annual survival and fecundity, and population growth rates from a 9-year demographic study of Columbia spotted frogs (Rana luteiventris) in the Bitterroot Mountains of Montana. We documented an increase in survival and breeding probability as severity of winter decreased. Therefore, a warming climate with less severe winters is likely to promote population viability in this montane frog population. More generally, amphibians and other ectotherms inhabiting alpine or boreal habitats at or near their thermal ecological limits may benefit from the milder winters provided by a warming climate as long as suitable habitats remain intact. A more thorough understanding of how climate change is expected to benefit or harm amphibian populations at different latitudes and elevations is essential for determining the best strategies to conserve viable populations and allow for gene flow and shifts in geographic range.

Distribution and pathogenicity of Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in boreal toads from the Grand Teton area of western Wyoming

The pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd), which causes the skin disease chytridiomycosis, has been linked to amphibian population declines and extinctions worldwide. Bd has been implicated in recent declines of boreal toads, Bufo boreas boreas, in Colorado but populations of boreal toads in western Wyoming have high prevalence of Bd without suffering catastrophic mortality. In a field and laboratory study, we investigated the prevalence of Bd in boreal toads from the Grand Teton ecosystem (GRTE) in Wyoming and tested the pathogenicity of Bd to these toads in several environments. The pathogen was present in breeding adults at all 10 sites sampled, with a mean prevalence of 67%. In an experiment with juvenile toadlets housed individually in wet environments, 10(6) zoospores of Bd isolated from GRTE caused lethal disease in all Wyoming and Colorado animals within 35 days. Survival time was longer in toadlets from Wyoming than Colorado and in toadlets spending more time in dry sites. In a second trial involving Colorado toadlets exposed to 35% fewer Bd zoospores, infection peaked and subsided over 68 days with no lethal chytridiomycosis in any treatment. However, compared with drier aquaria with dry refuges, Bd infection intensity was 41% higher in more humid aquaria and 81% higher without dry refuges available. Our findings suggest that although widely infected in nature, Wyoming toads may escape chytridiomycosis due to a slight advantage in innate resistance or because their native habitat hinders Bd growth or provides more opportunities to reduce pathogen loads behaviorally than in Colorado.