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Bodineau T, de Villemereuil P, Agostini S, Decencière B, Le Galliard JF, Meylan S. Breeding phenology drives variation in reproductive output, reproductive costs, and offspring fitness in a viviparous ectotherm. J Evol Biol 2024; 37:1023-1034. [PMID: 38989795 DOI: 10.1093/jeb/voae086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 06/07/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/12/2024]
Abstract
Phenological advances are a widespread response to global warming and can contribute to determine the climate vulnerability of organisms, particularly in ectothermic species, which are highly dependent on ambient temperatures to complete their life cycle. Yet, the relative contribution of breeding dates and temperature conditions during gestation on fitness of females and their offspring is poorly documented in reptiles. Here, we exposed females of the common lizard Zootoca vivipara to contrasting thermal scenarios (cold vs. hot treatment) during gestation and quantified effects of parturition dates and thermal treatment on life-history traits of females and their offspring for 1 year. Overall, our results suggest that parturition date has a greater impact than thermal conditions during gestation on life history strategies. In particular, we found positive effects of an earlier parturition date on juvenile survival, growth, and recruitment suggesting that environmental-dependent selection and/or differences in parental quality between early and late breeders underlie seasonal changes in offspring fitness. Yet, an earlier parturition date compromised the energetic condition of gravid females, which suggests the existence of a mother-offspring conflict regarding the optimization of parturition dates. While numerous studies focused on the direct effects of alterations in incubation temperatures on reptile life-history traits, our results highlight the importance of considering the role of breeding phenology in assessing the short- and long-term effects of thermal developmental plasticity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Théo Bodineau
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
| | - Pierre de Villemereuil
- Institut de Systématique, Évolution, Biodiversité (ISYEB), École Pratique des Hautes Études - PSL, MNHN, CNRS, SU, UA, Paris, France
- Institut Universitaire de France (IUF), France
| | - Simon Agostini
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
- École normale supérieure, PSL Research University, Département de biologie, CNRS, UAR 3194, Centre de recherche en écologie expérimentale et prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Sorbonne Université, UPEC, UPCité, CNRS, INRAE, IRD, Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris (iEES Paris - UMR 7618), Paris, France
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2
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Beltrán I, Durand V, Loiseleur R, Whiting MJ. Effect of early thermal environment on the morphology and performance of a lizard species with bimodal reproduction. J Comp Physiol B 2020; 190:795-809. [PMID: 32951106 DOI: 10.1007/s00360-020-01312-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/21/2020] [Revised: 08/11/2020] [Accepted: 09/09/2020] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Early developmental environments influence life-history traits and survival of reptiles. In fact, rising global temperatures have already caused widespread extinctions among lizards. Viviparous species might be more susceptible to increasing temperatures because of their inability to meet their energetic demands following rapid environmental changes. Nevertheless, we do not yet fully understand how lizards with different reproductive modes can respond to climate change. We investigated the effect of both maternal thermal environment during pregnancy and incubation temperature on hatchling morphology and physiological performance of two populations of the lizard Saiphos equalis differing in their mode of reproduction, to test whether reproductive mode affects the ability to buffer against rising temperatures. Gravid females from both populations were subjected to current or projected end-of-century (future) thermal environments, to evaluate differences in the body size, growth rate, thermal preference, and locomotor performance of their offspring. Our results show that independently of the mode of reproduction, high temperatures accelerated gestation periods. Thermal environments did not affect hatchling thermal preference, but viviparous hatchlings consistently preferred lower temperatures. Unlike viviparous lizards, oviparous hatchlings incubated under future temperatures were smaller and had a lower growth rate compared to current-incubated hatchlings. Finally, thermal environments did not affect hatchling endurance and speed when controlling for body size. Our results show that global warming is likely to have a negative impact on S. equalis, but suggest that some of its effects may be ameliorated by maternal responses during pregnancy, particularly in viviparous populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Iván Beltrán
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
| | - Victorien Durand
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of the Sciences of Life, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
| | - Rebecca Loiseleur
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia.,Faculty of the Sciences of Life, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, Alsace, France
| | - Martin J Whiting
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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3
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Alarcón-Ríos L, Nicieza AG, Lourenço A, Velo-Antón G. The evolution of pueriparity maintains multiple paternity in a polymorphic viviparous salamander. Sci Rep 2020; 10:14744. [PMID: 32901062 PMCID: PMC7479106 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-71609-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The reduction in fecundity associated with the evolution of viviparity may have far-reaching implications for the ecology, demography, and evolution of populations. The evolution of a polygamous behaviour (e.g. polyandry) may counteract some of the effects underlying a lower fecundity, such as the reduction in genetic diversity. Comparing patterns of multiple paternity between reproductive modes allows us to understand how viviparity accounts for the trade-off between offspring quality and quantity. We analysed genetic patterns of paternity and offspring genetic diversity across 42 families from two modes of viviparity in a reproductive polymorphic species, Salamandra salamandra. This species shows an ancestral (larviparity: large clutches of free aquatic larvae), and a derived reproductive mode (pueriparity: smaller clutches of larger terrestrial juveniles). Our results confirm the existence of multiple paternity in pueriparous salamanders. Furthermore, we show the evolution of pueriparity maintains, and even increases, the occurrence of multiple paternity and the number of sires compared to larviparity, though we did not find a clear effect on genetic diversity. High incidence of multiple paternity in pueriparous populations might arise as a mechanism to avoid fertilization failures and to ensure reproductive success, and thus has important implications in highly isolated populations with small broods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucía Alarcón-Ríos
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, C/ Valentín Andrés Álvarez S/N, 33071, Oviedo, Spain.
| | - Alfredo G Nicieza
- Departamento de Biología de Organismos y Sistemas, Área de Ecología, Universidad de Oviedo, C/ Valentín Andrés Álvarez S/N, 33071, Oviedo, Spain.,Unidad Mixta de Investigación en Biodiversidad (UMIB), CSIC-Universidad de Oviedo-Principado de Asturias, Mieres, Spain
| | - André Lourenço
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão , Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.,Departamento de Biologia da Faculdade de Ciências da, Universidade do Porto, Rua Campo Alegre, 4169-007, Porto, Portugal
| | - Guillermo Velo-Antón
- CIBIO/InBIO, Centro de Investigacão em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, Instituto de Ciências Agrárias de Vairão , Universidade do Porto, R. Padre Armando Quintas 7, 4485-661, Vairão, Portugal.
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4
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Effects of early thermal environment on the behavior and learning of a lizard with bimodal reproduction. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02849-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
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5
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Van Dyke JU, Thompson MB, Burridge CP, Castelli MA, Clulow S, Dissanayake DSB, Dong CM, Doody JS, Edwards DL, Ezaz T, Friesen CR, Gardner MG, Georges A, Higgie M, Hill PL, Holleley CE, Hoops D, Hoskin CJ, Merry DL, Riley JL, Wapstra E, While GM, Whiteley SL, Whiting MJ, Zozaya SM, Whittington CM. Australian lizards are outstanding models for reproductive biology research. AUST J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Australian lizards are a diverse group distributed across the continent and inhabiting a wide range of environments. Together, they exhibit a remarkable diversity of reproductive morphologies, physiologies, and behaviours that is broadly representative of vertebrates in general. Many reproductive traits exhibited by Australian lizards have evolved independently in multiple lizard lineages, including sociality, complex signalling and mating systems, viviparity, and temperature-dependent sex determination. Australian lizards are thus outstanding model organisms for testing hypotheses about how reproductive traits function and evolve, and they provide an important basis of comparison with other animals that exhibit similar traits. We review how research on Australian lizard reproduction has contributed to answering broader evolutionary and ecological questions that apply to animals in general. We focus on reproductive traits, processes, and strategies that are important areas of current research, including behaviours and signalling involved in courtship; mechanisms involved in mating, egg production, and sperm competition; nesting and gestation; sex determination; and finally, birth in viviparous species. We use our review to identify important questions that emerge from an understanding of this body of research when considered holistically. Finally, we identify additional research questions within each topic that Australian lizards are well suited for reproductive biologists to address.
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Noble DWA, Stenhouse V, Riley JL, Warner DA, While GM, Du WG, Uller T, Schwanz LE. A comprehensive database of thermal developmental plasticity in reptiles. Sci Data 2018; 5:180138. [PMID: 30015809 PMCID: PMC6049033 DOI: 10.1038/sdata.2018.138] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2017] [Accepted: 05/10/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
How temperature influences development has direct relevance to ascertaining the impact of climate change on natural populations. Reptiles have served as empirical models for understanding how the environment experienced by embryos can influence phenotypic variation, including sex ratio, phenology and survival. Such an understanding has important implications for basic eco-evolutionary theory and conservation efforts worldwide. While there is a burgeoning empirical literature of experimental manipulations of embryonic thermal environments, addressing widespread patterns at a comparative level has been hampered by the lack of accessible data in a format that is amendable to updates as new studies emerge. Here, we describe a database with nearly 10, 000 phenotypic estimates from 155 species of reptile, collected from 300 studies manipulating incubation temperature (published between 1974-2016). The data encompass various morphological, physiological, behavioural and performance traits along with growth rates, developmental timing, sex ratio and survival (e.g., hatching success). This resource will serve as an important data repository for addressing overarching questions about thermal plasticity of reptile embryos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. A. Noble
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Vaughn Stenhouse
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University, Wellington 6037, New Zealand
| | - Julia L. Riley
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
| | - Daniel A. Warner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, Alabama 36849, USA
| | - Geoffrey M. While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7005, Australia
| | - Wei-Guo Du
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Tobias Uller
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 37, 223 62 Lund, Sweden
| | - Lisa E. Schwanz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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Cunningham GD, Fitzpatrick LJ, While GM, Wapstra E. Plastic rates of development and the effect of thermal extremes on offspring fitness in a cold-climate viviparous lizard. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 329:262-270. [PMID: 29791071 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2018] [Revised: 04/16/2018] [Accepted: 04/20/2018] [Indexed: 01/11/2023]
Abstract
Populations at the climatic margins of a species' distribution can be exposed to conditions that cause developmental stress, resulting in developmental abnormalities. Even within the thermal range of normal development, phenotypes often vary with developmental temperature (i.e., thermal phenotypic plasticity). These effects can have significant consequences for organismal fitness and, thus, population persistence. Reptiles, as ectotherms, are particularly vulnerable to thermal effects on development and are, therefore, considered to be at comparatively high risk from changing climates. Understanding the extent and direction of thermal effects on phenotypes and their fitness consequences is crucial if we are to make meaningful predictions of how populations and species will respond as climates warm. Here, we experimentally manipulated the thermal conditions experienced by females from a high-altitude, cold-adapted population of the viviparous skink, Niveoscincus ocellatus, to examine the consequences of thermal conditions at the margins of this population's normal temperature range. We found strong effects of thermal conditions on the development of key phenotypic traits that have implications for fitness. Specifically, we found that offspring born earlier as a result of high temperatures during gestation had increased growth over the first winter of life, but there was no effect on offspring survival, nor was there an effect of developmental temperature on the incidence of developmental abnormalities. Combined, our results suggest that advancing birth dates that result from warming climates may have positive effects in this population via increased growth.
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Affiliation(s)
- George D Cunningham
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Luisa J Fitzpatrick
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Geoffrey M While
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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8
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Noble DWA, Stenhouse V, Schwanz LE. Developmental temperatures and phenotypic plasticity in reptiles: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2017; 93:72-97. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12333] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 20.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2016] [Revised: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 03/17/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Daniel W. A. Noble
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052; Australia
| | - Vaughn Stenhouse
- School of Biological Sciences; Victoria University; Wellington 6037 New Zealand
| | - Lisa E. Schwanz
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, Ecology and Evolution Research Centre; The University of New South Wales, Sydney, 2052; Australia
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9
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Cree A, Hare KM. Maternal basking regime has complex implications for birthdate and offspring phenotype in a nocturnally foraging, viviparous gecko. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:2934-2943. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.140020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2016] [Accepted: 07/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Maternal basking regime can affect gestation length in viviparous squamates, but effects on offspring phenotype in species with extended pregnancies and ability to delay the birth season are unclear. We investigated the effects of three maternal basking regimes on maternal thermoregulation, gestation length, pregnancy outcome and offspring phenotype in the gecko Woodworthia “Otago/Southland”. This long-lived (30+ years), nocturnal forager has field pregnancies lasting up to 14 mo, with fully developed offspring maintained in utero over winter. Within regimes, we also compared outcomes for spontaneous (early) deliveries with those from induced (late) deliveries to test the ‘adaptive prolongation of pregnancy’ hypothesis. Although a cool regime significantly extended gestation, the effect was reduced by increased maternal basking, and embryonic development under the cool regime was just as successful. Offspring from spontaneous births (but not induced births) were smaller and grew more slowly when from the cool regime. However, induced offspring did not differ in consistent ways from those delivered spontaneously and offspring from all groups had high viability, similar use of warm retreat sites and similar sprint speeds. Thus, consistent evidence for ‘adaptive prolongation of pregnancy’ was lacking. Unusually for squamates, pregnant females can begin vitellogenesis before giving birth, and a profound drop in maternal body temperature near the end of pregnancy (∼6.3°C, confirmed under the warm regime) may assist survival of embryos in utero. Female lizards that maintain fully-developed embryos in utero have the potential to make complex trade-offs among birthdate, offspring phenotype and future reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison Cree
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
| | - Kelly M. Hare
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, PO Box 56, Dunedin 9054, New Zealand
- Present address: Centre for Biodiversity and Restoration Ecology, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
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10
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McEvoy J, While GM, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Examining the role of testosterone in mediating short-term aggressive responses to social stimuli in a lizard. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0125015. [PMID: 25906149 PMCID: PMC4407986 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0125015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2014] [Accepted: 03/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Hormones have been suggested as a key proximate mechanism that organize and maintain consistent individual differences in behavioural traits such as aggression. The steroid hormone testosterone in particular has an important activational role in mediating short-term aggressive responses to social and environmental stimuli within many vertebrate systems. We conducted two complementary experiments designed to investigate the activational relationship between testosterone and aggression in male Egernia whitii, a social lizard species. First, we investigated whether a conspecific aggressive challenge induced a testosterone response and second, we artificially manipulated testosterone concentrations to examine whether this changed aggression levels. We found that at the mean level, plasma T concentration did not appear to be influenced by an aggression challenge. However, there was a slight indication that receiving a challenge may influence intra-individual consistency of plasma T concentrations, with individuals not receiving an aggression challenge maintaining consistency in their circulating testosterone concentrations, while those individuals that received a challenge did not. Manipulating circulating testosterone concentrations had no influence on either mean-level or individual-level aggression. Combined with our previous work, our study adds increasing evidence that the relationship between testosterone and aggression is not straightforward, and promotes the investigation of alternative hormonal pathways and differences in neuro-synthesis and neuroendocrine pathways to account for species variable testosterone - aggression links.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jo McEvoy
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- * E-mail:
| | - Geoffrey M. While
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Susan M. Jones
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia
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Noble DWA, McFarlane SE, Keogh JS, Whiting MJ. Maternal and additive genetic effects contribute to variation in offspring traits in a lizard. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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12
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Cadby CD, While GM, Hobday AJ, Uller T, Wapstra E. Multi-scale approach to understanding climate effects on offspring size at birth and date of birth in a reptile. Integr Zool 2012; 5:164-175. [PMID: 21392334 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-4877.2010.00201.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Climate change is already impacting species around the world. Although most focus has been on the effect of temperature, changes in climatic variables other than temperature are also expected to drive biological change. Current models suggest that ectotherms, such as reptiles, will be strongly affected by climate change; however, data from natural populations are rare. Here, we use extensive data from 2 populations of a viviparous lizard (Niveoscincus ocellatus Gray, 1845) at the climatic extreme of the species distribution. We examine the effects of climate at a local, a regional and a global scale (thus, integrating a suite of variables at different spatial and temporal scales) on 2 key life history traits: offspring date of birth and size at birth. Overall, our results show that across 9 years of study, local temperature had strong effects on the offspring date of birth but not on the size at birth. Therefore, a rapid increase in local temperature throughout the species range (as predicted under global warming scenarios) is likely to affect phenological processes with potential concomitant effects on offspring fitness and survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé D Cadby
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, AustraliaClimate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, AustraliaEdward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Geoffrey M While
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, AustraliaClimate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, AustraliaEdward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Alistair J Hobday
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, AustraliaClimate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, AustraliaEdward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Tobias Uller
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, AustraliaClimate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, AustraliaEdward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, AustraliaClimate Adaptation Flagship, CSIRO Marine and Atmospheric Research, Hobart, AustraliaEdward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
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Wapstra E, Uller T, While GM, Olsson M, Shine R. Giving offspring a head start in life: field and experimental evidence for selection on maternal basking behaviour in lizards. J Evol Biol 2010; 23:651-7. [PMID: 20074306 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2009.01924.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Abstract
The timing of birth is often correlated with offspring fitness in animals, but experimental studies that disentangle direct effects of parturition date and indirect effects mediated via variation in female traits are rare. In viviparous ectotherms, parturition date is largely driven by female thermal conditions, particularly maternal basking strategies. Our field and laboratory studies of a viviparous lizard (Niveoscincus ocellatus) show that earlier-born offspring are more likely to survive through their first winter and are larger following that winter, than are later-born conspecifics. Thus, the association between parturition date and offspring fitness is causal, rather than reflecting an underlying correlation between parturition date and maternal attributes. Survival selection on offspring confers a significant advantage for increased maternal basking in this species, mediated through fitness advantages of earlier parturition. We discuss the roles of environmentally imposed constraints and parent-offspring conflict in the evolution of maternal effects on parturition date.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Wapstra
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania, Australia.
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