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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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2
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Sullivan S, Heinrich GL, Mattheus NM, Cassill D, Doody JS. Can Reptiles Use Nest Site Choice Behavior to Counter Global Warming Effects on Developing Embryos? Potential Climate Responses in a Turtle. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.825110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Climate warming is forecasted to cause extinctions, but populations could theoretically avoid extinction in a rapidly changing environment via adaptive evolution (i.e., evolutionary rescue), precluding the need for intervention. Although strong links between a changing climate and the physiology of an organism are expected, climate effects can be buffered by behavior. Nest site choice behavior, for example, can reduce environmental variation that would be experienced by embryos placed randomly with respect to environmental temperatures. We tested four provisions of this prediction by quantifying nest sites and “potential” nest sites in the Florida softshell turtle (Apalone ferox). First, turtles chose nest sites with mean canopy openness values (32–47%) that were intermediate between the shadiest (14–17%) and the sunniest potential nest sites (36–57%) available. Second, canopy openness, incident radiation intensity, and nest temperatures were generally, positively related to one another, indicating definitive thermal consequences of nest site choice. Third, our study revealed ample, cooler nest sites available to turtle mothers within close proximity to nest sites utilized; by nesting in the most shaded sites, softshell turtle mothers could depress mean nest temperatures by ∼2°C. Fourth, the growth of vegetative cover throughout incubation had negligible effects on canopy openness, incident radiation intensity, and nest temperatures, supporting the potential for mothers to “predict” developmental temperatures using temperature cues during nest site choice. Finally, our data revealed considerable variation in canopy openness chosen by nesting mothers; such behavior could thus, be subject to natural selection via embryonic mortality under future warming. Collectively, our study suggests that Florida softshell turtles, and probably other turtle species nesting in relatively open areas, may be able to counter climate change effects on developing embryos by nesting in more shaded microhabitats, assuming nest site choice behavior is heritable and can evolve at a sufficient rate to keep pace with climate warming. The evolutionary and behavioral mechanisms (e.g., assessing substrate temperatures directly vs. indirect choice of canopy cover) in the repertoire of nesting mother turtles for responding to climate warming remain elusive and are required for a more complete understanding of climate responses.
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3
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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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4
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Watson CM, Cox CL. Elevation, oxygen, and the origins of viviparity. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B-MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2021; 336:457-469. [PMID: 34254734 DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23072] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Revised: 06/03/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Research focused on understanding the evolutionary factors that shape parity mode evolution among vertebrates have long focused on squamate reptiles (snakes and lizards), which contain all but one of the evolutionary transitions from oviparity to viviparity among extant amniotes. While most hypotheses have focused on the role of cool temperatures in favoring viviparity in thermoregulating snakes and lizards, there is a growing appreciation in the biogeographic literature for the importance of lower oxygen concentrations at high elevations for the evolution of parity mode. However, the physiological mechanisms underlying how hypoxia might reduce fitness, and how viviparity can alleviate this fitness decrement, has not been systematically evaluated. We qualitatively evaluated previous research on reproductive and developmental physiology, and found that (1) hypoxia can negatively affect fitness of squamate embryos, (2) oxygen availability in the circulatory system of adult lizards can be similar or greater than an egg, and (3) gravid females can possess adaptive phenotypic plasticity in response to hypoxia. These findings suggest that the impact of hypoxia on the development and physiology of oviparous and viviparous squamates would be a fruitful area of research for understanding the evolution of viviparity. To that end, we propose an integrative research program for studying hypoxia and the evolution of viviparity in squamates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charles M Watson
- Department of Life Sciences, Texas A&M University San Antonio, San Antonio, Texas, USA
| | - Christian L Cox
- Department of Biological Sciences and Institute of Environment, Florida International University, Miami, Florida, USA
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5
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Doody JS, McGlashan J, Fryer H, Coleman L, James H, Soennichsen K, Rhind D, Clulow S. Plasticity in nest site choice behavior in response to hydric conditions in a reptile. Sci Rep 2020; 10:16048. [PMID: 32994522 PMCID: PMC7524748 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-73080-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 09/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural selection is expected to select for and maintain maternal behaviors associated with choosing a nest site that promotes successful hatching of offspring, especially in animals that do not exhibit parental care such as reptiles. In contrast to temperature effects, we know little about how soil moisture contributes to successful hatching and particularly how it shapes nest site choice behavior in nature. The recent revelation of exceptionally deep nesting in lizards under extreme dry conditions underscored the potential for the hydric environment in shaping the evolution of nest site choice. But if deep nesting is an adaptation to dry conditions, is there a plastic component such that mothers would excavate deeper nests in drier years? We tested this hypothesis by excavating communal warrens of a large, deep-nesting monitor lizard (Varanus panoptes), taking advantage of four wet seasons with contrasting rainfall amounts. We found 75 nests during two excavations, including 45 nests after a 4-year period with larger wet season rainfall and 30 nests after a 4-year period with smaller wet season rainfall. Mothers nested significantly deeper in years associated with drier nesting seasons, a finding best explained as a plastic response to soil moisture, because differences in both the mean and variance in soil temperatures between 1 and 4 m deep are negligible. Our data are novel for reptiles in demonstrating plasticity in maternal behavior in response to hydric conditions during the time of nesting. The absence of evidence for other ground-nesting reptile mothers adjusting nest depth in response to a hydric-depth gradient is likely due to the tradeoff between moisture and temperature with changing depth; most ground-nesting reptile eggs are deposited at depths of ~ 2–25 cm—nesting deeper within or outside of that range of depths to achieve higher soil moisture would also generally create cooler conditions for embryos that need adequate heat for successful development. In contrast, extreme deep nesting in V. panoptes allowed us to disentangle temperature and moisture. Broadly, our data suggest that ground-nesting reptiles can assess soil moisture and respond by adjusting the depth of the nest, but may not, due to the cooling effect of nesting deeper. Our results, within the context of previous work, provide a more complete picture of how mothers can promote hatching success through adjustments in nest site choice behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Sean Doody
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA. .,School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.
| | - Jessica McGlashan
- School of Health Sciences, University of Western Sydney, Locked Bag 1797, Penrith, NSW, 2751, Australia
| | - Harry Fryer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Rd., Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Lizzy Coleman
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida, St. Petersburg, FL, 33701, USA
| | - Hugh James
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia
| | - Kari Soennichsen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Rd., Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - David Rhind
- Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, 3800, Australia
| | - Simon Clulow
- School of Environmental and Life Sciences, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia.,Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Balaclava Rd., Macquarie Park, NSW, 2109, Australia
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6
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Bock SL, Lowers RH, Rainwater TR, Stolen E, Drake JM, Wilkinson PM, Weiss S, Back B, Guillette L, Parrott BB. Spatial and temporal variation in nest temperatures forecasts sex ratio skews in a crocodilian with environmental sex determination. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200210. [PMID: 32345164 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0210] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Species displaying temperature-dependent sex determination (TSD) are especially vulnerable to the effects of a rapidly changing global climate due to their profound sensitivity to thermal cues during development. Predicting the consequences of climate change for these species, including skewed offspring sex ratios, depends on understanding how climatic factors interface with features of maternal nesting behaviour to shape the developmental environment. Here, we measure thermal profiles in 86 nests at two geographically distinct sites in the northern and southern regions of the American alligator's (Alligator mississippiensis) geographical range, and examine the influence of both climatic factors and maternally driven nest characteristics on nest temperature variation. Changes in daily maximum air temperatures drive annual trends in nest temperatures, while variation in individual nest temperatures is also related to local habitat factors and microclimate characteristics. Without any compensatory nesting behaviours, nest temperatures are projected to increase by 1.6-3.7°C by the year 2100, and these changes are predicted to have dramatic consequences for offspring sex ratios. Exact sex ratio outcomes vary widely depending on site and emission scenario as a function of the unique temperature-by-sex reaction norm exhibited by all crocodilians. By revealing the ecological drivers of nest temperature variation in the American alligator, this study provides important insights into the potential consequences of climate change for crocodilian species, many of which are already threatened by extinction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha L Bock
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
| | - Russell H Lowers
- Integrated Mission Support Services, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
| | - Thomas R Rainwater
- Tom Yawkey Wildlife Center, Georgetown, SC 29440, USA.,Belle W. Baruch Institute of Coastal Ecology & Forest Science, Clemson University, Georgetown, SC 29442, USA
| | - Eric Stolen
- Integrated Mission Support Services, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
| | - John M Drake
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Center for the Ecology of Infectious Diseases, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA
| | | | - Stephanie Weiss
- Integrated Mission Support Services, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
| | - Brenton Back
- Integrated Mission Support Services, John F. Kennedy Space Center, FL 32899, USA
| | - Louis Guillette
- Medical University of South Carolina, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Benjamin B Parrott
- Odum School of Ecology, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602, USA.,Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Aiken, SC 29802, USA
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7
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Kent N, Cristescu RH, Piza-Roca C, Littleford-Colquhoun BL, Strickland K, Frère CH. Maternal nesting behaviour in city dragons: a species with temperature-dependent sex determination. JOURNAL OF URBAN ECOLOGY 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/jue/juz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Nicola Kent
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Romane H Cristescu
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Carme Piza-Roca
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | | | - Kasha Strickland
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Queensland, Australia
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8
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Changing Perspectives on Reptile Eggs: One Biologist's Journey from Demography to Development. J HERPETOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1670/17-050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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9
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López-Alcaide S, González-Salazar C, Macip-Ríos R, Martínez-Meyer E. Using microhabitat thermal heterogeneity to avoid lethal overheating: an empirical approximation in reproductive oviparous and viviparous lizards. REV MEX BIODIVERS 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.rmb.2017.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
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10
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Chapple DG, Keall SN, Daugherty CH, Hare KM. Nest-site selection and the factors influencing hatching success and offspring phenotype in a nocturnal skink. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Nest-site selection in ectothermic animals influences hatching success and offspring phenotype, and it is predicted that females should choose nesting sites that maximise their reproductive fitness, ultimately through the reproductive success of their offspring. We completed nest-site choice experiments on a nocturnal lizard, the egg-laying skink (Oligosoma suteri), to determine whether eggs (and subsequent hatchlings) from cooler nests do better at cooler incubation temperatures, and conversely if those laid in warmer nests perform better at warmer incubation temperatures. We provided a simple nest-choice experiment, with oviposition-retreat sites available in either a hot or a cool sector of the enclosure; in the wild females nest under objects. Female O. suteri laid eggs both during the day and night, and nested more in the hot than cool sector. Eggs from each clutch were split across three egg incubation temperatures (18°C, 22°C, 26°C) to decouple the impact of initial nest-site choice from the subsequent incubation temperature regime. Whether eggs were initially laid in the hot or cool sector was not related to hatching success, offspring phenotype or offspring locomotor performance. We conclude that offspring phenotype and performance is primarily influenced by the temperature during incubation, rather than the initial thermal environment of the nest location. Thus, female O. suteri may select warmer nesting sites to ensure higher incubation temperature and enhanced offspring fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- David G. Chapple
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria 3800, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Susan N. Keall
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Charles H. Daugherty
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
| | - Kelly M. Hare
- School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, PO Box 600, Wellington 6140, New Zealand
- The Open Polytechnic of New Zealand, Private Bag 31914, Lower Hutt 5040, New Zealand
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11
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Mainwaring MC, Barber I, Deeming DC, Pike DA, Roznik EA, Hartley IR. Climate change and nesting behaviour in vertebrates: a review of the ecological threats and potential for adaptive responses. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1991-2002. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12317] [Citation(s) in RCA: 70] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Revised: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 11/15/2016] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Mark C. Mainwaring
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster LA1 4YQ U.K
| | - Iain Barber
- Department of Neuroscience, Psychology and Behaviour, College of Medicine, Biological Sciences and Psychology; University of Leicester; Leicester LE1 7RH U.K
| | - Denis C. Deeming
- School of Life Sciences, Joseph Banks Laboratories; University of Lincoln; Lincoln LN6 7DL U.K
| | - David A. Pike
- Department of Biology; Rhodes College; Memphis TN 38112 U.S.A
| | - Elizabeth A. Roznik
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of South Florida; Tampa FL 33620 U.S.A
| | - Ian R. Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre; Lancaster University; Lancaster LA1 4YQ U.K
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12
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Pezaro N, Doody JS, Thompson MB. The ecology and evolution of temperature-dependent reaction norms for sex determination in reptiles: a mechanistic conceptual model. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2016; 92:1348-1364. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12285] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2015] [Revised: 05/10/2016] [Accepted: 05/12/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nadav Pezaro
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences (A08); University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
- Institute of Evolution, Department of Evolutionary and Environmental Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences; University of Haifa; Haifa 3498838 Israel
| | - J. Sean Doody
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of Tennessee; Knoxville TN 37996-1610 U.S.A
| | - Michael B. Thompson
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, School of Biological Sciences (A08); University of Sydney; Sydney NSW 2006 Australia
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13
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Monasterio C, Verdú-Ricoy J, Salvador A, Díaz JA. Living at the edge: lower success of eggs and hatchlings at lower elevation may shape range limits in an alpine lizard. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12766] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Camila Monasterio
- Cátedra Rui Nabeiro; Universidade de Évora (CIBIO/InBio); Casa Cordovil Rua Dr. Joaquim Henrique da Fonseca 7000-890 Évora Portugal
| | - Joaquín Verdú-Ricoy
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - Alfredo Salvador
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; José Gutiérrez Abascal 2 E-28006 Madrid Spain
| | - José A. Díaz
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; E-28040 Madrid Spain
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14
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Jarvie S, Besson AA, Seddon PJ, Cree A. Assessing thermal suitability of translocation release sites for egg-laying reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination: a case study with tuatara. Anim Conserv 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12152] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Jarvie
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | - A. A. Besson
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | - P. J. Seddon
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
| | - A. Cree
- Department of Zoology; University of Otago; Dunedin New Zealand
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15
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Reid BN, Peery MZ. Land use patterns skew sex ratios, decrease genetic diversity and trump the effects of recent climate change in an endangered turtle. DIVERS DISTRIB 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/ddi.12243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Brendan N. Reid
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison WI USA
| | - M. Z. Peery
- Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology; University of Wisconsin-Madison; Madison WI USA
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16
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Evolution of an Evolutionary Hypothesis: A History of Changing Ideas about the Adaptive Significance of Viviparity in Reptiles. J HERPETOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1670/13-075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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17
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Population sex ratios under differing local climates in a reptile with environmental sex determination. Evol Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10682-014-9710-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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18
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Cadby CD, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Geographical differences in maternal basking behaviour and offspring growth rate in a climatically widespread viviparous reptile. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013; 217:1175-9. [PMID: 24311810 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.089953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In reptiles, the thermal environment during embryonic development affects offspring phenotypic traits and potentially offspring fitness. In viviparous species, mothers can potentially manipulate the embryonic thermal environment through their basking behaviour and, thus, may be able to manipulate offspring phenotype and increase offspring fitness. One way in which mothers can maximise offspring phenotype (and thus potentially affect offspring fitness) is by fine-tuning their basking behaviour to the environment in order to buffer the embryo from deleterious developmental temperatures. In widespread species, it is unclear whether populations that have evolved under different climatic conditions will exhibit different maternal behaviours and/or thermal effects on offspring phenotype. To test this, we provided extended or reduced basking opportunity to gravid spotted skinks (Niveoscincus ocellatus) and their offspring from two populations at the climatic extremes of the species' distribution. Gravid females fine-tuned their basking behaviour to the basking opportunity, which allowed them to buffer their embryos from potentially negative thermal effects. This fine-tuning of female basking behaviour appears to have led to the expression of geographical differences in basking behaviour, with females from the cold alpine regions being more opportunistic in their basking behaviour than females from the warmer regions. However, those differences in maternal behaviour did not preclude the evolution of geographic differences in thermal effects: offspring growth varied between populations, potentially suggesting local adaptation to basking conditions. Our results demonstrate that maternal effects and phenotypic plasticity can play a significant role in allowing species to cope in changing environmental conditions, which is particularly relevant in the context of climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé D Cadby
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
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19
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Urban MC, Richardson JL, Freidenfelds NA. Plasticity and genetic adaptation mediate amphibian and reptile responses to climate change. Evol Appl 2013; 7:88-103. [PMID: 24454550 PMCID: PMC3894900 DOI: 10.1111/eva.12114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 143] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2013] [Accepted: 09/05/2013] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity and genetic adaptation are predicted to mitigate some of the negative biotic consequences of climate change. Here, we evaluate evidence for plastic and evolutionary responses to climate variation in amphibians and reptiles via a literature review and meta-analysis. We included studies that either document phenotypic changes through time or space. Plasticity had a clear and ubiquitous role in promoting phenotypic changes in response to climate variation. For adaptive evolution, we found no direct evidence for evolution of amphibians or reptiles in response to climate change over time. However, we found many studies that documented adaptive responses to climate along spatial gradients. Plasticity provided a mixture of adaptive and maladaptive responses to climate change, highlighting that plasticity frequently, but not always, could ameliorate climate change. Based on our review, we advocate for more experiments that survey genetic changes through time in response to climate change. Overall, plastic and genetic variation in amphibians and reptiles could buffer some of the formidable threats from climate change, but large uncertainties remain owing to limited data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Urban
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Jonathan L Richardson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
| | - Nicole A Freidenfelds
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Connecticut Storrs, CT, USA
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20
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Georges A. For reptiles with temperature-dependent sex determination, thermal variability may be as important as thermal averages. Anim Conserv 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A. Georges
- Institute for Applied Ecology; University of Canberra; Canberra Australia
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21
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Monasterio C, Shoo LP, Salvador A, Iraeta P, Díaz JA. High temperature constrains reproductive success in a temperate lizard: implications for distribution range limits and the impacts of climate change. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- C. Monasterio
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
| | - L. P. Shoo
- Wilson Conservation Ecology Lab; School of Biological Sciences; University of Queensland; St. Lucia Qld Australia
| | - A. Salvador
- Dpto. de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; Madrid Spain
| | - P. Iraeta
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
| | - J. A. Díaz
- Dpto. de Zoología y Antropología Física (Vertebrados); Facultad de Biología; Universidad Complutense; Madrid Spain
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22
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Does shade cover availability limit nest-site choice in two populations of a turtle with temperature-dependent sex determination? J Therm Biol 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2013.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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23
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Cadby CD, Jones SM, Wapstra E. Potentially adaptive effects of maternal nutrition during gestation on offspring phenotype of a viviparous reptile. J Exp Biol 2011; 214:4234-9. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.057349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
SUMMARY
Viviparous reptiles have been used as model species for many studies that seek to explain the evolution of viviparity. The vast majority of such studies have focused on the advantage viviparity provides with regards to maternal control of embryonic developmental temperature. However, viviparity may also allow increased control of nutrient transfer, such that mothers adaptively manipulate offspring phenotype through varying maternal nutritional support. Because maternal nutritional transfer is temperature dependent, maternal nutritional strategies may vary between climatically distinct populations. In this study we used an orthogonal experimental design in which mothers and offspring from climatically distinct populations of a viviparous skink (Niveoscincus ocellatus) were allocated randomly to either a protein-rich or a protein-poor diet. Our results suggest that N. ocellatus mothers are able to compensate for sub-optimal nutritional conditions and can adaptively manipulate offspring phenotype to best fit the postnatal nutritional environment. Furthermore, maternal nutritional strategies appear to vary between climatically distinct populations. These results suggest that in viviparous reptiles, matrotrophy provides a means of producing an adaptive offspring phenotype, in addition to maternal control of developmental temperature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chloé D. Cadby
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia
| | - Susan M. Jones
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Zoology, Private Bag 05, University of Tasmania, Hobart, 7001, Australia
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24
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Refsnider JM, Janzen FJ. Putting Eggs in One Basket: Ecological and Evolutionary Hypotheses for Variation in Oviposition-Site Choice. ANNUAL REVIEW OF ECOLOGY EVOLUTION AND SYSTEMATICS 2010. [DOI: 10.1146/annurev-ecolsys-102209-144712] [Citation(s) in RCA: 238] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jeanine M. Refsnider
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; ,
| | - Fredric J. Janzen
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa 50011; ,
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