Abstract
Phenotypic plasticity can be an important adaptive response to climate change, particularly for dispersal-limited species. Temperature frequently alters developmental and phenotypic traits including morphology, behavior, and reproductive cycles. We often lack crucial information about if and how thermal conditions during development will interact with genetic responses and facilitate persistence or adaptation under climate change. Polymorphic species offer an ideal test for this, as alternative morphs often confer differential adaptive advantages. However, few studies have examined the effects of incubation temperature on color expression or development in polymorphic taxa. Here we test if developmental temperature mediates morph frequency in the polymorphic salamander Plethodon cinereus. Although previous research suggests geographic variation in morph proportions results from differential climate adaptation, it remains unknown if plasticity also contributes to this variation. We used a split-clutch common garden experiment to determine the effects of developmental temperature on the color and development of P. cinereus. Our results indicate developmental temperature affects coloration in P. cinereus, either via plasticity or differential mortality, with eggs incubated at warmer temperatures yielding a higher proportion of unstriped individuals than those from cooler temperatures. This temperature response may contribute to the spatial variation in morph frequencies in natural populations. Surprisingly, we found neither temperature nor egg size affected hatchling size. Our study provides important insights into the potential for climate-induced responses to preserve diversity in dispersal-limited species, like P. cinereus, and enable time for adaptive evolution.
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Acknowledgements
We thank Sandy Flittner from Erie MetroParks (Ohio), Bridget Derrick and Rocky Carpenter from Findley State Park (Ohio), Ann Dunnack and Careen Jennings of Joshua’s Trust (Connecticut), and Patrick Lorch from Hinckley Reservation (Ohio) for their assistance with site permission and access. We thank the numerous people who helped with fieldwork and animal care, particularly Mark R. Smith, Amanda Pastore, Dana Drake, Meera Joshi, Jack Phillips, and Julia Peay. Thanks to Barry and Nancy Forester as well as Carlton and Lisa Park-Boush for kindly providing assistance and accommodation in Ohio. We also thank Carl Schlichting, Morgan Tingley, Kentwood Wells, and two anonymous reviewers for comments on earlier versions of this manuscript. This project was supported by funding from Sigma Xi GIAR, the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology (SICB) GIAR, the Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE) Rosemary Grant Award, and UConn EEB Zoology awards to AE. Order of the last two authors was determined by Plethodontid identification contest.
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AE designed the project, collected and analyzed the data, and wrote and revised the manuscript; MU and EJ contributed to project design and manuscript revisions.
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All applicable institutional and/or national guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed. This research was conducted under approvals from the University of Connecticut IACUC (protocol numbers: A15-023, A18-025), Federal Fish and Wildlife permit (MA93731B-0), Ohio permits (numbers: 17-271, 18-184, and 19-151), and Connecticut permits (numbers: 0915008 and 0920008).
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Evans, A.E., Urban, M.C. & Jockusch, E.L. Developmental temperature influences color polymorphism but not hatchling size in a woodland salamander. Oecologia 192, 909–918 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04630-y
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00442-020-04630-y