Population-specific effects of developmental temperature on body condition and jumping performance of a widespread European frog.
All physiological processes of ectotherms depend on environmental temperature. Thus, adaptation of physiological mechanisms to the thermal environments is important for achieving optimal performance and fitness. The European Common Frog, Rana temporaria, is widely distributed across different thermal habitats. This makes it an exceptional model for studying the adaptations to different thermal conditions. We raised tadpoles from Germany and Croatia at two constant temperature treatments (15°C, 20°C), and under natural temperature fluctuations (in outdoor treatments), and tested how different developmental temperatures affected developmental traits, that is, length of larval development, morphometrics, and body condition, as well as jumping performance of metamorphs. Our results revealed population-specific differences in developmental time, body condition, and jumping performance. Croatian frogs developed faster in all treatments, were heavier, in better body condition, and had longer hind limbs and better jumping abilities than German metamorphs. The populations further differed in thermal sensitivity of jumping performance. While metamorphs from Croatia increased their jumping performance with higher temperatures, German metamorphs reached their performance maximum at lower temperatures. These population-specific differences in common environments indicate local genetic adaptation, with southern populations being better adapted to higher temperatures than those from north of the Alps.
Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany.
Sanja
S
Drakulić
Department of Animal Ecology I Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany.
Heike
H
Feldhaar
Department of Animal Physiology Faculty of Science University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia.
Duje
D
Lisičić
Department of Animal Physiology Faculty of Science University of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia.
Mia
M
Mioč
Zoological Garden of Zagreb Zagreb Croatia.
Ivan
I
Cizelj
Department of Animal Ecology I Bayreuth Centre of Ecology and Environmental Research (BayCEER) University of Bayreuth Bayreuth Germany.
Michael
M
Seiler
Department of Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology University of Würzburg Würzburg Germany.
Theresa
T
Spatz
Museum für Naturkunde Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science Berlin Germany.
Mark-Oliver
MO
Rödel
Amphibians; ectotherms; physiological traits; plasticity; thermal adaptation