A1 Journal article (refereed)
Short-term responses of Rana arvalis tadpoles to pH and predator stress : adaptive divergence in behavioural and physiological plasticity? (2022)
Scaramella, N., Mausbach, J., Laurila, A., Stednitz, S., & Räsänen, K. (2022). Short-term responses of Rana arvalis tadpoles to pH and predator stress : adaptive divergence in behavioural and physiological plasticity?. Journal of Comparative Physiology B : Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology, 192(5), 669-682. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-022-01449-2
JYU authors or editors
Publication details
All authors or editors: Scaramella, Nicholas; Mausbach, Jelena; Laurila, Anssi; Stednitz, Sarah; Räsänen, Katja
Journal or series: Journal of Comparative Physiology B : Biochemical, Systemic, and Environmental Physiology
ISSN: 0174-1578
eISSN: 1432-136X
Publication year: 2022
Publication date: 20/07/2022
Volume: 192
Issue number: 5
Pages range: 669-682
Publisher: Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication country: Germany
Publication language: English
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-022-01449-2
Publication open access: Openly available
Publication channel open access: Partially open access channel
Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/82858
Abstract
Environmental stress is a major driver of ecological and evolutionary processes in nature. To cope with stress, organisms can adjust through phenotypic plasticity and/or adapt through genetic change. Here, we compared short-term behavioural (activity) and physiological (corticosterone levels, CORT) responses of Rana arvalis tadpoles from two divergent populations (acid origin, AOP, versus neutral origin, NOP) to acid and predator stress. Tadpoles were initially reared in benign conditions at pH 7 and then exposed to a combination of two pH (acid versus neutral) and two predator cue (predator cue versus no predator cue) treatments. We assessed behavioural activity within the first 15 min, and tissue CORT within 8 and 24 h of stress exposure. Both AOP and NOP tadpoles reduced their activity in acidic pH, but the response to the predator cue differed between the populations: AOP tadpoles increased whereas NOP tadpoles decreased their activity. The AOP and NOP tadpoles differed also in their CORT responses, with AOP being more responsive (CORT levels of NOP tadpoles did not differ statistically across treatments). After 8 h exposure, AOP tadpoles had elevated CORT levels in the acid-predator cue treatment and after 24 h exposure they had elevated CORT levels in all three stress treatments (relative to the benign neutral–no-cue treatment). These results suggest that adaptation to environmental acidification in R. arvalis is mediated, in part, via behavioural and hormonal plasticity.
Keywords: environmental changes; adaptation (change); acidification; predation; stress (biological phenomena); physiological effects; hormonal effects; corticosterone; animal behaviour; swamp frog
Free keywords: adaptive divergence; behaviour; corticosterone; phenotypic plasticity; Rana arvalis
Contributing organizations
Ministry reporting: Yes
Reporting Year: 2022
JUFO rating: 1