Sensitivity of amphibian embryos to timing and magnitude of present and future thermal extremes

0583082 - ÚBO 2025 RIV US eng J - Journal Article
Oborová, Valentína - Šugerková, Monika - Gvoždík, Lumír
Sensitivity of amphibian embryos to timing and magnitude of present and future thermal extremes.
Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A-Ecological and Integrative Physiology. Roč. 341, č. 4 (2024), s. 377-388. ISSN 2471-5638. E-ISSN 2471-5646
R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GA21-29169S
Institutional support: RVO:68081766
Keywords : developmental acclimation * embryos * heat wave * life history * locomotor activity * newts
OECD category: Biology (theoretical, mathematical, thermal, cryobiology, biological rhythm), Evolutionary biology
Impact factor: 2.8, year: 2022
Method of publishing: Open access
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/jez.2791

Ongoing climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of extreme temperature events. Unlike the gradual increase on average environmental temperatures, these short-term and unpredictable temperature extremes impact population dynamics of ectotherms through their effect on individual survival. While previous research has predominantly focused on the survival rate of terrestrial embryos under acute heat stress, less attention has been dedicated to the nonlethal effects of ecologically realistic timing and magnitude of temperature extremes on aquatic embryos. In this study, we investigated the influence of the timing and magnitude of current and projected temperature extremes on embryonic life history traits and hatchling behavior in the alpine newt, Ichthyosaura alpestris. Using a factorial experiment under controlled laboratory conditions, we exposed 3- or 10-day-old embryos to different regimes of extreme temperatures for 3 days. Our results show that exposure to different extreme temperature regimes led to a shortened embryonic development time and an increase in hatchling length, while not significantly affecting embryonic survival. The duration of development was sensitive to the timing of temperature extremes, as early exposure accelerated embryo development. Exposure to temperature extremes during embryonic development heightened the exploratory activity of hatched larvae. We conclude that the timing and magnitude of ecologically realistic temperature extremes during embryogenesis have nonlethal effects on life history and behavioral traits. This suggests that species' vulnerability to climate change might be determined by other ecophysiological traits beyond embryonic thermal tolerance in temperate pond-breeding amphibians.
Permanent Link: https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0351079


Research data: Figshare