technical paper
Inter-individual variability in developmental traits in tadpoles of the Baja California chorus frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) in response to temperature
keywords:
variability
plasticity
development
Inter-individual variability is the range of phenotypes produced between conspecifics within a population, and such variability is ubiquitously observed among animals. Investigating inter-individual variability can help develop a more comprehensive understanding of how phenotypes respond to environmental change. The Baja California chorus frog (Pseudacris hypochondriaca) is a thermally robust species found in a variety of ecosystems that differ in temperature and elevation throughout its latitudinal range (∼1400 km) from Santa Barbara County, California to Baja California, Mexico. We aimed to investigate how inter-individual variability in developmental traits changes within and between temperatures. Chorus frog eggs were incubated as eggs and tadpoles at 15°C or 22°C. Once tadpoles reached Gosner Stage 33 (hind limb toe differentiation), oxygen consumption rate (V̇O2), swimming speed, and morphology were measured. Average time to stage, wet mass, dry gut-free mass and body length all decreased at 22°C, while mass-specific V̇O2 and swimming speed increased. We observed decreased variability at 22°C compared to 15°C in time to reach stage, wet mass, dry gut-free mass and body length. In contrast, variability in mass-specific V̇O2 increased at 22°C and variability in swimming speed was unchanged between temperatures. Overall, the effect of temperature on inter-individual variability is trait-specific and should be explored further to understand the implications of temperature-induced plasticity.