Does greater thermal plasticity facilitate range expansion of an invasive terrestrial anuran into higher latitudes?

ABSTRACT: Temperature has pervasive effects on physiological processes and is critical in setting species distribution limits. Since invading Australia, cane toads have spread rapidly across low latitudes, but slowly into higher latitudes. Low temperature is the likely factor limiting high-latitude advancement. Several previous attempts have been made to predict future cane toad distributions in Australia, but understanding the potential contribution of phenotypic plasticity and adaptation to future range expansion remains challenging. Previous research demonstrates the considerable thermal metabolic plasticity of the cane toad, but suggests limited thermal plasticity of locomotor performance. Additionally, the oxygen-limited thermal tolerance hypothesis predicts that reduced aerobic scope sets ther

SUBMITTER: Winwood-Smith HS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4778455 | biostudies-literature | 2015

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature