Temperature preference of cave and surface populations of Astyanax mexicanus.

ABSTRACT: Little is known about the genetic basis of behavioral choice, such as temperature preference, especially in natural populations. Thermal preference can play a key role in habitat selection, for example in aquatic species. Examining this behavior on a genetic level requires access to individuals or populations of the same species that display distinct temperature preferences. Caves provide a uniquely advantageous setting to tackle this problem, as animals colonizing caves encounter an environment that generally has a different, and far more stable, annual temperature than what is encountered on the outside. Here, we focus on cave and surface populations of Astyanax mexicanus, the Mexican tetra, and examine temperature preference and strength of temperature preference (reflected in the perce

SUBMITTER: Tabin JA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6119108 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature