Shifts in the developmental rate of spadefoot toad larvae cause decreased complexity of post-metamorphic pigmentation patterns.

ABSTRACT: Amphibian larvae are plastic organisms that can adjust their growth and developmental rates to local environmental conditions. The consequences of such developmental alterations have been studied in detail, both at the phenotypic and physiological levels. While largely unknown, it is of great importance to assess how developmental alterations affect the pigmentation pattern of the resulting metamorphs, because pigmentation is relevant for communication, mate choice, and camouflage and hence influences the overall fitness of the toads. Here we quantify the variation in several aspects of the pigmentation pattern of juvenile spadefoot toads experimentally induced to accelerate their larval development in response to decreased water level. It is known that induced developmental acceleration c

SUBMITTER: Hyeun-Ji L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7665075 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature