Ecological adaptation drives wood frog population divergence in life history traits.

ABSTRACT: Phenotypic variation among populations is thought to be generated from spatial heterogeneity in environments that exert selection pressures that overcome the effects of gene flow and genetic drift. Here, we tested for evidence of isolation by distance or by ecology (i.e., ecological adaptation) to generate variation in early life history traits and phenotypic plasticity among 13 wood frog populations spanning 1200 km and 7° latitude. We conducted a common garden experiment and related trait variation to an ecological gradient derived from an ecological niche model (ENM) validated to account for population density variation. Shorter larval periods, smaller body weight, and relative leg lengths were exhibited by populations with colder mean annual temperatures, greater precipitation, and les

SUBMITTER: Le Sage EH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8102587 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature