A latitudinal gradient in thermal transgenerational plasticity and a test of theory.

ABSTRACT: Transgenerational plasticity (TGP) occurs when phenotypes are shaped by the environment in both the current and preceding generations. Transgenerational responses to rainfall, CO₂ and temperature suggest that TGP may play an important role in how species cope with climate change. However, little is known about how TGP will evolve as climate change continues. Here, we provide a quantitative test of the hypothesis that the predictability of the environment influences the magnitude of the transgenerational response. To do so, we take advantage of the latitudinal decrease in the predictability of temperatures in near shore waters along the US East Coast. Using sheepshead minnows (Cyprinodon variegatus) from South Carolina, Maryland, and Connecticut, we found the first evidenc

SUBMITTER: Munch SB 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8113894 | biostudies-literature | 2021 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature