Predators Induce Morphological Changes in Tadpoles of Hyla andersonii

Predators can affect the development, fitness, and behavior of prey species in myriad ways. In response to the threat of predation, tadpoles can alter growth rate, morphology, and foraging behavior. Changes to tadpole development have the potential to alter life history characteristics and are there...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Copeia 2020-07, Vol.108 (2), p.316-325
Main Authors: Kruger, Ariel, Morin, Peter J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibiotic species
Anax junius
Animal morphology
Coloration
Colour
Costs
Developmental stages
Endangered & extinct species
Fins
Foraging
Foraging behavior
Genetic diversity
Genotype & phenotype
Growth rate
Habitat loss
Habitats
Hyla andersonii
Interspecific relationships
Juveniles
Larvae
Larval development
Larval stage
Life history
Mesocosms
Metamorphosis
Morphology
Phenotypic plasticity
Predation
Predators
Prey
Survival
Tails
Threatened species
Wildlife conservation
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Summary:Predators can affect the development, fitness, and behavior of prey species in myriad ways. In response to the threat of predation, tadpoles can alter growth rate, morphology, and foraging behavior. Changes to tadpole development have the potential to alter life history characteristics and are therefore of interest in species of conservation concern. Using experimental mesocosms, we explored how non-lethal predators affected the larval development of the Pine Barrens Treefrog, Hyla andersonii, a near-threatened species in the United States. We found that caged dragonflies (Anax junius) induced darker tail coloration and deeper tail fins in tadpoles of H. andersonii, but the dragonflies did not affect tadpole behavior, survival, or size at metamorphosis. Non-lethal predator presence also induced greater within population variation in the tail color trait compared to populations without predators. This result suggests that there may be underlying genetic variation in the ability to express phenotypically plastic traits, a concept that should be explored further because it has implications for the evolution of inducible defenses. These findings support the existence of an adaptive syndrome among hylid tadpoles, where tadpoles develop conspicuous tail morphology in response to larval dragonfly predators.
ISSN:0045-8511
2766-1512
1938-5110
2766-1520
DOI:10.1643/CE-19-241