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

• Published in: Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2021-05, Vol.288 (1950), p.1-8, Article 20210797
• Main Authors: Munch, Stephan B., Lee, Who Seung, Walsh, Matthew, Hurst, Thomas, Wasserman, Ben A., Mangel, Marc, Salinas, Santiago
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animals; Climate Change; Connecticut; Ecology; Maryland; Phenotype; Temperature
• ISSN: 0962-8452; 1471-2954
• DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0797

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 evidence for a latitudinal gradient in thermal TGP. Moreover, the degree of TGP in these populations depends linearly on the decorrelation time for temperature, providing support for the hypothesis that thermal predictability drives the evolution of these traits.