Differentiation in developmental rate across geographic regions: a photoperiod driven latitude compensating mechanism?

Śniegula, Szymon; Johansson, Frank; Nilsson-Örtman, Viktor

doi:10.1111/j.1600-0706.2011.20015.x

Cited by 40 publications

(66 citation statements)

References 61 publications

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“…Despite the rather intuitive character of this idea, we are not aware of attempts to consider this scenario as an alternative explanation for converse Bergmann's clines. This is in contrast to counter‐gradient variation in development rate which has been proposed as an explanation for latitudinal patterns in insect life histories (Bentz et al , , Śniegula et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Evaluating the role and measures of juvenile growth rate: latitudinal variation in insect life histories

Meister

Esperk

Välimäki

et al. 2017

Oikos

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Latitudinal and elevational trends in body size are found in numerous animal taxa, with various adaptive explanations proposed. It is however debatable whether geographic trends in adult body size are accompanied by corresponding differences in juvenile growth rate (= mass gain per unit time). Respective studies have been complicated by conceptual and methodological problems related to defining and measuring this variable, particularly in organisms with discontinuous growth like arthropods. Using an original method for estimating differential (instantaneous) juvenile growth rates, we compared geographically distant European populations of six insect species in a common garden experiment. We found no among population differences in differential growth rate in any of the species. This result is in concert with concurrent increase in both adult size and developmental time towards the south. While opposite examples exist, we interpret our results as challenging the view that growth rate is a trait that readily responds to environmentally based selective pressures. Our results thus advocate the more classical view of growth rate maximisation within its physiological limits. We discuss the advantages of using differential (rather than integral) measures of growth rate in evolutionary ecological studies and evaluate the reasons for the detected latitudinal trends in life history traits.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 76%

Evaluating the role and measures of juvenile growth rate: latitudinal variation in insect life histories

Meister

Esperk

Välimäki

et al. 2017

Oikos

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“…This pattern in body size is predicted to occur especially in univoltine species (Johansson ) such as C. scitulum . Under time constraints, damselfly larvae typically increase development rate but not necessarily growth rate, resulting in a smaller mass in the adult stage (De Block and Stoks ) as explicitly shown in other coenagrionid damselflies (Strobbe and Stoks , Sniegula et al ). Since we measured body mass on field‐collected animals we are unable to distinguish between plastic and genetic contributions to the observed clinal trait patterns.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 92%

Integrating large‐scale geographic patterns in flight morphology, flight characteristics and sexual selection in a range‐expanding damselfly

et al. 2014

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While geographic trait variation along environmental clines is widespread, associated patterns in sexual selection remain largely unexplored. Geographic patterns in sexual selection may be expected if 1) phenotypes vary geographically and sexual selection is dependent on the local phenotypes in the population, and if 2) sexual selection is influenced by geographically structured environmental conditions. We quantified geographic variation in flight-related traits and flight performance in mated and unmated males and tested for geographic variation in sexual selection on these traits in the poleward range-expanding damselfly Coenagrion scitulum across a set of eleven core and edge populations ordered along thermal gradients in the larval and in the adult stage. We found little support for trait differentiation between core and edge populations, instead we found considerable geographic trait variation along the larval and adult thermal gradients. As expected under time constraints, body mass decreased with shorter larval growth seasons. Lower temperatures during the adult flight period were associated with a higher body mass, a higher flight speed and a higher fat content; these traits likely evolved to buffer flight ability at suboptimal temperatures and to optimize starvation resistance. Across the large geographic scale, we found a consistent higher flight duration in mated males. Instead, sexual selection for higher fat content was stronger in populations with lower adult flight temperatures and sexual selection for lower body mass acted only in edge populations. Our results indicate sexual selection on flight performance to be consistent over a large geographic scale and this despite the clear geographic patterns in sexual selection on the underlying morphological traits. Our results highlight that to fully understand the fitness implications of geographically changing trait patterns, researchers should consider the entire phenotype-performance-fitness axis and incorporate effects of geographically structured life-stage specific environmental conditions on this axis

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“…Nevertheless, that C. johanssoni responded in the complete opposite direction to these two photoperiods compared to two central European species of Coenagrion [46] gives some clues to how photoperiodic responses operates over larger geographic and taxonomic scales. We will first discuss growth patterns during summer/fall.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…The procedure was similar to that used in a previous experiment involving two congeneric species [46]. Eggs, and later larvae, were reared at a constant temperature of 22.5 ± 0.5°C.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Growth Pattern Responses to Photoperiod across Latitudes in a Northern Damselfly

2012

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BackgroundLatitudinal clines in temperature and seasonality impose strong seasonal constraints on ectotherms. Studies of population differentiation in phenotypic plasticity of life history traits along latitudinal gradients are important for understanding how organisms have adapted to seasonal environments and predict how they respond to climate changes. Such studies have been scarce for species with a northern distribution.Methodology/Principle FindingLarvae of the northern damselfly Coenagrion johanssoni originating from semivoltine central, partivoltine northern, and partivoltine northernmost Swedish populations were reared in the laboratory. To investigate whether larvae use photoperiodic cues to induce compensatory growth along this latitudinal gradient, larvae were reared under two different photoperiods corresponding to a northern and southern latitude. In addition, field adult size was assessed to test the strength of possible compensatory growth mechanisms under natural conditions and hatchling size was measured to test for maternal effects. We hypothesized that populations originating from lower latitudes would be more time constrained than high-latitude populations because they have a shorter life cycle. The results showed that low-latitude populations had higher growth rates in summer/fall. In general northern photoperiods induced higher growth rates, but this plastic response to photoperiod was strongest in the southernmost populations and negligible in the northernmost population. During spring, central populations grew faster under the southern rather than the northern photoperiod. On the other hand, northern and northernmost populations did not differ between each other and grew faster in the northern rather than in the southern photoperiod. Field sampled adults did not differ in size across the studied regions.Conclusion/SignificanceWe found a significant differentiation in growth rate across latitudes and latitudinal difference in growth rate response to photoperiod. Importantly, growth responses measured at a single larval developmental stage in one season may not always generalize to other developmental stages or seasons.

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Differentiation in developmental rate across geographic regions: a photoperiod driven latitude compensating mechanism?

Cited by 40 publications

References 61 publications

Evaluating the role and measures of juvenile growth rate: latitudinal variation in insect life histories

Evaluating the role and measures of juvenile growth rate: latitudinal variation in insect life histories

Integrating large‐scale geographic patterns in flight morphology, flight characteristics and sexual selection in a range‐expanding damselfly

Growth Pattern Responses to Photoperiod across Latitudes in a Northern Damselfly

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