Intergenerational Effects of Climate Generate Cohort Variation in Lizard Reproductive Performance

Abstract

An evaluation of the link between climate and population dynamics requires understanding of climate effects both within and across generations. In ectothermic vertebrates, demographic responses to climate changes should crucially depend on balancing needs for heat and water. Here, we studied how temperature and rainfall regimes experienced before and during adulthood influenced reproductive performances (litter size, offspring size, and survival) in a natural population of the live-bearing common lizard, Lacerta vivipara, monitored continuously from 1989 to 2004. Rainfall regime, but not temperature, had both immediate and delayed effects on these reproductive performances. Rainfall during the first month of life was positively correlated with juvenile survival. Females experiencing more rainfall during gestation produced smaller neonates that showed greater survival when controlling for the positive effect of body size on survival. Furthermore, females that experienced heavier rainfall when in utero produced fewer but longer neonates during adulthood. These demographic effects of rainfall on adult reproductive traits may come from maternal effects of climate conditions and/or from delayed effects of rainfall on the environment experienced early in life. Irrespective of the precise mechanism, however, this study provides evidence of intergenerational climate effects in natural populations of an ectothermic vertebrate.

Water deprivation increases maternal corticosterone levels and enhances offspring growth in the snake Vipera aspis

“…in predictive models (Huey et al, 2012;McCluney et al, 2012;McKechnie and Wolf, 2010). Although our results suggest that reproductively active individuals may be particularly impacted by dehydration, as demonstrated for other vertebrates (Hirschhorn et al, 1969;Rittenhouse et al, 2009), parental effects may influence offspring physiology and behavior (Lorenzon et al, 1999(Lorenzon et al, , 2001Marquis et al, 2008). Future work could specifically investigate the potential role for parental effects in mediating the impacts of adverse hydric conditions on offspring fitness.…”

“…Previous studies have demonstrated that jaw growth can depend on developmental conditions such as temperature (Lorioux et al, 2012), and plasticity in jaw growth may be ecologically relevant (Aubret et al, 2004;Forsman, 1996). In a previous long-term field study, Marquis et al (2008) demonstrated that level of precipitation (i.e. water availability) positively influences reproductive performance of female common lizard, Zootoca vivipara (i.e.…”

Oxidative stress in aspic vipers facing pregnancy and water constraints

“…Water is a vital resource that cannot be stored by most animals, and water access can be naturally limited in certain environments or during specific periods of the year. Dehydration rapidly impairs survival and reproduction (Marquis et al, 2008;McKechnie and Wolf, 2010) and species may use diverse watersaving strategies in response to water limitation (e.g. decreased activity, metabolic depression, decreased skin permeability).…”

Frequency-dependent sexual selection with respect to progeny survival is consistent with predictions from rock-paper-scissors dynamics in the European common lizard

“…show 6-8 year cycles . Cycle length is a function of male growth, which is tightly linked to local climatic conditions and thus to temporal and spatial variation (e.g., Marquis et al, 2008). Our lowest elevation population (Irau) was located at 950 m a.s.l.…”