Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>)
Environmental variation likely modifies the life-history traits of vertebrates. As ectothermic vertebrates, it is possible that the body size of amphibians is impacted by environmental conditions. Here, we firstly quantified age and body size variation in the Andrew’s toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi<...
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MDPI AG
2022-12-01
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| Series: | Biology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1766 |
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| author | Ying Jiang Li Zhao Xiaofeng Luan Wenbo Liao |
| author_facet | Ying Jiang Li Zhao Xiaofeng Luan Wenbo Liao |
| author_sort | Ying Jiang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Environmental variation likely modifies the life-history traits of vertebrates. As ectothermic vertebrates, it is possible that the body size of amphibians is impacted by environmental conditions. Here, we firstly quantified age and body size variation in the Andrew’s toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) across the Hengduan Mountains. Then, we examined the environmental correlates of this variation based on the literature and our unpublished data on the age and body size of the Andrew’s toad from 31 populations distributed in southwestern China. Although our analysis revealed significant variations in age and body size across <i>B. andrewsi</i> populations, neither latitude nor altitude correlated with this variability in age and body size. We found that age at sexual maturity, mean age, and longevity increased with decreasing annual mean temperature, whereas age at sexual maturity increased with decreasing temperature seasonality, implying that temperature was a crucial habitat characteristic that modulated age structure traits. Moreover, we revealed positive associations between age structure and UV-B seasonality, and negative relationships between both mean age and longevity and precipitation seasonality. We also found that body size increased with increasing precipitation in the driest month and UV-B seasonality. However, body size did not covary with temperature, signifying no support for Bergmann’s rule. These findings help us to understand amphibians’ abilities to adapt to environmental variation, which is particularly important in order to provide a theorical basis for their conservation. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:19:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-920ad72f1ba241c6b945610fa8bb06c0 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2079-7737 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T17:19:19Z |
| publishDate | 2022-12-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biology |
| spelling | doaj.art-920ad72f1ba241c6b945610fa8bb06c02023-11-24T13:23:06ZengMDPI AGBiology2079-77372022-12-011112176610.3390/biology11121766Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>)Ying Jiang0Li Zhao1Xiaofeng Luan2Wenbo Liao3School of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaSchool of Ecology and Nature Conservation, Beijing Forestry University, Beijing 100083, ChinaKey Laboratory of Southwest China Wildlife Resources Conservation (Ministry of Education), China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, ChinaEnvironmental variation likely modifies the life-history traits of vertebrates. As ectothermic vertebrates, it is possible that the body size of amphibians is impacted by environmental conditions. Here, we firstly quantified age and body size variation in the Andrew’s toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) across the Hengduan Mountains. Then, we examined the environmental correlates of this variation based on the literature and our unpublished data on the age and body size of the Andrew’s toad from 31 populations distributed in southwestern China. Although our analysis revealed significant variations in age and body size across <i>B. andrewsi</i> populations, neither latitude nor altitude correlated with this variability in age and body size. We found that age at sexual maturity, mean age, and longevity increased with decreasing annual mean temperature, whereas age at sexual maturity increased with decreasing temperature seasonality, implying that temperature was a crucial habitat characteristic that modulated age structure traits. Moreover, we revealed positive associations between age structure and UV-B seasonality, and negative relationships between both mean age and longevity and precipitation seasonality. We also found that body size increased with increasing precipitation in the driest month and UV-B seasonality. However, body size did not covary with temperature, signifying no support for Bergmann’s rule. These findings help us to understand amphibians’ abilities to adapt to environmental variation, which is particularly important in order to provide a theorical basis for their conservation.https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1766environmental variationbody sizeageBergmann’s ruleskeletochronology |
| spellingShingle | Ying Jiang Li Zhao Xiaofeng Luan Wenbo Liao Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) Biology environmental variation body size age Bergmann’s rule skeletochronology |
| title | Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) |
| title_full | Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) |
| title_fullStr | Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) |
| title_short | Geographical Variation in Body Size and the Bergmann’s Rule in Andrew’s Toad (<i>Bufo andrewsi</i>) |
| title_sort | geographical variation in body size and the bergmann s rule in andrew s toad i bufo andrewsi i |
| topic | environmental variation body size age Bergmann’s rule skeletochronology |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2079-7737/11/12/1766 |
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