Demographic life history traits of reproductive natterjack toads (Bufo calamita) vary between northern and southern latitudes

Leskovar, C.; Oromí, Neus; Sanuy, Delfí; Sinsch, Ulrich

doi:10.1163/156853806778189918

Cited by 50 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…The body size variation of temperate zone bufonid toads is well documented for Bufo bufo, Bufo calamita and B. viridis in Europe, and for B. hemiophrys and B. woodhousii in northern America (Nevo, 1972;Hemelaar, 1988;Kellner & Green, 1995;Castellano & Giacoma, 1998;Eaton et al, 2005;Leskovar et al, 2006;Cvetkovic et al, 2009). All these case studies agree in that converse latitudinal Bergmann clines covering up to 3000 km characterize intraspecific body size variation.…”

Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

“…In male B. bufo living at 641N (northern range limit), the mean body size was considerably larger than in the more southern populations of Scandinavia (Cvetkovic et al, 2009). Similarly, in the southernmost B. calamita population of the Iberian Peninsula, the mean body size was by far smaller than that of more northern populations in Spain (Leskovar et al, 2006;Marangoni, Tejedo & GomezMestre, 2008).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…The habitat and local climate features, collection dates and numbers of reproductive adults sampled are summarized in Table 1; detailed descriptions of the localities are given in Leskovar et al (2006), Sinsch et al (2007b) and Marangoni et al (2008). Climate data used for modelling are the average of a 30-year period and refer to the meteorological stations of Reserva Biologica de Donana (CSIC), and Lleida-Observatorio 2, Spain and KoblenzHorchheim, Germany.…”

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Fecundity increases with size and growth rate with ambient temperature, suggesting a complex interaction among local climate and trade-offs between delayed maturity ( = increased body and clutch size) and longevity (Tejedo, 1992;Leskovar et al, 2006;Sinsch, 2008). The populations studied in Spain and Germany represent a variation of adult size from 39 mm to 95 mm (snout-vent length, SVL) and an age range from 2 to 9 years of life, a latitudinal gradient from 37 to 501 and an altitudinal gradient from sea level to 420 m. As skeletochronological age determination also allows for the reconstruction of individual annual bone growth pattern, we were able to estimate the contribution of ontogenetic growth variation to body size at any age (Sinsch, Oromi & Sanuy, 2007b).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proximate mechanisms determining size variability in natterjack toads

et al. 2010

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In the toad Bufo calamita, among-population variation of size follows roughly a converse Bergmann cline, but populations exist that do not fit this pattern. We propose that latitudinal body size variation is a byproduct of adaptive covariation among the life-history traits juvenile growth rate, longevity and lifetime fecundity. We choose five populations (two in Andalusia, two in Catalonia and one in Rhineland-Palatinate) representing a variation of adult size from 39 mm to 95 mm snout-vent length, a latitudinal gradient from 37 to 501 and an altitudinal gradient from sea level to 420 m. Skeletochronology was used to estimate the age-related life-history traits of 313 toads and their lifetime pattern of growth. At southern latitudes, toads matured and reproduced earlier than those at northern latitudes, but had a reduced potential reproductive lifespan due to lower longevity. Ageadjusted adult size depended mainly on the size achieved between metamorphosis and first hibernation or aestivation, which in turn was influenced by local factors. We propose that first-year size corresponds to the duration of the aboveground activity period, temperature during the activity period and the type of shelter sites and hibernacula available in the habitat. After attaining sexual maturity, the growth rates did not differ among populations. Interactions of multiple environmental factors during the first year of life determine age at maturity, adult size and size variation among populations. Local body size and potential reproductive lifespan covary to optimize lifetime fecundity throughout the geographical range. The presence of a small-sized population in southern Spain does not fit the pattern predicted by a converse Bergmann cline, but is compatible with the hypothesis that body size variation among B. calamita populations may be the evolutionary byproduct of optimized lifetime fecundity.

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Section: Introductionsupporting

confidence: 54%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Study Areasmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Proximate mechanisms determining size variability in natterjack toads

et al. 2010

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“…Surprisingly, we found variation in body size of a similar magnitude abruptly taking place in a much shorter geographic range. Moreover, whereas populations across wide latitudinal ranges experience large climatic differences (Leskovar et al, 2006), our populations differed only in the geological substrates, the climate being virtually identical ( fig. 1).…”

Section: Geographical Variation In Body Size and Reproductive Traitsmentioning

confidence: 79%

Extreme reduction in body size and reproductive output associated with sandy substrates in two anuran species

2008

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Abstract. Geographic variation in body size and reproductive traits has been reported in a wide range of organisms, including amphibians. Most studies have focused on latitudinal and/or altitudinal variation where differences in temperature and duration of the growing season are the main causes for population divergence. We describe a steep variation in body size and reproductive traits in two anuran species in southwestern Spain, associated with changes in the geological substrate. Pelobates cultripes and Bufo calamita (= Epidalea calamita) drastically reduced their size (a 71.6% and 76.1% reduction in body mass for P. cultripes and B. calamita, respectively) in just about 60 km. This extreme size reduction was more pronounced at the boundary between two different geological substrates (hercinic and sandy soil). Mean clutch mass, egg size, and clutch size were all smaller in B. calamita populations in the sandy environment. Likewise, clutch mass and egg size were both smaller in sandy P. cultripes populations. We observed a negative correlation between size-adjusted fecundity and egg size for both species, suggesting the existence of a reproductive trade-off that could explain the differences in reproductive allocation between populations and species. In P. cultripes, small-bodied populations had relatively higher fecundities and smaller eggs than large-bodied ones, whereas in B. calamita populations from the sandy area we found both populations with high fecundity and small eggs, and populations with low fecundity and large eggs. Common environmental effects associated with the sandy substrate produce a similar reduction in size in both toad species.

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Impact of various ecological parameters on the life‐history characteristics of Bufotes viridis sitibundus from Turkey

Altunışık

Gül

Özdemır

2020

The Anatomical Record

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In this study, we used the skeletochronology method to estimate various growth parameters, such as age structure, minimum and maximum life span, age of sexual maturity, and the relationship between body size and weight of eight different populations of the variable toad, Bufotes viridis sitibundus, in Turkey. Further, we determined the relationship between these parameters and ecologic factors using the partial Mantel test. A significant difference was found among the populations with respect to age, body size, and body weight in both males and females. On average, the maximum life span was recorded as 10 years for males and 11 years for females. In the studied populations, the average age of sexual maturity ranged between 2 and 4 years for both sexes. Sexual dimorphism in terms of snout‐vent length (SVL) was not observed between males and females in all the populations. Toads from the higher altitudes tended to be significantly larger, older, and heavier than those from lower altitudes. We concluded that altitude and temperature have an impact on the growth rate, body size, and body mass.

show abstract

Demographic life history traits of reproductive natterjack toads (Bufo calamita) vary between northern and southern latitudes

Cited by 50 publications

References 34 publications

Proximate mechanisms determining size variability in natterjack toads

Proximate mechanisms determining size variability in natterjack toads

Extreme reduction in body size and reproductive output associated with sandy substrates in two anuran species

Impact of various ecological parameters on the life‐history characteristics of Bufotes viridis sitibundus from Turkey

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