Variation in somatic condition and testis mass in Feirana quadranus along an altitudinal gradient

Tang, Tao; Luo, Yi; Huang, Chun Hua; Liao, Wen Bo; Huang, Win‐Gee

doi:10.1163/15707563-17000142

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…In this study, we did not find any relationships between testis size and latitudes and altitudes across 14 populations, indicating that the extended re-acquisition of resources necessary for survival at high latitudes or altitudes cannot reduce the energy allocated to testis size. Similar results were reported in the Yunnan Pond frog Dianrana pleuraden [ 78 ] and the swelled vent frog Feirana quadranus [ 23 ]. The discriminative effect of sexual selection pressure on testis size remains unclear, due to the lack of population-specific OSR within each population, and further studies are needed.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

“…As a result, males with superior body condition may have more energy available to allocate to testes, thereby possibly increasing the chances of competition success and consequently gaining evolutionary benefits [ 34 , 65 , 78 ]. Other studies on frogs in China have made similar observations [ 23 , 34 , 40 , 44 , 73 , 79 , 80 , 81 ].…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

“…Although sexual selection theory has successfully explained interspecific diversity in testes, the ecological factors driving interspecific variation in testes remain ambiguous. Nevertheless, there is increasing evidence that differences in environmental conditions among populations of the same species influence the intensity of sexual selection, thereby promoting local adaptation of the relevant reproductive traits [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 ]. For instance, testis size is positively correlated with latitude in several North American bird species [ 8 ] because greater sexual selection pressure has been reported at higher latitudes [ 26 , 27 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Testis Size Variation and Its Environmental Correlates in Andrew’s Toad (Bufo andrewsi)

Jiang

Zhao

Luan

et al. 2022

Animals

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Reproductive investments influenced by environmental conditions vary extensively among geographically distinct populations. However, investigations of patterns of intraspecific variation in male reproductive investments and the mechanisms shaping this variation in anurans remain scarce. Here, we focused on the variation in testis size in 14 populations of the Andrew’s toad Bufo andrewsi, a species with weak dispersal ability but wide distribution in southwestern China, to establish whether male reproductive investment varies on an environmental gradient. Our analysis revealed a significant variation in relative testis size across populations, and a positive correlation between testis size and body condition. We, however, found no geographic trends explaining the variability in the testis size. The relative testis size did not increase with increasing latitude or altitude. We also found no relationship between relative testis size and rainfall, but a negative correlation with the coefficient of variation of temperature, with larger testes under stable environments. These findings suggest that the decreased male reproductive investment of this species may be a consequence of harsher or fluctuating environmental conditions.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 67%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Testis Size Variation and Its Environmental Correlates in Andrew’s Toad (Bufo andrewsi)

Jiang

Zhao

Luan

et al. 2022

Animals

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“…In late December 2015, we randomly captured 20 individuals (10 torpid females and 10 torpid males) from the pond where all individuals had been hibernating for 40 days. We anesthetized all individuals and killed them using single-pithing [ 48 , 49 , 50 , 51 , 52 , 53 ]. We promptly performed surgical procedures to protect RNA from degradation.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modulation of Gene Expression in Liver of Hibernating Asiatic Toads (Bufo gargarizans)

Jin

Yang

et al. 2018

IJMS

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Hibernation is an effective energy conservation strategy that has been widely adopted by animals to cope with unpredictable environmental conditions. The liver, in particular, plays an important role in adaptive metabolic adjustment during hibernation. Mammalian studies have revealed that many genes involved in metabolism are differentially expressed during the hibernation period. However, the differentiation in global gene expression between active and torpid states in amphibians remains largely unknown. We analyzed gene expression in the liver of active and torpid Asiatic toads (Bufo gargarizans) using RNA-sequencing. In addition, we evaluated the differential expression of genes between females and males. A total of 1399 genes were identified as differentially expressed between active and torpid females. Of these, the expressions of 395 genes were significantly elevated in torpid females and involved genes responding to stresses, as well as contractile proteins. The expression of 1004 genes were significantly down-regulated in torpid females, most which were involved in metabolic depression and shifts in the energy utilization. Of the 715 differentially expressed genes between active and torpid males, 337 were up-regulated and 378 down-regulated. A total of 695 genes were differentially expressed between active females and males, of which 655 genes were significantly down-regulated in males. Similarly, 374 differentially expressed genes were identified between torpid females and males, with the expression of 252 genes (mostly contractile proteins) being significantly down-regulated in males. Our findings suggest that expression of many genes in the liver of B. gargarizans are down-regulated during hibernation. Furthermore, there are marked sex differences in the levels of gene expression, with females showing elevated levels of gene expression as compared to males, as well as more marked down-regulation of gene-expression in torpid males than females.

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“…We supplemented this data set by collecting three new species (Rana chensinensis, Odorrana nanjiangensis, and Amolops chunganensis) at Micangshan Nature Reserve during the breeding seasons in 2017; each species was captured in a single population and we used only males. Upon capture, we transferred the individuals to the laboratory and euthanized them by single pithing (Lüpold et al 2017;Tang et al 2018). All specimens were fixed in 4% phosphate-buffered formalin.…”

Section: Sample Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Large-brained frogs mature later and live longer

Zhong

et al. 2018

Evolution

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Brain sizes vary substantially across vertebrate taxa, yet, the evolution of brain size appears tightly linked to the evolution of life histories. For example, larger brained species generally live longer than smaller brained species. A larger brain requires more time to grow and develop at a cost of exceeded gestation period and delayed weaning age. The cost of slower development may be compensated by better homeostasis control and increased cognitive abilities, both of which should increase survival probabilities and hence life span. To date, this relationship between life span and brain size seems well established in homoeothermic animals, especially in mammals. Whether this pattern occurs also in other clades of vertebrates remains enigmatic. Here, we undertake the first comparative test of the relationship between life span and brain size in an ectothermic vertebrate group, the anuran amphibians. After controlling for the effects of shared ancestry and body size, we find a positive correlation between brain size, age at sexual maturation, and life span across 40 species of frogs. Moreover, we also find that the ventral brain regions, including the olfactory bulbs, are larger in long-lived species. Our results indicate that the relationship between life history and brain evolution follows a general pattern across vertebrate clades.

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Variation in somatic condition and testis mass in Feirana quadranus along an altitudinal gradient

Cited by 14 publications

References 49 publications

Testis Size Variation and Its Environmental Correlates in Andrew’s Toad (Bufo andrewsi)

Testis Size Variation and Its Environmental Correlates in Andrew’s Toad (Bufo andrewsi)

Modulation of Gene Expression in Liver of Hibernating Asiatic Toads (Bufo gargarizans)

Large-brained frogs mature later and live longer

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