Journal
BMC ECOLOGY
Volume 20, Issue 1, Pages -Publisher
BMC
DOI: 10.1186/s12898-020-00291-w
Keywords
Adaptive plasticity; Growth compensation; Life cycles; Life-history; Metamorphosis
Categories
Funding
- Wallonie-Bruxelles International (W.B.I.)
- CCCDI-UEFISCDI (A.N.C.S.: Autoritatea Nationala pentru Cercetare Stiintifica) [105 BM/2017]
- Universidad Tecnica Particular de Loja (Convocatoria Estancias Cortas de Investigacion 2019)
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Background In species with complex life cycles, size at metamorphosis is a key life-history trait which reflects the complex interactions between costs and benefits of life in the aquatic and terrestrial environments. Whereas the effects of a deteriorating larval habitat (e.g. pond desiccation) on triggering an early metamorphosis have been extensively investigated in amphibians, the consequences of the resulting reduced size at metamorphosis on fitness in the post-metamorphic terrestrial stage remain poorly understood. We tested the hypothesis that a smaller size at metamorphosis negatively affects performance and survival in the ensuing terrestrial stage. Using as model a tropical amphibian (Ceratophrys stolzmanni) showing a large phenotypic plasticity in metamorphosing traits, we evaluated the effects of size at metamorphosis on fitness-related trophic and locomotor performance traits, as well as on growth and survival rates. Results Our results support the hypothesis that a larger size at metamorphosis is correlated with better survival and performance. The survival rate of large metamorphosing individuals was 95%, compared to 60% for those completing metamorphosis at a small size. Locomotor performance and gape size were positively correlated with body size, larger animals being more mobile and capable to ingest larger prey. However, smaller individuals achieved higher growth rates, thus reducing the size gap. Conclusions Overall, size at metamorphosis affected profoundly the chances of survival in the short term, but smaller surviving individuals partly compensated their initial disadvantages by increasing growth rates.
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