An inducible offense: carnivore morph tadpoles induced by tadpole carnivory. Issue 7 (4th March 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Levis, Nicholas A.; de la Serna Buzón, Sofia; Pfennig, David W.
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 5:Issue 7(2015:Jul.)
• Page Start: 1405
• Page End: 1411
• Publication Date: 2015-03-04
• Subjects: Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1448
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="ece31448-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>Phenotypic plasticity is commonplace, and plasticity theory predicts that organisms should often evolve mechanisms to detect and respond to environmental cues that accurately predict future environmental conditions. Here, we test this prediction in tadpoles of spadefoot toads, <italic>Spea multiplicata</italic>. These tadpoles develop into either an omnivore ecomorph, which is a dietary generalist, or a carnivore ecomorph, which specializes on anostracan shrimp and other tadpoles. We investigated a novel proximate cue – ingestion of <italic>Scaphiopus</italic> tadpoles – and its propensity to produce carnivores by rearing tadpoles on different diets. We found that diets containing tadpoles from the genus <italic>Scaphiopus</italic> produced more carnivores than diets without <italic>Scaphiopus</italic> tadpoles. We discuss why <italic>Scaphiopus</italic> tadpoles are an excellent food source and why it is therefore advantageous for <italic>S. multiplicata</italic> tadpoles to produce an inducible offense that allows them to better utilize this resource. In general, such inducible offenses provide an excellent setting for investigating the proximate and evolutionary basis of phenotypic plasticity.</p> </abstract>