Adaptive maternal behavioral plasticity and developmental programming mitigate the transgenerational effects of temperature in dung beetles

Plant stress responses can extend into the following generations, a phenomenon called transgenerational effects. Heat stress, in particular, is known to affect plant offspring, but we do not know to what extent these effects depend on the temporal patterns of the stress, and whether transgenerational responses are adaptive and genetically variable within species. To address these questions, we carried out a two-generation experiment with nine Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. We subjected the plants to heat stress regimes that varied in timing and frequency, but not in mean temperature, and we then grew the offspring of these plants under controlled conditions as well as under renewed heat stress. The stress treatments significantly carried over to the offspring generation, with timing having stronger effects on plant phenotypes than stress frequency. However there was no evidence that transgenerational effects were adaptive. The magnitudes of transgenerational effects differed substantially among genotypes, and for some traits the strength of plant responses was significantly associated with the climatic variability at the sites of origin. In summary, timing of heat stress not only directly affects plants, but it can also cause transgenerational effects on offspring phenotypes. Genetic variation in transgenerational effects, as well as correlations between transgenerational effects and climatic variability, indicate that transgenerational effects can evolve, and have probably already done so in the past.

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Transgenerational effects of temperature fluctuations in Arabidopsis thaliana

AoB Plants ◽

10.1093/aobpla/plab064 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ying Deng ◽

Oliver Bossdorf ◽

J F Scheepens

Keyword(s):

Arabidopsis Thaliana ◽

Heat Stress ◽

Stress Responses ◽

Climatic Variability ◽

Plant Stress ◽

Plant Responses ◽

Transgenerational Effects ◽

Plant Stress Responses ◽

Effects Of Temperature ◽

Offspring Generation

Abstract Plant stress responses can extend into the following generations, a phenomenon called transgenerational effects. Heat stress, in particular, is known to affect plant offspring, but we do not know to what extent these effects depend on the temporal patterns of the stress, and whether transgenerational responses are adaptive and genetically variable within species. To address these questions, we carried out a two-generation experiment with nine Arabidopsis thaliana genotypes. We subjected the plants to heat stress regimes that varied in timing and frequency, but not in mean temperature, and we then grew the offspring of these plants under controlled conditions as well as under renewed heat stress. The stress treatments significantly carried over to the offspring generation, with timing having stronger effects on plant phenotypes than stress frequency. However, there was no evidence that transgenerational effects were adaptive. The magnitudes of transgenerational effects differed substantially among genotypes, and for some traits the strength of plant responses was significantly associated with the climatic variability at the sites of origin. In summary, timing of heat stress not only directly affects plants, but it can also cause transgenerational effects on offspring phenotypes. Genetic variation in transgenerational effects, as well as correlations between transgenerational effects and climatic variability, indicate that transgenerational effects can evolve, and have probably already done so in the past.

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Multidimensionality in the thermal niches of dung beetles could limit species’ responses to temperature changes

10.1101/2020.11.15.383612 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

Joaquín Calatayud ◽

Joaquín Hortal ◽

Jorge Ari Noriega ◽

Ángel Arcones ◽

Verónica R. Espinoza ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Dung Beetles ◽

Diel Activity ◽

Biological Aspect ◽

Temperature Changes ◽

Trade Offs ◽

Spatiotemporal Scales ◽

Biological Aspects ◽

Effects Of Temperature ◽

Species Responses

AbstractUnderstanding the consequences of climate change requires understanding how temperature controls species’ responses across key biological aspects, as well as the coordination of thermal responses across these aspects. We study the role of temperature in determining the species’ diel, seasonal, and geographical occurrence, using dung beetles as a model system. We found that temperature has relatively low −but not negligible− effects in the three spatiotemporal scales, once accounting for alternative factors. More importantly, the estimated thermal responses were largely incongruent across scales. This shows that species have multidimensional thermal niches, entailing that adjustments to fulfil temperature requirements for one biological aspect, such as seasonal ontogenetic cycles, may result in detrimental effects on other aspects, like diel activity. These trade-offs can expose individuals to inadequate temperatures, reducing populations’ performance. Paradoxically, the relatively weak effects of temperature we found may have serious consequences for species’ responses to warming if temperature regulates essential aspects of species’ biology in divergent ways.

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Direct and transgenerational effects of an experimental heat wave on early life stages in a freshwater snail

10.1101/449777 ◽

2018 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Katja Leicht ◽

Otto Seppälä

Keyword(s):

Climate Change ◽

High Temperature ◽

Hatching Success ◽

Thermal Environment ◽

Natural Populations ◽

Offspring Survival ◽

Direct Effects ◽

Transgenerational Effects ◽

Experimental Heat ◽

Effects Of Temperature

AbstractGlobal climate change imposes a serious threat to natural populations of many species. Estimates of the effects of climate change-mediated environmental stresses are, however, often based only on their direct effects on organisms, and neglect the potential transgenerational effects. We investigated whether high temperature (i.e. an experimental heat wave) that is known to reduce performance of adult Lymnaea stagnalis snails affects their offspring through maternal effects. Specifically, we tested whether eggs and hatched juveniles are affected by maternal thermal environment, and how strong these effects are compared with direct effects of temperature on offspring. We examined the effect of maternal thermal environment (15°C versus 25°C) on per offspring investment (egg size), and the role of both maternal and offspring thermal environments (15°C versus 25°C) on hatching success and developmental time of eggs, offspring survival after hatching, and hatchling size at the age of five weeks. Exposure of mothers to high temperature increased hatching success of eggs, and also made the onset of hatching earlier. However, high maternal temperature reduced the survival and the final size of hatched juveniles. Direct effects of high temperature on offspring survival were negative (both eggs and hatchlings), but increased the developmental rate and growth of those eggs and hatchlings that survived. Interestingly, the magnitude of transgenerational effects of high temperature on hatching success of eggs and hatchling survival were similar to its direct effects. This indicates that heat waves can affect natural populations through transgenerational effects, and that the magnitude of such effects can be equally strong to the direct effects of temperature, although this depends on the trait considered. Our results highlight the importance of considering transgenerational effects of climate warming when estimating its effects in the wild.

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