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Do northern and southern populations of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) exhibit differences in thermal plasticity?

Mineo, Patrick
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1405340856

Abstract Details

2014, Doctor of Philosophy, Miami University, Biological Sciences.
Many temperate ectotherms undergo thermal acclimation to remain functional over a wide range of body temperatures, but few studies have investigated if populations of a single species have evolved differences in thermal plasticity. Therefore, I determined whether or not thermal plasticity has diverged among populations of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens). First, I compared the thermal sensitivity of locomotor performance and the activity of metabolic enzymes between warm and cold-acclimated newts from southern Ohio. Cold-acclimated newts had a higher burst speed and endurance at low temperature compared to warm-acclimated newts, demonstrating that eastern newts compensate for the effects of low temperature on locomotor performance. Next, I compared the thermal plasticity of locomotor performance between northern (Maine) and southern (Florida) populations of eastern newts. Both thermal sensitivity and plasticity of locomotor performance differed between northern and southern populations of eastern newts, suggesting that these traits have adapted to the thermal environment. For my third project, I compared the effects of thermal acclimation on the membrane fatty acid composition and the activities of metabolic enzymes in the skeletal muscle and liver of eastern newts from Maine and Florida. Thermal acclimation changed the monounsaturated fatty acid content of muscle and liver membranes in newts from Florida, but not Maine. In muscle and liver membranes, several polyunsaturated fatty acids responded differently to thermal acclimation between populations. Therefore, the plasticity of membrane composition has also diverged between northern and southern populations. Together these studies demonstrate that the thermal plasticity of ectotherms is labile, and can diverge among different populations of a single species.
Paul Schaeffer, PhD (Advisor)
Jon Costanzo, PhD (Committee Member)
Kathleen Killian, PhD (Committee Member)
Richard Lee, PhD (Committee Member)
John Bailer , PhD (Committee Member)
84 p.
Biology; Physiology; Zoology
Thermal acclimation; phenotypic plasticity; metabolism; fatty acid composition; locomotor performance; temperature

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mineo, P. (2014). Do northern and southern populations of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) exhibit differences in thermal plasticity? [Doctoral dissertation, Miami University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1405340856

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mineo, Patrick. Do northern and southern populations of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) exhibit differences in thermal plasticity? 2014. Miami University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1405340856.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mineo, Patrick. "Do northern and southern populations of the eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) exhibit differences in thermal plasticity?" Doctoral dissertation, Miami University, 2014. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=miami1405340856

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

miami1405340856
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© 2014, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Miami University and OhioLINK.