@article{DrakulićFeldhaarLisičićetal.2016,
  author    = {Drakulić, Sanja and Feldhaar, Heike and Lisičić, Duje and Mioč, Mia and Cizelj, Ivan and Seiler, Michael and Spatz, Theresa and R{\"o}del, Mark-Oliver},
  title     = {Population-specific effects of developmental temperature on body condition and jumping performance of a widespread European frog},
  series = {Ecology and Evolution},
  volume    = {6},
  journal   = {Ecology and Evolution},
  number    = {10},
  doi       = {10.1002/ece3.2113},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-164960},
  pages     = {3115-3128},
  year      = {2016},
  abstract  = {All physiological processes of ectotherms depend on environmental temperature. Thus, adaptation of physiological mechanisms to the thermal environments is important for achieving optimal performance and fitness. The European Common Frog, Rana temporaria, is widely distributed across different thermal habitats. This makes it an exceptional model for studying the adaptations to different thermal conditions. We raised tadpoles from Germany and Croatia at two constant temperature treatments (15°C, 20°C), and under natural temperature fluctuations (in outdoor treatments), and tested how different developmental temperatures affected developmental traits, that is, length of larval development, morphometrics, and body condition, as well as jumping performance of metamorphs. Our results revealed population-specific differences in developmental time, body condition, and jumping performance. Croatian frogs developed faster in all treatments, were heavier, in better body condition, and had longer hind limbs and better jumping abilities than German metamorphs. The populations further differed in thermal sensitivity of jumping performance. While metamorphs from Croatia increased their jumping performance with higher temperatures, German metamorphs reached their performance maximum at lower temperatures. These population-specific differences in common environments indicate local genetic adaptation, with southern populations being better adapted to higher temperatures than those from north of the Alps.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{GroezingerTheinFeldhaaretal.2014,
  author    = {Gr{\"o}zinger, Franziska and Thein, J{\"u}rgen and Feldhaar, Heike and R{\"o}del, Mark-Oliver},
  title     = {Giants, Dwarfs and the Environment - Metamorphic Trait Plasticity in the Common Frog},
  series = {PLOS ONE},
  volume    = {9},
  journal   = {PLOS ONE},
  number    = {3},
  issn      = {1932-6203},
  doi       = {10.1371/journal.pone.0089982},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-117203},
  pages     = {e89982},
  year      = {2014},
  abstract  = {In order to understand adaptation processes and population dynamics, it is central to know how environmental parameters influence performance of organisms within populations, including their phenotypes. The impact of single or few particular parameters in concert was often assessed in laboratory and mesocosm experiments. However, under natural conditions, with many biotic and abiotic factors potentially interacting, outcomes on phenotypic changes may be different. To study the potential environmental impact on realized phenotypic plasticity within a natural population, we assessed metamorphic traits (developmental time, size and body mass) in an amphibian species, the European common frog Rana temporaria, since a) larval amphibians are known to exhibit high levels of phenotypic plasticity of these traits in response to habitat parameters and, b) the traits' features may strongly influence individuals' future performance and fitness. In 2007 we studied these metamorphic traits in 18 ponds spread over an area of 28 km 2. A subset of six ponds was reinvestigated in 2009 and 2010. This study revealed locally high variances in metamorphic traits in this presumed generalist species. We detected profound differences between metamorphing froglets (up to factor ten); both between and within ponds, on a very small geographic scale. Parameters such as predation and competition as well as many other pond characteristics, generally expected to have high impact on development, could not be related to the trait differences. We observed high divergence of patterns of mass at metamorphosis between ponds, but no detectable pattern when metamorphic traits were compared between ponds and years. Our results indicate that environment alone, i.e. as experienced by tadpoles sharing the same breeding pond, can only partly explain the variability of metamorphic traits observed. This emphasizes the importance to assess variability of reaction norms on the individual level to explain within-population variability.},
  language  = {en}
}