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Chemical composition of food induces plasticity in digestive morphology in larvae of Rana temporaria
- Source :
- Biology Open, Vol 8, Iss 12 (2019)
- Publication Year :
- 2019
- Publisher :
- The Company of Biologists, 2019.
-
Abstract
- Food conditions are changing due to anthropogenic activities and natural sources and thus, many species are exposed to new challenges. Animals might cope with altered quantitative and qualitative composition [i.e. variable protein, nitrogen (N) and energy content] of food by exhibiting trophic and digestive plasticity. We examined experimentally whether tadpoles of the common frog (Rana temporaria) exhibit phenotypic plasticity of the oral apparatus and intestinal morphology when raised on a diet of either low (i.e. Spirulina algae) or high protein, N and energy content (i.e. Daphnia pulex). Whereas intestinal morphology was highly plastic, oral morphology did not respond plastically to different chemical compositions of food. Tadpoles that were fed food with low protein and N content and low-energy density developed significantly longer guts and a larger larval stomachs than tadpoles raised on high protein, N and an energetically dense diet, and developed a different intestinal surface morphology. Body sizes of the treatment groups were similar, indicating that tadpoles fully compensated for low protein, N and energy diet by developing longer intestines. The ability of a species, R. temporaria, to respond plastically to environmental variation indicates that this species might have the potential to cope with new conditions during climate change.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Oral apparatus
Low protein
oral papillae
QH301-705.5
Science
Zoology
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
Daphnia pulex
General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Rana
03 medical and health sciences
Algae
Biology (General)
030304 developmental biology
Trophic level
nutrient content
0303 health sciences
Phenotypic plasticity
Larva
biology
gut length
adaptability
protein content
biology.organism_classification
climate change
General Agricultural and Biological Sciences
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 20466390
- Volume :
- 8
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Biology Open
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....bc1e33c33c22ceafc9a4556dc0debe6f