Effects of temperature on growth and development of amphibian larvae across an altitudinal gradient in the Tibetan Plateau

Abstract

Abstract Organisms living in extreme environments, such as amphibians inhabiting the Tibetan plateau, are faced with a magnitude of potentially strong selection pressures. With an average elevation exceeding 4500 m, the Tibetan plateau is mainly characterized by low temperatures, but little is known about the influence of this factor on the growth, development, and behaviour of amphibian larvae living in this environment. Using a common garden experiment, we studied the influence of temperatures on the early growth and development of tadpoles of the Tibetan brown frog (Rana kukunoris) endemic to the eastern Tibetan plateau. We discovered that temperature had a significant influence on early growth and development of the tadpoles, with those undergoing high-temperature treatment growing and developing faster than their siblings from a low-temperature treatment. However, high-altitude individuals grew faster than low-altitude individuals at low temperatures, while the opposite was true at high temperatures. These results support the temperature adaptation hypothesis, as tadpoles’ growth and developmental rates were maximized at the temperatures experienced in their native environments. These results suggest that variation in ambient temperature, combined with evolutionary adaptation to temperature of local environments, is probably one of the most critical environmental factors shaping altitudinal differences in the growth and development of amphibian larvae on the Tibetan plateau.