水热环境对中国石龙子孵化卵、孵化成功率及孵化幼体特征的影响

用8种水热条件孵化中国石龙子（Eumeces chinensis）卵,观测孵化卵质量变化、胚胎利用卵内物质和能量及孵出坳体特征,孵化卵因净吸水增重,卵增重与入孵卵质量、孵化温度和基质湿度有关。孵出幼体湿重的处理间差异主要是因为幼体水分含量不同。温度显著影响孵化期、孵化卵吸水量、胚胎利用孵内物质和能量几乎所有被检的幼体特征;温度甚至影响胚胎动用卵壳无机物。然而,在24－32℃范围内,温度对卵孵化成功率无显著的影响。32℃孵出幼体比较低于此温度的孵出幼体发育差,表现为躯干小、未利用的卵黄多。此外,32℃孵出幼体的运动表现比低温孵出幼体差,表现为特定体长（snout-vent length,SVL）的疾跑速小于低温孵出幼体,表明高温孵化卵对孵出幼体的运动能力有不利的影响,潮湿基质中旗子同幼体的体长和尾长大于干燥基质中孵出的幼体,并特征性地具有较小的剩余卵黄。24℃胚胎发育能耗较大,胚胎从卵壳动用的无机物较少。温度影响孵出幼体的体形和头部大小,30℃孵出幼体的尾长最大,32℃孵出幼体的头部最小,其质湿度对孵出幼体的体形和头部大小无显著的影响。温度对孵出幼体特征的影响与湿度的影响无关。孵化水热环境诱导的幼体大小、质量和形态差异可能对幼体的生存和适应性具有重要的影响。26－30℃为孵化中国石龙子卵的适宜温度范围。     

中国石龙子雌体繁殖特征和卵孵化的地理变异

浙江丽水和广东韶关中国石龙子均年产单窝卵,窝卵数,窝卵重和卵重均与雌体SVL呈正相关,雌体头部形态,繁殖特征,产卵起始时间和孵孵化的热依赖性等有显著的地理变异;韶关石龙子产卵起始时间为5月中旬,比丽水经子约早两周,韶关石龙子窝卵数较大,卵较小,窝卵重与丽水石龙子无显著差异。韶关石龙子特定SVL的窝卵数比丽水石龙子多2．8枚卵,中国经子卵数量和大小之间有种群间权衡,无种数内权衡,同一种群内卵数量与卵大小无关,孵化温度影响石龙子孵出幼体的一些特征,24℃孵出细幼体比32℃孵出幼体大,躯干发育好,剩余卵黄少,韶关24℃孵出幼体的体重,躯干干重小于丽水幼体,韶关32℃孵出幼体的SVL小于丽水幼体,剩余卵黄大于丽水幼体,表明适宜卵孵化温度范围有地理变异。丽水石龙子卵对极端高温和低温的耐受性较强,适宜卵孵化温度范围较宽。     

浙江丽水中国石龙子卵孵化温度效应的进一步研究

在3个恒定温度（24、30、32℃）和1个自然波动温度（22.0-36.2℃）下孵化中国石龙子（Eu-meces chinensis）卵。结果表明温度对孵化成功率和孵出幼体的疾跑速无影响,对孵化期有显著影响;24℃和波动温度下孵出幼体的湿重和躯干干重较大,剩余卵黄干重较小（即卵黄利用率较高）;32℃高温对幼体形态发育有负面影响,但卵在自然波动温度下（包括短暂的高温组）的成功孵化应视为该种进行适应的结果。     

孵化温度对白条草蜥孵出幼体大小、形态和运动表现的影响

实验用白条草蜥(Takydrous wolteri）卵由1999年和2000年4月捕自安徽滁州的19条成年雌体产出。用4个恒定温度（24-33℃）孵化白条草蜥卵,检测孵化温度对孵出幼体大小、形态和运动表现的影响。孵化卵从环境中吸不导致生量增加,卵重量增加与卵初始重量和孵化温度有关。24、27、30和33℃孵化期的平均值分别为41.9、30.6、6.25和22.6d。温度显著影响孵化成功率及孵出幼体的湿重、躯干干重和剩余卵黄干重,但对孵出幼体的性别、体长、尾长和干重无显著影响。24℃和27℃孵出幼体湿重和躯干干重大于33℃孵出幼体,剩余卵黄干则小于33℃孵出幼体;30℃和33℃孵出幼体的湿重、躯干干重和剩余卵黄干重无显著差异。孵化温度显著影响孵出幼体一些局部形态特征：24℃和27℃孵出幼体头长和头宽矫正值显著大于高温（33℃）孵出幼体,24℃孵出幼体耳径正值一般小于较高温度孵出的幼体。疾跑速与幼体体长成正相关,与幼体尾长和状态无关。高温孵出幼体运动能力较差。雄笥幼体腹鳞行数少于雌性幼体,尾长和后肢长大于雌性幼体,这些特征的两性差异与孵化温度无关。孵化热环境能诱导白条草蜥部分表型特征的变异,这些特征的变异可能对个体的适应性具有长期的影响。     

水热环境对中国石龙子孵化卵、孵化成功率及孵出幼体特征的影响

用 8种水热条件孵化中国石龙子 (Eumeceschinensis)卵 ,观测孵化卵质量变化、胚胎利用卵内物质和能量及孵出幼体特征。孵化卵因净吸水增重 ,卵增重与入孵卵质量、孵化温度和基质湿度有关。孵出幼体湿重的处理间差异主要是因为幼体水分含量不同。温度显著影响孵化期、孵化卵吸水量、胚胎利用卵内物质和能量几乎所有被检的幼体特征 ;温度甚至影响胚胎动用卵壳无机物。然而 ,在 2 4～ 32℃范围内 ,温度对卵孵化成功率无显著的影响。 32℃孵出幼体比较低于此温度的孵出幼体发育差 ,表现为躯干小、未利用的卵黄多。此外 ,32℃孵出幼体的运动表现比低温孵出幼体差 ,表现为特定体长 (snout ventlength ,SVL)的疾跑速小于低温孵出幼体 ,表明高温孵化卵对孵出幼体的运动能力有不利的影响。潮湿基质中孵出幼体的体长和尾长大于干燥基质中孵出的幼体 ,并特征性地具有较小的剩余卵黄。 2 4℃胚胎发育能耗较大 ,胚胎从卵壳动用的无机物较少。温度影响孵出幼体的体形和头部大小 ,30℃孵出幼体的尾长最大 ,32℃孵出幼体的头部最小。基质湿度对孵出幼体的体形和头部大小无显著的影响。温度对孵出幼体特征的影响与湿度的影响无关。孵化水热环境诱导的幼体大小、质量和形态差异可能对幼体的生存和适应性具有重要的影响。 2     

滑鼠蛇的繁殖输出及孵化热环境对孵出幼体表型特征的影响

用15条2002年6月中旬捕自浙江丽水的怀卵滑鼠蛇研究繁殖输出及孵化热环境对孵出幼体表型特征的影响。母体在捕后3周内各产一窝柔性卵。窝卵数、窝卵重和卵大小均随母体体长增加而增大,平均值分别为13．3(枚卵)、332．4g和24．8g。窝卵数和卵大小的变异系数分别为0．18和0．13。窝卵数与产后母体状态呈正相关,卵数量和大小无关。每窝部分可孵卵分别用恒温(24、27、30、33℃)和21．0-39．0℃(平均28．3℃)范围内的波动温度孵化,每隔5d记录恒温孵化卵的重量。孵化热环境对卵与环境之间的水分交换有显著影响,并影响孵化卵重量的时间变化。24、27、30、33℃和波动温度的平均孵化期分别为105．4、78．0、57．8、51．3和58．6d。不同热环境下的孵化成功率和幼体畸形率有一定差别,但统计上不显著。24℃和30℃孵出幼体雄性比例较高,27℃、33℃和波动温度孵出幼体雌性比例较高,但没有证据表明孵化温度能决定滑鼠蛇性别。除孵出幼体灰分含量外,孵化温度对其它幼体特征均有显著影响。33℃孵出幼体SVL较小,但剩余卵黄和其中的灰分含量大于其它温度孵出的幼体。24℃和30℃孵出幼体的总干重、总能量、躯干干重、脂肪体干重总体上小于27℃和波动温度孵出幼体。24℃孵出幼体特征性具有最小的剩余卵黄,33℃孵出幼体则特征性地具有最大的剩余卵黄。24℃和30℃孵出幼体特征较为接近,27℃和波动温度孵出幼体较为接近。对9个幼体特征变量做主成分分析发现,第一和第二主成分共解释81．2％的变异。幼体SVL、湿重、干重、脂肪含量、能量、躯干干重和脂肪体干重在第一主成分有较高的正负载系数(解释56．9％变异),剩余卵黄干重在第二主成分有较高的正负载系数(解释24．3％变异),第一和第二主成分的分值均差异显著。主成分分析进一步显示,24、30和33℃孵出幼体总体上小于27℃和波动温度孵出幼体[动物学报50(4)：541-550,2004]。     

四种内外因素导致的中国石龙子运动表现的种群内变异

设计四项实验研究四种内外因素(环境温度、怀卵、摄食和断尾) 导致的中国石龙子(Eumeces chinen sis) 运动表现种群内变异。环境温度通过影响体温而影响石龙子的运动表现。两性成体疾跑速均具有在低体温范围内随体温升高而加快、在高体温范围内随体温升高而降低的一般模式。怀卵雌体和成年雄体使平均疾跑速达到最大值的体温分别是29℃和30℃。在任何体温下成年雄体的疾跑速均大于怀卵雌体, 表明怀卵对母体运动有不利的影响并相对地增加了雌体繁殖代价。怀卵雌体和成年雄体的最大持续运动距离无显著差异; 体温对最大持续运动距离有显著影响, 且主要与低体温下最大持续运动距离较小有关。性别与体温相互作用对最大持续运动距离有显著影响。怀卵雌体和成年雄体的疾跑速和最大持续运动距离呈显著的正相关。以性别为因子的ANCOVA去除最大持续运动距离差异的影响后发现, 成年雄体的疾跑速仍大于怀卵雌体。27℃和30℃平均体温下的摄食实验进一步证实怀卵雌体疾跑速小于成年雄体, 但前者最大持续运动距离大于后者。该实验同时显示禁食石龙子的疾跑速和最大持续运动距离大于摄食石龙子, 各因子相互作用对最大持续运动距离的影响显著,仅性别与摄食相互作用对疾跑速有边缘性显著影响。27℃和30℃平均体温下的尾自切     

孵化温度对王锦蛇胚胎代谢和幼体适合度的影响

孵化温度所驱动的爬行动物的表型变异是生理生态学研究的热点。本研究以王锦蛇(Elaphe carinata)为实验动物,检验了24℃和28℃孵化温度对王锦蛇胚胎代谢速率、孵化过程中的卵重量、孵出幼体代谢和行为的影响。研究结果显示:卵重和胚胎的呼吸代谢均与孵化时间呈正相关;28℃下胚胎代谢速率大于24℃;幼蛇孵出15 d内体重随着生长时间的延长而减小,24℃孵出幼体的代谢速率大于28℃孵出幼体,两温度下孵出幼体的呼吸代谢速率和生长时间无显著关系;28℃孵出幼体的疾游速和吐信频次均大于24℃;两孵化温度孵出幼体的选择体温无显著差异,但在消耗完体内的剩余卵黄后28℃孵出幼体有60%的个体摄食,而24℃孵出幼体无摄食个体。总体而言,王锦蛇28℃孵出幼体适合度优于24℃孵出幼体。     

安徽宿州山地麻蜥卵孵化温度效应

用3个恒定温度(27、30、33℃)和波动温度(14.0～37.5℃)孵化山地麻蜥(Eremias brenchleyi)卵。结果表明,各温度处理下卵孵化成功率差异不显著,但温度对孵化期、孵出幼体表型特征及疾跑速度有显著影响;27、30℃和波动温度下孵出幼体的SVL、重量及躯干干重比33℃的要大,33℃孵出幼体的运动能力比其他3个温度处理弱。波动温度处理下山地麻蜥卵虽短期经历潜在致死的极端温度,但对孵化成功率、孵出幼体表型特征和运动表现均无负效应。     

孵化温度对赤链蛇胚胎代谢和幼体行为的影响

研究了赤链蛇(Dinodon rufozonatum)在孵化过程中卵的生长、孵化期、胚胎代谢和孵出幼体行为表现的热依赖性。结果显示:孵化温度对孵化期、卵增重、孵化过程中消耗的总能量和孵出幼体的运动表现有显著影响,但不影响胚胎代谢率、孵化成功率和幼体吐信频次。孵化期随着孵化温度的升高而缩短,孵化过程中,24℃终末卵重和胚胎代谢率显著大于30℃,而27℃与其他两个温度没有差异;27℃孵出幼体游速较24℃快,30℃孵出幼体与其他两个温度孵出幼体的游速无显著差异。上述结果显示:24—30℃是赤链蛇适合的孵化温度范围,与赤链蛇所处的生境温度相近。     

Costly steroids: egg testosterone modulates nestling metabolic rate in the zebra finch

The transfer of non-genetic resources from mother to the offspring often has considerable consequences for offspring performance. In birds, maternally derived hormones are known to influence a variety of morphological, physiological and behavioural traits in the chick. So far, the range of these hormonal effects involves benefits in terms of enhanced growth and competitive ability as well as costs in terms of immunosuppression. However, since yolk hormones can enhance growth and begging activity, high levels of these hormones may also involve energetic costs. Here, we show experimentally that elevated levels of prenatal testosterone increase resting metabolic rate in nestling zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata). Surprisingly, however, elevation of prenatal testosterone did not result in higher growth rates and, thus, differences in resting metabolism do not seem to be linked to nestling growth. We conclude that apart from immunosuppressive effects, high levels of egg steroids may also entail costs in terms of increased energy expenditure.     

Larger female fish contribute disproportionately more to self-replenishment

While chance events, oceanography and selective pressures inject stochasticity into the replenishment of marine populations with dispersing life stages, some determinism may arise as a result of characteristics of breeding individuals. It is well known that larger females have higher fecundity, and recent laboratory studies have shown that maternal traits such as age and size can be positively associated with offspring growth, size and survival. Whether such fecundity and maternal effects translate into higher recruitment in marine populations remains largely unanswered. We studied a population of Amphiprion chrysopterus (orange-fin anemonefish) in Moorea, French Polynesia, to test whether maternal size influenced the degree of self-recruitment on the island through body size-fecundity and/or additional size-related maternal effects of offspring. We non-lethally sampled 378 adult and young juveniles at Moorea, and, through parentage analysis, identified the mothers of 27 self-recruits (SRs) out of 101 recruits sampled. We also identified the sites occupied by each mother of an SR and, taking into account variation in maternal size among sites, we found that females that produced SRs were significantly larger than those that did not (approx. 7% greater total length, approx. 20% greater biomass). Our analyses further reveal that the contribution of larger females to self-recruitment was significantly greater than expected on the basis of the relationship between body size and fecundity, indicating that there were important maternal effects of female size on traits of their offspring. These results show, for the first time in a natural population, that larger female fish contribute more to local replenishment (self-recruitment) and, more importantly, that size-specific fecundity alone could not explain the disparity.     

Maternal body condition influences magnitude of anti-predator response in offspring

Organisms exhibit plasticity in response to their environment, but there is large variation even within populations in the expression and magnitude of response. Maternal influence alters offspring survival through size advantages in growth and development. However, the relationship between maternal influence and variation in plasticity in response to predation risk is unknown. We hypothesized that variation in the magnitude of plastic responses between families is at least partly due to maternal provisioning and examined the relationship between maternal condition, egg provisioning and magnitude of plastic response to perceived predation risk (by dragonfly larvae: Aeshna spp.) in northern leopard frogs (Lithobates pipiens). Females in better body condition tended to lay more (clutch size) larger (egg diameter) eggs. Tadpoles responded to predation risk by increasing relative tail depth (morphology) and decreasing activity (behaviour). We found a positive relationship between morphological effect size and maternal condition, but no relationship between behavioural effect size and maternal condition. These novel findings suggest that limitations imposed by maternal condition can constrain phenotypic variation, ultimately influencing the capacity of populations to respond to environmental change.     

Androgenesis is a maternal trait in the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata

Androgenesis is the production of an offspring containing exclusively the nuclear genome of the fathering male via the maternal eggs. This unusual mating system is generally considered a male trait, giving to androgenetic males a substantial fitness advantage over their sexually reproducing relatives. We here provide the first empirical study of the evolutionary outcomes of androgenesis in a haplo-diploid organism: the invasive ant Wasmannia auropunctata. Some of the populations of this species have a classical haplo-diploid sexual mating system. In other populations, females and males are produced through parthenogenesis and androgenesis, respectively, whereas workers are produced sexually. We conducted laboratory reciprocal-cross experiments with reproductive individuals from both types of populations and analysed their progenies with genetic markers, to determine the respective contribution of males and females to the production of androgenetic males. We found that androgenesis was a parthenogenetic female trait. A population genetic study conducted in natura confirmed the parthenogenetic female origin of androgenesis, with the identification of introgression events of sexual male genotypes into androgenetic/parthenogenetic lineages. We argue that by producing males via androgenesis, parthenogenetic queen lineages may increase and/or maintain their adaptive potential, while maintaining the integrity of their own genome, by occasionally acquiring new male genetic material and avoiding inbreeding depression within the sexually produced worker cast.     

Bicaudal-C spatially controls translation of vertebrate maternal mRNAs

The Xenopus Cripto-1 protein is confined to the cells of the animal hemisphere during early embryogenesis where it regulates the formation of anterior structures. Cripto-1 protein accumulates only in animal cells because cripto-1 mRNA in cells of the vegetal hemisphere is translationally repressed. Here, we show that the RNA binding protein, Bicaudal-C (Bic-C), functioned directly in this vegetal cell-specific repression. While Bic-C protein is normally confined to vegetal cells, ectopic expression of Bic-C in animal cells repressed a cripto-1 mRNA reporter and associated with endogenous cripto-1 mRNA. Repression by Bic-C required its N-terminal domain, comprised of multiple KH motifs, for specific binding to relevant control elements within the cripto-1 mRNA and a functionally separable C-terminal translation repression domain. Bic-C-mediated repression required the 5′ CAP and translation initiation factors, but not a poly(A) tail or the conserved SAM domain within Bic-C. Bic-C-directed immunoprecipitation followed by deep sequencing of associated mRNAs identified multiple Bic-C-regulated mRNA targets, including cripto-1 mRNA, providing new insights and tools for understanding the role of Bic-C in vertebrate development.