Data from: Geographic variation in corticosterone response to chronic predator stress in tadpoles
Data files
Apr 03, 2012 version files 146.43 KB
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CORT MANIPULATION METAMORPHS.xls
20.99 KB
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CORT MANIPULATION WHOLE BODY CORT.xls
17.41 KB
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PREDATOR EXPERIMENT BODY LENGTH AND DEVELOPMENT.xls
34.82 KB
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PREDATOR EXPERIMENT CORT DAY 1.xls
39.94 KB
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PREDATOR EXPERIMENT CORT DAY 14.xls
33.28 KB
Abstract
Chronic stress often affects growth and development negatively and these effects are often mediated via glucocorticoid hormones, which elevate during stress. We investigated latitudinal variation in corticosterone (CORT)-response to chronic predator stress in Rana temporaria tadpoles along a 1500 km latitudinal cline in Sweden tadpoles, in a laboratory experiment. We hypothesised that more time-constrained high-latitude populations have evolved a lower CORT-response to chronic stress to maintain higher growth under stressful conditions. Southern tadpoles had higher CORT-content in response to predators after one day of exposure, whereas there was no increase in CORT in the northern populations. Two weeks later there were no predator-induced CORT elevations. Artificially elevated CORT levels strongly decreased growth, development and survival in both northern and southern tadpoles. We suggest that the lower CORT-response in high-latitude populations can be connected with avoidance of CORT-mediated reduction in growth and development, but also discuss other possible explanations.