Frogs adapt to physiologically costly anthropogenic noise

Publication Type:Journal Article
Year of Publication:2018
Authors:Tennessen, Parks, Swierk, Reinert, Holden, Rollins-Smith, Walsh, Langkilde
Journal:Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
Volume:285
Issue:1891
Pagination:20182194
Date Published:Sep-15-20182197
ISSN:0962-8452
Abstract:

Human activities impose novel pressures on amphibians, which are experiencing unprecedented global declines, yet population-level responses are poorly understood. A growing body of literature has revealed that noise is an anthropogenic stressor that impacts ecological processes spanning sub-cellular to ecosystem levels. These consequences can impose novel selective pressures on populations, yet whether populations can adapt to noise is unknown. We tested for adaptation to traffic noise, a widespread sensory “pollutant”. We collected eggs of wood frogs (Rana sylvatica) from populations from different traffic noise regimes, reared hatchlings under the same conditions, and tested frogs for differences in sublethal fitness-relevant effects of noise. We show that prolonged noise impaired production of antimicrobial peptides associated with defence against disease. Additionally, noise and origin site interacted to impact immune and stress responses. Noise exposure altered leukocyte production and increased baseline levels of the stress-relevant glucocorticoid, corticosterone, in frogs from quiet sites, but noise-legacy populations were unaffected. These results suggest noise-legacy populations have adapted to avoid fitness-relevant physiological costs of traffic noise. These findings advance our understanding of the consequences of novel soundscapes, and reveal a pathway by which anthropogenic disturbance can enable adaptation to novel environments.

URL:http://rspb.royalsocietypublishing.org/lookup/doi/10.1098/rspb.2018.2194https://syndication.highwire.org/content/doi/10.1098/rspb.2018.2194
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2018.2194
Short Title:Proc. R. Soc. B
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Scratchpads developed and conceived by (alphabetical): Ed Baker, Katherine Bouton Alice Heaton Dimitris Koureas, Laurence Livermore, Dave Roberts, Simon Rycroft, Ben Scott, Vince Smith