@article{MTMT:34476994, title = {Does stress make males? An experiment on the role of glucocorticoids in anuran sex reversal}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34476994}, author = {Bókony, Veronika and Kalina, Csenge and Ujhegyi, Nikolett and Mikó, Zsanett and Lefler, Kinga Katalin and Vili, Nóra and Gál, Zoltán and Gabor, Caitlin R. and Hoffmann, Orsolya Ivett}, doi = {10.1002/jez.2772}, journal-iso = {J EXP ZOOL PART A}, journal = {JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART A: ECOLOGICAL AND INTEGRATIVE PHYSIOLOGY}, volume = {341}, unique-id = {34476994}, issn = {2471-5638}, abstract = {Environmentally sensitive sex determination may help organisms adapt to environmental change but also makes them vulnerable to anthropogenic stressors, with diverse consequences for population dynamics and evolution. The mechanisms translating environmental stimuli to sex are controversial: although several fish experiments supported the mediator role of glucocorticoid hormones, results on some reptiles challenged it. We tested this hypothesis in amphibians by investigating the effect of corticosterone on sex determination in agile frogs ( Rana dalmatina ). This species is liable to environmental sex reversal whereby genetic females develop into phenotypic males. After exposing tadpoles during sex determination to waterborne corticosterone, the proportion of genetic females with testes or ovotestes increased from 11% to up to 32% at 3 out of 4 concentrations. These differences were not statistically significant except for the group treated with 10 nM corticosterone, and there was no monotonous dose‐effect relationship. These findings suggest that corticosterone is unlikely to mediate sex reversal in frogs. Unexpectedly, animals originating from urban habitats had higher sex‐reversal and corticosterone‐release rates, reduced body mass and development speed, and lower survival compared to individuals collected from woodland habitats. Thus, anthropogenic environments may affect both sex and fitness, and the underlying mechanisms may vary across ectothermic vertebrates.}, year = {2024}, eissn = {2471-5646}, pages = {172-181}, orcid-numbers = {Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346; Gabor, Caitlin R./0000-0001-7584-1451} } @article{MTMT:34561992, title = {Tadpoles Develop Elevated Heat Tolerance in Urban Heat Islands Regardless of Sex}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34561992}, author = {Bókony, Veronika and Balogh, Emese and Ujszegi, János and Ujhegyi, Nikolett and Szederkényi, Márk and Hettyey, Attila}, doi = {10.1007/s11692-024-09626-7}, journal-iso = {EVOL BIOL}, journal = {EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY}, unique-id = {34561992}, issn = {0071-3260}, abstract = {The ability of wildlife to endure the effects of high temperatures is increasingly important for biodiversity conservation under climate change and spreading urbanization. Organisms living in urban heat islands can have elevated heat tolerance via phenotypic or transgenerational plasticity or microevolution. However, the prevalence and mechanisms of such thermal adaptations are barely known in aquatic organisms. Furthermore, males and females can differ in heat tolerance, which may lead to sex-biased mortality, yet it is unknown how sex differences in thermal biology influence urban phenotypic divergence. To address these knowledge gaps, we measured critical thermal maxima (CTmax) in male and female agile frog (Rana dalmatina) tadpoles captured from warm urban ponds and cool woodland ponds, and in a common-garden experiment where embryos collected from both habitat types were raised in the laboratory. We found higher CTmax in urban-dwelling tadpoles compared to their counterparts living in woodland ponds. This difference was reversed in the common-garden experiment: tadpoles originating from urban ponds had lower CTmax than tadpoles originating from woodland ponds. We found no effect of sex on CTmax or its difference between habitats. These results demonstrate that aquatic amphibian larvae can respond to the urban heat island effect with increased heat tolerance similarly to other, mostly terrestrial taxa studied so far, and that phenotypic plasticity may be the main driver of this response. Our findings also suggest that heat-induced mortality may be independent of sex in tadpoles, but research is needed in many more taxa to explore potentially sex-dependent urban thermal responses.}, keywords = {sex difference; ANURANS; phenotypic plasticity; Urban heat island; THERMAL TOLERANCE}, year = {2024}, eissn = {1934-2845}, orcid-numbers = {Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346} } @article{MTMT:35166996, title = {Geographic variation in developmental plasticity among populations of the canyon treefrog in response to temperature and pond‐drying}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/35166996}, author = {Hernández‐Herrera, C. I. and Pérez‐Mendoza, H. A. and Fornoni, J.}, doi = {10.1111/jzo.13202}, journal-iso = {J ZOOL}, journal = {JOURNAL OF ZOOLOGY}, unique-id = {35166996}, issn = {0952-8369}, abstract = {Understanding how species respond to environmental changes, particularly in the context of climate change, is crucial for biodiversity conservation. This study focuses on the plastic responses of canyon tree frog ( Dryophytes arenicolor ) larvae to variations in temperature and pond‐drying, examining potential consequences of climate change. Frog larvae serve as an excellent model due to their high responsiveness to environmental cues during development. We analysed the impact of temperature and pond‐drying on morphological and life‐history traits, via a common garden experiment with individuals from three distinct populations with different ecological conditions. The experiments revealed significant differences in responses among populations, indicating geographic variation in plasticity. Pond‐drying treatments led to reduced survival and reduction of morphological traits and growth, challenging the assumption that tadpoles have adaptive responses to drying conditions. In contrast, temperature treatments showed variable effects, with elevated temperatures generally favouring growth rates, reducing metamorphosis time, and having population‐specific morphological shifts. We emphasize the importance of considering both morphological and life‐history traits, as well as geographic variation, in assessing species' vulnerability to climate change. Furthermore, the integration of environmental standardized plasticity index (ESPI) and relative distances plasticity index (RDPI) in amphibian developmental plasticity will allow to quantify and compare plastic responses among populations and even other amphibian species in which these metrics are obtained in the future. Our results underscore the complexity of phenotypic plasticity, revealing genotype–environment interactions. These findings contribute valuable insights into the potential adaptability of D. arenicolor populations to ongoing climate changes, highlighting the need for comprehensive inter‐population studies for a more nuanced understanding of species' responses to environmental change, and suggest that certain populations may be more vulnerable to extinction or better equipped to handle climate change based on their ability to adapt to environmental change.}, year = {2024}, eissn = {1469-7998}, orcid-numbers = {Hernández‐Herrera, C. I./0009-0005-8974-3998; Pérez‐Mendoza, H. A./0000-0003-1073-9362} } @article{MTMT:35192569, title = {No sex‐dependent mortality in an amphibian upon infection with the chytrid fungus, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/35192569}, author = {Ujszegi, János and Ujhegyi, Nikolett and Balogh, Emese and Mikó, Zsanett and Kásler, Andrea and Hettyey, Attila and Bókony, Veronika}, doi = {10.1002/ece3.70219}, journal-iso = {ECOL EVOL}, journal = {ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION}, volume = {14}, unique-id = {35192569}, issn = {2045-7758}, abstract = {One of the major factors driving the currently ongoing biodiversity crisis is the anthropogenic spread of infectious diseases. Diseases can have conspicuous consequences, such as mass mortality events, but may also exert covert but similarly severe effects, such as sex ratio distortion via sex‐biased mortality. Chytridiomycosis, caused by the fungal pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is among the most important threats to amphibian biodiversity. Yet, whether Bd infection can skew sex ratios in amphibians is currently unknown, although such a hidden effect may cause the already dwindling amphibian populations to collapse. To investigate this possibility, we collected common toad ( Bufo bufo ) tadpoles from a natural habitat in Hungary and continuously treated them until metamorphosis with sterile Bd culture medium (control), or a liquid culture of a Hungarian or a Spanish Bd isolate. Bd prevalence was high in animals that died during the experiment but was almost zero in individuals that survived until the end of the experiment. Both Bd treatments significantly reduced survival after metamorphosis, but we did not observe sex‐dependent mortality in either treatment. However, a small number of genotypically female individuals developed male phenotype (testes) in the Spanish Bd isolate treatment. Therefore, future research is needed to ascertain if larval Bd infection can affect sex ratio in common toads through female‐to‐male sex reversal.}, year = {2024}, eissn = {2045-7758}, orcid-numbers = {Ujhegyi, Nikolett/0000-0001-9610-0353; Mikó, Zsanett/0000-0003-4853-9331; Kásler, Andrea/0000-0003-2075-0776; Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346} } @article{MTMT:34288210, title = {Larval plastic responses to warming and desiccation delay gonadal maturation in postmetamorphic spadefoot toads}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34288210}, author = {Burraco, Pablo and Torres-Montoro, Juan Carlos and Gomez-Mestre, Ivan}, doi = {10.1093/evolut/qpad180}, journal-iso = {EVOLUTION}, journal = {EVOLUTION}, volume = {77}, unique-id = {34288210}, issn = {0014-3820}, abstract = {Developmental plasticity allows organisms to adjust life-history traits to varying environmental conditions, which can have concomitant effects across life stages. Many amphibians are suitable model systems to study plasticity because their larvae can adjust growth and differentiation under fluctuating environments. It is unknown, however, whether somatic and gonadal differentiation are equally affected by environmentally induced plasticity or whether their decoupling alters gonadal maturation postmetamorphosis, which may affect fitness. We tested if developmental acceleration in response to warming and desiccation risk results in shifts in gonadal maturation during metamorphosis and postmetamorphic growth in western spadefoot toads (Pelobates cultripes). We found additive effects of increased temperature and desiccation risk on development and growth at metamorphosis, which largely constrained gonadal maturation in metamorphic and postmetamorphic individuals of both sexes. Furthermore, the conditions experienced by larvae incurred sex-specific carryover effects on the gonadal maturation of juveniles 5 months after metamorphosis. In females, high temperature delayed ovarian maturation regardless of the water level. In males, exposure to high temperature and high water levels slightly delayed the testes' maturation. These results highlight the relevance of larval plasticity in the gonadal maturation of species undergoing metamorphosis, which may have implications for population demographics and the evolution of life histories.}, keywords = {AMPHIBIANS; metamorphosis; Sexual Maturation; phenotypic plasticity; LIFE-HISTORY EVOLUTION}, year = {2023}, eissn = {1558-5646}, pages = {2687-2695}, orcid-numbers = {Burraco, Pablo/0000-0002-9007-2643} } @article{MTMT:34194179, title = {Amphibian Hymenochirus boettgeri as an experimental model for infection studies with the chytrid fungus batrachochytrium dendrobatidis}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34194179}, author = {Carvalho, Tamilie and Si, Catherine and Clemons, Rebecca A. and Faust, Evelyn and James, Timothy Y.}, doi = {10.1080/21505594.2023.2270252}, journal-iso = {VIRULENCE}, journal = {VIRULENCE}, volume = {14}, unique-id = {34194179}, issn = {2150-5594}, year = {2023}, eissn = {2150-5608}, orcid-numbers = {Carvalho, Tamilie/0000-0001-7300-2777} } @article{MTMT:34074949, title = {Amphibian larvae benefit from a warm environment under simultaneous threat from chytridiomycosis and ranavirosis}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34074949}, author = {Herczeg, Dávid and Holly, Dóra and Kásler, Andrea and Bókony, Veronika and Papp, Tibor and Takács-Vágó, Hunor and Ujszegi, János and Hettyey, Attila}, doi = {10.1111/oik.09953}, journal-iso = {OIKOS}, journal = {OIKOS}, volume = {11}, unique-id = {34074949}, issn = {0030-1299}, year = {2023}, eissn = {1600-0706}, orcid-numbers = {Herczeg, Dávid/0000-0001-5098-961X; Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346; Papp, Tibor/0000-0002-6402-3864} } @article{MTMT:33979703, title = {Impacts of rising temperatures and water acidification on the oxidative status and immune system of aquatic ectothermic vertebrates: A meta-analysis}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33979703}, author = {Messina, Simone and Costantini, David and Eens, Marcel}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.161580}, journal-iso = {SCI TOTAL ENVIRON}, journal = {SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, volume = {868}, unique-id = {33979703}, issn = {0048-9697}, abstract = {Species persistence in the Anthropocene is dramatically threatened by global climate change. Large emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) from human activities are driving increases in mean temperature, intensity of heatwaves, and acidification of oceans and freshwater bodies. Ectotherms are particularly sensitive to CO2-induced stressors, because the rate of their metabolic reactions, as well as their immunological performance, are affected by environmental tem-peratures and water pH. We reviewed and performed a meta-analysis of 56 studies, involving 1259 effect sizes, that compared oxidative status or immune function metrics between 42 species of ectothermic vertebrates exposed to long-term increased temperatures or water acidification (>= 48 h), and those exposed to control parameters resembling natural conditions. We found that CO2-induced stressors enhance levels of molecular oxidative damages in ectotherms, while the activity of antioxidant enzymes was upregulated only at higher temperatures, possibly due to an increased rate of biochemical reactions dependent on the higher ambient temperature. Differently, both temperature and water acidification showed weak impacts on immune function, indicating different direction (increase or decrease) of responses among immune traits. Further, we found that the intensity of temperature treatments (Delta degrees C) and their duration, enhance the physiological response of ectotherms, pointing to stronger effects of prolonged extreme warming events (i.e., heatwaves) on the oxidative status. Finally, adult individuals showed weaker antioxidant enzy-matic responses to an increase in water temperature compared to early life stages, suggesting lower acclimation capac-ity. Antarctic species showed weaker antioxidant response compared to temperate and tropical species, but level of uncertainty in the antioxidant enzymatic response of Antarctic species was high, thus pairwise comparisons were statistically non-significant. Overall, the results of this meta-analysis indicate that the regulation of oxidative status might be one key mechanism underlying thermal plasticity in aquatic ectothermic vertebrates.}, keywords = {Development; PLASTICITY; ACCLIMATION; Heatwave; water pH; Oxidative stress}, year = {2023}, eissn = {1879-1026}, orcid-numbers = {Messina, Simone/0000-0001-6034-7450} } @article{MTMT:33828779, title = {Complex Organisms Must Deal with Complex Threats: How Does Amphibian Conservation Deal with Biphasic Life Cycles?}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/33828779}, author = {Nolan, Nadine and Hayward, Matthew W. and Klop-Toker, Kaya and Mahony, Michael and Lemckert, Frank and Callen, Alex}, doi = {10.3390/ani13101634}, journal-iso = {ANIMALS-BASEL}, journal = {ANIMALS}, volume = {13}, unique-id = {33828779}, abstract = {The unprecedented rate of global amphibian decline is attributed to The Anthropocene, with human actions triggering the Sixth Mass Extinction Event. Amphibians have suffered some of the most extreme declines, and their lack of response to conservation actions may reflect challenges faced by taxa that exhibit biphasic life histories. There is an urgent need to ensure that conservation measures are cost-effective and yield positive outcomes. Many conservation actions have failed to meet their intended goals of bolstering populations to ensure the persistence of species into the future. We suggest that past conservation efforts have not considered how different threats influence multiple life stages of amphibians, potentially leading to suboptimal outcomes for their conservation. Our review highlights the multitude of threats amphibians face at each life stage and the conservation actions used to mitigate these threats. We also draw attention to the paucity of studies that have employed multiple actions across more than one life stage. Conservation programs for biphasic amphibians, and the research that guides them, lack a multi-pronged approach to deal with multiple threats across the lifecycle. Conservation management programs must recognise the changing threat landscape for biphasic amphibians to reduce their notoriety as the most threatened vertebrate taxa globally.}, year = {2023}, eissn = {2076-2615}, pages = {1634}, orcid-numbers = {Nolan, Nadine/0000-0001-9066-5759; Hayward, Matthew W./0000-0002-5574-1653; Mahony, Michael/0000-0002-1042-0848; Callen, Alex/0000-0003-3318-9260} } @article{MTMT:34013085, title = {Organismal effects of heat in a fixed ecological niche: Implications on the role of behavioral buffering in our changing world}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/34013085}, author = {Woodruff, Mary J. and Sermersheim, Layne O. and Wolf, Sarah E. and Rosvall, Kimberly A.}, doi = {10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164809}, journal-iso = {SCI TOTAL ENVIRON}, journal = {SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT}, volume = {893}, unique-id = {34013085}, issn = {0048-9697}, year = {2023}, eissn = {1879-1026}, orcid-numbers = {Woodruff, Mary J./0000-0003-0475-3811; Sermersheim, Layne O./0000-0002-2134-9645; Wolf, Sarah E./0000-0002-2620-8999; Rosvall, Kimberly A./0000-0003-3766-9624} } @article{MTMT:32818031, title = {Asymmetrical sex reversal: Does the type of heterogamety predict propensity for sex reversal?}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/32818031}, author = {Nemesházi, Edina and Bókony, Veronika}, doi = {10.1002/bies.202200039}, journal-iso = {BIOESSAYS}, journal = {BIOESSAYS}, volume = {44}, unique-id = {32818031}, issn = {0265-9247}, abstract = {Sex reversal, a mismatch between phenotypic and genetic sex, can be induced by chemical and thermal insults in ectotherms. Therefore, climate change and environmental pollution may increase sex-reversal frequency in wild populations, with wide-ranging implications for sex ratios, population dynamics, and the evolution of sex determination. We propose that reconsidering the half-century old theory "Witschi's rule" should facilitate understanding the differences between species in sex-reversal propensity and thereby predicting their vulnerability to anthropogenic environmental change. The idea is that sex reversal should be asymmetrical: more likely to occur in the homogametic sex, assuming that sex-reversed heterogametic individuals would produce new genotypes with reduced fitness. A review of the existing evidence shows that while sex reversal can be induced in both homogametic and heterogametic individuals, the latter seem to require stronger stimuli in several cases. We provide guidelines for future studies on sex reversal to facilitate data comparability and reliability.}, year = {2022}, eissn = {1521-1878}, orcid-numbers = {Nemesházi, Edina/0000-0002-0179-1153; Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346} } @article{MTMT:32672823, title = {Novel genetic sex markers reveal unexpected lack of, and similar susceptibility to, sex reversal in free-living common toads in both natural and anthropogenic habitats}, url = {https://m2.mtmt.hu/api/publication/32672823}, author = {Nemesházi, Edina and Sramkó, Gábor and Laczkó, Levente and Balogh, Emese and Szatmári, Lajos and Vili, Nóra and Ujhegyi, Nikolett and Üveges, Bálint and Bókony, Veronika}, doi = {10.1111/mec.16388}, journal-iso = {MOL ECOL}, journal = {MOLECULAR ECOLOGY}, volume = {31}, unique-id = {32672823}, issn = {0962-1083}, year = {2022}, eissn = {1365-294X}, pages = {2032-2043}, orcid-numbers = {Nemesházi, Edina/0000-0002-0179-1153; Sramkó, Gábor/0000-0001-8588-6362; Üveges, Bálint/0000-0001-9234-9258; Bókony, Veronika/0000-0002-2136-5346} }