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Diverging responses to threats across generations in zooplankton
Author(s) -
Sha Yongcui,
Tesson Sylvie V. M.,
Hansson LarsAnders
Publication year - 2020
Publication title -
ecology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.144
H-Index - 294
eISSN - 1939-9170
pISSN - 0012-9658
DOI - 10.1002/ecy.3145
Subject(s) - biology , daphnia magna , daphnia , zooplankton , predation , ecology , avian clutch size , life history theory , invertebrate , predator , parthenogenesis , zoology , phenotypic plasticity , cladocera , reproductive success , life history , reproduction , fishery , population , embryo , chemistry , demography , organic chemistry , toxicity , sociology
Our understanding on how organisms evolutionarily cope with simultaneously occurring, multiple threats over generations is still elusive. In a long‐term experimental study, we therefore exposed clones of a freshwater cladoceran, Daphnia magna , to threats from predation and ultraviolet radiation (UVR) during three consecutive parthenogenetic generations. We show that Daphnia can adapt to different sets of threats within three generations through modifying morphology, swimming behavior, or life‐history traits. When faced with predator cues, D. magna responded with reduced body size, whereas exposure to UVR induced behavioral tolerance when again exposed to this threat. Such UVR‐tolerant behavior was initially associated with a reduced clutch size, but Daphnia restored the reproductive output gradually through generations. The findings advance our understanding on how those common invertebrates, with a global distribution, are able to persist and rapidly become successful in a changing environment.