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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 31, 2026

Continuous Hydrologic and Water Quality Monitoring of Vernal Ponds

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Published on: November 13, 2017

Emerging model systems in eco-evo-devo: the environmentally responsive spadefoot toad.

Cris C Ledón-Rettig¹, David W Pfennig

¹Department of Biology, University of North Carolina, CB#3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA. cledonrettig@mail.usf.edu

Evolution & Development

|July 12, 2011

Summary

Spadefoot toad tadpoles exhibit remarkable phenotypic plasticity, developing diverse adaptive traits in response to environmental cues. This adaptability highlights how ecology influences development and, in turn, shapes evolution.

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Area of Science:

Ecological and evolutionary developmental biology (eco-evo-devo)
Amphibian developmental plasticity

Background:

Spadefoot toads serve as a key model organism in eco-evo-devo research.
Phenotypic plasticity in tadpoles is a direct response to environmental stimuli.
Understanding this plasticity is crucial for evolutionary biology.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the adaptive phenotypes of spadefoot toad tadpoles.
To examine the interplay between an organism's ecology and its development.
To clarify the role of the environment in phenotype generation and selection.

Main Methods:

Characterizing adaptive phenotypes in spadefoot toad tadpoles.
Analyzing environmental stimuli influencing tadpole development.
Studying ecological interactions within natural spadefoot toad populations.

Main Results:

Spadefoot toad tadpoles display a wide range of adaptive phenotypes.
Environmental factors directly trigger specific developmental responses.
Phenotypic plasticity is linked to ecological interactions and evolutionary trajectories.

Conclusions:

Spadefoot toad tadpoles exemplify how environmental factors drive developmental plasticity.
This plasticity is fundamental to understanding eco-evo-devo.
Research clarifies the environment's dual role in selecting and creating phenotypes.