Intergenerational plasticity aligns with temperature-dependent selection on offspring metabolic rates.

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary biology
• Metabolic rate research
• Phenotypic plasticity

Background:

• Metabolic rates influence life-history traits and fitness.
• Parental effects on offspring metabolism and survival are not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• Investigate parental effects of temperature and feeding on zebrafish offspring.
• Examine offspring phenotypes, metabolic rates, and survival under different temperatures.

Main Methods:

• Zebrafish parents were exposed to different temperatures (24°C or 30°C) and feeding frequencies.
• Offspring phenotypes, standard metabolic rates, and survival were assessed at developmental temperatures of 24°C or 30°C.

Main Results:

• Offspring from low-food parents had larger embryos but lower survival.
• Offspring from parents at warmer temperatures and lower food had lower metabolic rates.
• Lower metabolic rates correlated with slower development and growth, suggesting a slower pace of life.

Conclusions:

• Intergenerational phenotypic plasticity in offspring size and metabolism can be adaptive when parent and offspring temperatures match.
• Selection favors lower metabolism at higher temperatures, especially in offspring from low-condition parents.
• Adaptive parental effects are evident but contingent on matching environmental conditions between generations.