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Los cambios en la historia de la vida inducidos por los depredadores en un caracol de agua dulce
Science (New York, N.Y.)
|February 23, 1990
Resumen
Los caracoles de agua dulce (Physella virgata virgata) alteran el crecimiento y la reproducción en respuesta a las señales químicas de los cangrejos. Esta plasticidad fenotípica inducible ayuda a los caracoles a coexistir con los depredadores.
Área de la Ciencia:
- Ecología Ecología Ecología.
- Biología evolutiva Biología evolutiva.
- Biología del agua dulce Biología del agua dulce
Sus antecedentes:
- Los caracoles Physella virgata virgata son comunes en las corrientes de Oklahoma.
- Las interacciones depredador-presa pueden influir en las historias de vida de los organismos.
Objetivo del estudio:
- Para investigar cómo la presencia de cangrejos (Orconectes virilis) afecta las características de la historia de la vida de los caracoles.
- Para determinar si los caracoles exhiben plasticidad fenotípica en respuesta a las señales de los depredadores.
Principales métodos:
- Estudio observacional en arroyos de Oklahoma alimentados por la primavera.
- Monitoreo del crecimiento y la reproducción de los caracoles en presencia o ausencia de cangrejos.
- Análisis de señales transmitidas por el agua liberadas por cangrejos de agua que se alimentan de caracoles.
Principales resultados:
- Los caracoles expuestos a rayas de cangrejo de mar mostraron un retraso en la reproducción y un aumento en el crecimiento, alcanzando los 10 mm en 8 meses.
- Los caracoles sin señales maduraron antes (4 mm en 3,5 meses) y se reproducen antes.
- Los cambios observados fueron inducibles químicamente, lo que indica plasticidad fenotípica.
Conclusiones:
- Physella virgata exhibe plasticidad fenotípica inducible químicamente en los rasgos de la historia de la vida.
- Esta plasticidad permite a los caracoles ajustar su historia de vida para coexistir potencialmente con depredadores estacionales como los cangrejos.
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