Reevaluating geographic variation in life‐history traits of a widespread Nearctic amphibian

Abstract

AbstractAnimals from cold environments are usually larger than animals from warm environments, which often produce clines in body size. Because variation in body size can lead to trade‐offs between growth and reproduction, life‐history traits should also vary across climatic gradients. To determine if life‐history traits of wood frogs Rana sylvatica vary with climate, we examined female and male body length, clutch size, and ovum size from 37 locations across an unprecedented 32° of latitude. In conflict with recent research, body size, and ovum size decreased in cold climates and at higher latitudes. Clutch size did not vary with climate or latitude, but reproductive effort (clutch size:female size) did, suggesting selection for a life‐history traits that favors maximizing propagule number over propagule size in cold climates. With accelerating climate change that will expose populations to novel environmental conditions, it is important to identify the limits of adaptation, which can be informed by greater understanding of variation in life‐history traits.