Sublethal effects of a mass mortality agent: pathogen-mediated plasticity of growth and development in a widespread North American amphibian
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Amphibians exhibit diverse responses to environmental challenges, but their responses to infection risk remain poorly understood. This study investigates how the presence of ranavirus, a deadly viral pathogen, affects growth, development, and resource allocation in wood frog (Rana sylvatica [Lithobates sylvaticus]) tadpoles. Using three years of pond survey data from a wood frog metapopulation in northeastern Connecticut, USA, we compared tadpole physiological rates across three scenarios: ranavirus-free ponds, ponds with sustained ranavirus infection, and ponds experiencing ranavirus die-offs. In ranavirus-positive ponds, tadpoles exhibited increased growth and resource allocation early in their development. These differences waned following die-off events in some ponds but persisted where widescale infection did not lead to die-off. This study provides evidence that an important disease agent appears to induce growth and developmental responses in its host that may help tadpoles survive severe infection by providing a buffer against the associated energetic demands. Alternative hypotheses, such as size-biased mortality, should be evaluated in experiments aimed at evaluating underlying mechanisms.
Authors: Logan S. Billet, David K. Skelly
Institutions: Yale University, Yale Peabody Museum
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $2,353
OpenAlex ID: W4408843361