Meeting Abstract

56-4   08:45 - 09:00  Lizard sperm in changing environment: The physiological ecology of sperm thermal performance Wang, W*; Gunderson, AR; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Science and Engineering, Tulane University wwang16@tulane.edu

An important factor that could determines the vulnerability of species under global warming is the ability of adjusting their thermal tolerance through phenotypic plasticity in a short time frame. While the adaptive thermal plasticity in whole organism have been shown in many studies, we know very little about phenotypic plasticity in gametes level, even though thermal performance of gamete stages can directly effect on reproductive success and the survivorship of species and population. In this study, we tested for impacts of high temperature on sperm of the brown anole, Anolis sagrei and examined whether there is an adaptive plasticity response in sperm traits when ejaculated sperm experience above normal temperature. We measured sperm motility after ejaculated sperm were exposed to temperatures from 28 to 50°C and found that sperm motility has a sharpest decline after exposure to 43 °C or higher. We did not find evidence for adaptive thermal plasticity in ejaculated sperm; sperm thermal tolerance did not increase when sperm have pre-exposed to a milder heat shock incubation before the thermal tolerance trial.