Meeting Abstract

52.4  Jan. 6  Geographic variation and temperature-induced phenotypic plasticity of cell size in the lizard Anolis carolinensis GOODMAN, R.M.; Univ. Tennessee, Knoxville rmgoodman@utk.edu

Phenotypic plasticity at the cellular level has been suggested to relate to plasticity of body size and geographic variation in body size associated with latitude and environmental temperature in ectotherms. The current study is the first examination of geographic variation in cell size in an ectothermic vertebrate connected to experimental investigations of temperature-induced plasticity. Sizes of bodies and red blood cells (RBCs) were collected from wild caught, adult, female lizards (Anolis carolinensis) from four populations along a latitudinal transect in the southeastern United States. Eggs from three populations were collected and maintained in the laboratory at two different incubation temperatures. At hatching, sizes of bodies, RBCs and epithelial cells of offspring were collected. Cell sizes (RBCs) of adult females will be examined to determine whether geographic variation of cell size and/or a relation of cell size to body size exists in natural populations. Cell sizes of offspring (RBCs and epithelial cells) will be examined to determine whether the following exist: influences of population origin, maternal effect, egg size, and temperature on cell size; relationship between cell size and body size; sexual size dimorphism in cell size and/or phenotypic plasticity of cell size; differences among populations in levels of phenotypic plasticity for cell size.