Meeting Abstract
The temperature at which vertebrate eggs are incubated can significantly alter the phenotype and behavior of the juveniles. More specifically, increases in incubation temperature as small as a few degrees can result in malformations of the skull and changes in brain morphology. This pattern has been observed in multiple vertebrate species. While previous studies have shown that aspects of cognition are altered by differences in incubation temperature, especially in ectotherms, we do not yet know how temperature-related changes in morphology may be associated with animal social behavior. In this study, we performed a series of behavioral trials on Anolis sagrei (the Cuban brown anole) hatchlings from eggs incubated at standard (27° C) and elevated (34° C) temperatures to determine how incubation temperature affects interactions with conspecifics, predators, and prey. We also measured the extent to which these lizards explore novel objects and novel environments. Our data suggest that hatchlings exposed to embryonic heat stress are both less exploratory and less aggressive than hatchlings from eggs incubated at standard temperatures. By quantifying how changes in the thermal environment of embryos are associated with post-hatching behaviors, we contribute to a growing understanding of how embryonic heat stress may impact the ecology of animals in a warming world.
