Jailed in the mountains: Genetic diversity and structure of an endemic newt species across the Pyrenees.

The Pyrenees represent a natural laboratory for biogeographic, evolutionary and ecological research of mountain fauna as a result of the high variety of habitats and the profound effect of the glacial and interglacial periods. There is a paucity of studies providing a detailed insight into genetic processes and better knowledge on the patterns of genetic diversity and how they are maintained under high altitude conditions. This is of particular interest when considering the course of past climate conditions and glaciations in a species which is considered site tenacious, with long generation times.

Differential metabolic profiles associated to movement behaviour of stream-resident brown trout (Salmo trutta).

The mechanisms that can contribute in the fish movement strategies and the associated behaviour can be complex and related to the physiology, genetic and ecology of each species. In the case of the brown trout (Salmo trutta), in recent research works, individual differences in mobility have been observed in a population living in a high mountain river reach (Pyrenees, NE Spain). The population is mostly sedentary but a small percentage of individuals exhibit a mobile behavior, mainly upstream movements.

High gene flow between alternative morphs and the evolutionary persistence of facultative paedomorphosis.

Paedomorphosis and metamorphosis are two major developmental processes that characterize the evolution of complex life cycles in many lineages. Whereas these processes were fixed in some taxa, they remained facultative in others, with alternative phenotypes expressed in the same populations. From a genetic perspective, it is still unknown whether such phenotypes form a single population or whether they show some patterns of isolation in syntopy.

Geographical variations in adult body size and reproductive life history traits in an invasive anuran, Discoglossus pictus.

Variability in life history traits positively affects the establishment and expansive potential of invasive species. In the present study, we analysed the variation of body size in seven populations - two native and five invasive - of the painted frog (Discoglossus pictus, Anura: Discoglossidae), native to North Africa and introduced in southern France and the north-east of the Iberian Peninsula. Other life history traits (age at maturity, size at maturity, longevity, median age and potential reproductive lifespan) were analysed in a native and an invasive population.

Altitudinal variation of demographic life-history traits does not mimic latitudinal variation in natterjack toads (Bufo calamita).

In anuran amphibians, age- and size-related life-history traits vary along latitudinal and altiudinal gradients. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that altitudinal and latitudinal effects cause similar responses by assessing demographic life-history traits in nine Bufo calamita populations inhabiting elevations from sea level to 2270 m. Skeletochronologically determined age at maturity and longevity increased at elevations exceeding 2000 m, but female potential reproductive lifespan (PRLS) did not increase with altitude, as it did with latitude.

Growth, size and age at maturity of the agile frog (Rana dalmatina) in an Iberian Peninsula population.

The mean age of a population of agile frogs (Rana dalmatina) from the Iberian Peninsula was estimated using mark and recapture and skeletochronology. Life-history parameters, including growth rate, body length, age and size at maturity, sexual dimorphism and longevity, were studied. The regression between age and snout-vent length (SVL) was highly significant in both sexes.

Intra-specific variation in nitrate tolerance in tadpoles of the Natterjack toad.

Anthropogenic sources of nitrogen that pollute bodies of water can have toxic and sub-lethal effects on amphibians. It has been hypothesized that such exposure may promote local adaptation, that is, selection for higher tolerance in individuals in populations exposed to pollutants. We tested this hypothesis with respect to the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita Laurenti, 1768), by comparing the nitrate dose response of tadpoles from eight populations (doses: 0, 50, 100, 500 and 1000 mg/l nitrate) from relatively unpolluted and intensively farmed environments.

Effects of nitrate and ammonium on larvae of Rana temporaria from the Pyrenees.

In order to investigate the effects of nitrate and ammonium on the amphibians in a pasture zone of the Catalonian Pyrenees, larvae of Rana temporaria from several ponds were exposed to different concentrations of nitrate (0-500 mg/L) and ammonium (0-1.2 mg/L). High concentrations of nitrate in the water caused mortality and reduced larval size of R.

Influence of ambient ultraviolet radiation on Bufo calamita egg development in a semiarid zone (Catalonia, Spain).

Several experiments have shown that ambient ultraviolet-B radiation (UV-B) has negative effects on the development of amphibians' embryos. We studied the effects of UV-B radiation on development, survival and frequency of deformity during egg development in the Natterjack toad (Bufo calamita) from a semiarid region of Lleida (Catalonia, Spain). Eggs exposed to ambient levels of UV-B and those protected from UV-B with a filter exhibited similar developmental rate, mortality rate and frequency of developmental anomalies.