Abstract
The responses to temperature change of sympatric diploid and pentaploid brine shrimp Artemia parthenogenetica were studied. Pentaploids survive better at extremes of both cold (0°C) and heat (37.5°C). When placed in a thermal gradient ranging from 12.5 to 35.1°C, diploids generally located at temperatures above 19°C while pentaploids were more evently distributed along the gradient. These results suggest that pentaploids may be better suited to temperature extremes than sympatric diploids. Our study provides the first experimental evidence in animals of differential temperature use by conspecific sympatric diploid and polyploid organisms.
Our literature review indicates that polyploid Artemia are found with greater frequency in low and high latitudes (i.e. <25°N and >40°N) than in temperate regions (latitudes 35-40°N). The ecological implications of the physiological and behavioural differences between diploids and pentaploids are discussed as they relate to the latitudinal distributions of sexual and partheno-genetic Artemia in the Old World.
Similar content being viewed by others
Article PDF
References
Abatzopoulos, T J, Kastritsis, C D, & Triantaphyllidis, C D. 1986. A study of karyotypes and heterochromatic associations in Artemia, with special reference to two Greek populations. Genetica, 71, 3–10.
Abreu-Grobois, F, and Beardmore, J. 1982. Genetic differentiation and speciation in the brine shrimp, Artemia. pp. 221–252. In: Barigozzi, C. (ed.), Mechanisms of Speciation Alan R. Liss, New York.
Amat Domenech, F. 1980. Differentiation in Artemia strains from Spain. In: Persoone, G., Sorgeloos, P., Roels, O. & Jaspers, E. (eds), The Brine Shrimp Artemia Vol. 1. Universa Press, Wetteren, Belgium, pp. 19–40.
Badaracco, G, Baratelli, L, Ginelli, E, Meneveri, R, Plevani, P, Valsasnini, P, and Barigozzi, C. 1987. Variation in repetitive DNA and heterochromatin in a genus Artemia. Chromosoma, 95, 71–75.
Barigozzi, C. 1980. Genus Artemia: Problems of systematics. In: Persoone, G., Sorgeloos, P., Roels, O. & Jaspers, E. (eds), The Brine Shrimp Artemia Vol. 1. Universa Press, Wetteren, Belgium, pp. 147–153.
Beaton, M J, and Herbert, D N. 1988. Geographical parthenogenesis and polyploidy in Daphnia pulex. Am Nat, 132, 837–845.
Bell, G. 1982. The Masterpiece of Nature. Croom Helm, London.
Bierzychudek, P. 1985. Patterns in plant parthenogenesis. Experimentia, 41, 1255–1263.
Browne, R A. 1980. Reproductive pattern and mode in the brine shrimp. Ecology, 61, 466–470.
Browne, R A, and MacDonald, G H. 1982. Biogeography of the brine shrimp, Artemia: distribution of parthenogenetic and sexual populations. J Biogeogr, 9, 331–338.
Browne, R A. 1988. Ecological and genetic divergence of sexual and asexual brine shrimp (Artemia) from the Mediterranean Basin. National Geographic Research, 4, 548–554.
Browne, R A, Davis, L E, and Sallee, S E. 1988. Effects of temperature and relative fitness of sexual and asexual brine shrimp Artemia. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol, 124, 1–20.
Browne, R A, and Halanych, K M. 1989. Competition between sexual and parthenogenetic Artemia: a re-evaluation (Branchiopoda, Anostraca). Crustaceana, 57, 57–71.
Browne, R A, and Bowen, S T. 1990. Taxonomy and population genetics of Artemia. In: Browne, R. A., Sorgeloos, P. & Trotman, C. N. (eds), Aetemia Biology CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (in press).
Gilchrist, B. 1960. Growth and form in the brine shrimp Artemia salin (L). Proc Zool Soc, 134, 221–235.
Glesener, R R, and Tilman, D. 1978. Sexuality and the components of enviromental uncertainty: clues from geographic parthenogensis in terrestrial animals. Am Nat, 112, 659–673.
Goldschmidt, E. 1952. Fluctuation in chromosome number in Artemia salina. J Morphol, 91, 111–134.
Huey, R B, and Bennett, A F. 1987. Phylogenetic studies of coadaptation: preferred temperatures, versus optimum performance temperatures in lizards. Evolution, 41, 1098–1115.
Huey, R B, and Slatkin, M. 1976. Cost and benefit of lizard thermoregulation. Quart Rev Biol, 51, 363–384.
King, C E. 1972. Adaptation of rotifers to seasonal variation. Ecology, 53, 408–418.
Lenz, P H, and Browne, R A. 1990. Ecology of Artemia. In: Browne, R. A., Sorgeloos, P. & Trotman, C. N. (eds), Artemia Biology, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL (in press).
Levin, D A. 1983. Polyploidy and novelty in flowering plants. Am Nat, 123, 1–25.
Lumaret, R. 1988. Adaptive strategies and ploidy levels. Acta CEcologica/CECol Plant, 9, 83–93.
Ohno, S. 1970. Evolution by Gene Duplication. Springer-Verlag, New York.
Perez, R. 1987. Cysts production of Artemia in salt ponds in south-eastern Spain. In: Sorgelous, P., Bengtson, D. A., Decleir, W. & Jaspers, E. (eds), Artemia Research and its Applications Vol. 3. Universa Press, Wetteran, Belgium, p. 215.
Schultz, R J. 1982. Competition and adaptation among diploid and polyploid clones of unisexual fishes. In: Dingle, H. & Hegmann, J. P. (eds), Evolution and Genetics of Life Histories Springer-Verlag, New York, pp. 103–119.
Soumalainen, E. 1962. Significance of parthenogenesis in the evolution of insects. Ann Rev Entomol, 7, 349–365.
Suomalainen, E. 1969. Evolution in parthenogenetic Curculionidae. Evol Biol, 3, 261–296.
Suomalainen, E, Saura, A, and Lokki, J. 1987. Polyploidy in association with parthenogenesis. In: Suomalainen, E., Saura, A. and Lokki, J. (eds), Cytology and Evolution in Parthenogenesis CRC Press, Inc. Florida, pp. 71–112.
Vandel, A. 1928. La parthenogenese geographique. Contribution a l'etude biologique et cytologique de la parthenogenese naturelle. Bull Biol Fr Belg, 62, 164–281.
Vanhaecke, P, Siddall, S E, and Sorgeloos, P. 1984. International study on Artemia. XXXII. Combined effects of temperature and salinity on the survival of Artemia of various geographical origin. J Exp Mar Biol Ecol, 80, 259–275.
Vanhaecke, P, Tackaert, W, and Sorgeloos, P. 1987. the biogeography of Artemia: an updated review. In: Sorgeloos, P., Bengtson, D. A., Decleir, W. & Jaspers, E. (eds), Artemia Research and its Applications Vol. 1. Universa Press, Wetteren, Belgium, pp. 129–155.
Wang, Y X. 1986. A cytological study of Artemia parthenogenetica clones from the salterns of northeast China. Masters Thesis. Shandong College of Oceanography, China.
Acknowledgements
We are grateful to C. E. King for providing Artemia cysts, and M. D. Lefcort for help in the design and operation of the thermal gradient. We thank C. E. King
A. R. Blaustein, M. J. Beaton and an anonymous reviewer for constructive comments on the manuscript.
B. A. Menge provided statistical advice. We especially benefited from communication with R. A. Browne. This research is supported by the Department of Zoology, Oregon State University, Research grants to both authors, and a Sigma Xi Grant-In-Aid of Research to HL.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Zhang, L., Lefcort, H. The effects of ploidy level on the thermal distributions of brine shrimp Artemia parthenogenetica and its ecological implications. Heredity 66, 445–452 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1991.54
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/hdy.1991.54
Keywords
This article is cited by
-
The critical stage for inducing oviparity and embryonic diapause in parthenogenetic Artemia (Crustacea: Anostraca): an experimental study
Journal of Oceanology and Limnology (2019)
-
Differential survival among genotypes of Daphnia pulex differing in reproductive mode, ploidy level, and geographic origin
Evolutionary Ecology (2010)
-
Polyploidy and clonal diversity in an arctic cladoceran
Heredity (1995)
-
Genetic characterization of breeding systems, ploidy levels and species boundaries in Cypricercus (Ostracoda)
Heredity (1995)
-
Life history, resting egg formation, and hatching may explain the temporal-geographical distribution ofArtemia strains in the Mediterranean basin
Hydrobiologia (1995)