Behavioral performance in ectothermic vertebrates: responses to environmental change

Abstract

The vulnerability of organisms to environmental change must be based on biologically relevant information at different levels of organization, including physiological and behavioral aspects. In the context of ectothermic vertebrates, the first historical approach aimed to obtain "performance curves" relating the speed of lizards with body temperature. These curves contain information about the effects of a physical parameter on behavior, so that its form and position along a temperature axis, allow for ecological and evolutionary inference. The same basic principles are valid in current research, although aspects of behavior other than speed are studied. In addition, modern approaches incorporate other environmental variables and synergisms, as well as various physiological and reproductive states. Together, these studies have contributed to build a comprehensive theoretical framework about the physiological sensitivity of vertebrate ectothermc to environmental change. On the other hand, it is presently dear that, in some contexts, behavior may lead to expand the distribution of species, beyond inference from correlational models or mechanistic (physiological) approaches. Even more, changes in behavior may indicate alterations of physiological states and behavior may influence the results of physiological tests. These issues have all appeared in a series of ongoing projects coordinated by the three researchers signing this proposal. These projects relate to the general topic of the impact of environmental change on ectothermic vertebrates, with emphasis on amphibians, lizards, fish, and snakes. Thus, the central aim of this proposal is to re-dimension the capacity to collect data on animal behavior, via the acquisition of equipment to be shared. (AU)