Previous studies reported that low temperatures result in increases in both cell size and body si... more Previous studies reported that low temperatures result in increases in both cell size and body size in ectotherms that may explain patterns of geographic variation of their body size across latitudinal ranges. Also, polyploidy showed the same effect on body size in invertebrates. In vertebrates, despite their having larger cells, no clear effect of polyploidy on body size has been found. This article presents the relationship between temperature, cell size, growth rate, and body size in diploid and polyploid hybridogenetic frog Pelophylax esculentus reared as tadpoles at 19° and 24°C. The size of cells was larger in both diploid and triploid tadpoles at 19°C, and triploids had larger cells at both temperatures. In diploid and triploid froglets, the temperature in which they developed as tadpoles did not affect the size of their cells, but triploids still had larger cells. Triploid tadpoles grew faster than diploids at 19°C and had larger body mass; there was no clear difference betw...
Type of reproduction has an important effect on the maintenance of particular populations and spe... more Type of reproduction has an important effect on the maintenance of particular populations and species persistence in time and space. This trait significantly influences the ecological and genetic structure of populations, and in consequence the evolution of species. The primary objectives of this study were: to estimate genetic diversity within and among populations of clonal species Goodyera repens from different populations in northeastern Poland, and to amount factors shaping the genetic structure of this orchid. Based on 451 rosettes of G. repens from 11 localities in northeastern Poland, we conducted a genetic population analysis using allozymes. We included information on population size, flowering, fruit set and seed dispersal to elucidate their influences on genetic diversity of this species. Populations differed according to demographic properties. The majority of seeds (86.4–94.8 %) were found at a distance of 0.2 m. We observed a high level of genetic (PPL = 50 %, A = 1.6...
Glowną cześc pracy stanowią trzy rozdzialy, kazdy w formie opublikowanej pracy naukowej: Hermaniu... more Glowną cześc pracy stanowią trzy rozdzialy, kazdy w formie opublikowanej pracy naukowej: Hermaniuk A., Rybacki M., Taylor J.R.E (2016) Low temperature and polyploidy result in larger cell and body size in an ectothermic vertebrate. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 89(2): 118–129 ; Hermaniuk A., Pruvost N.B.M., Kierzkowski K., Ogielska M. (2013) Genetic and cytogenetic characteristics of pentaploidy in water frogs. Herpetologica 69(1): 36–45; Hermaniuk A., Rybacki M., Taylor J.R.E (2017) Metabolic rate of diploid and triploid edible frog, Pelophylax esculentus, correlates inversely with cell size in tadpoles but not in frogs. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, in print, electronically published on 17.11.2016. DOI: 10.1086/689408
Being composed of small cells may carry energetic costs related to maintaining ionic gradients ac... more Being composed of small cells may carry energetic costs related to maintaining ionic gradients across cell membranes as well as benefits related to diffusive oxygen uptake. Here we test the hypothesis that these costs and benefits of cell size in ectotherms are temperature dependent. To study the consequences of cell size for whole-organism metabolic rate we compared diploid and triploid zebrafish larvae differing in cell size. A fully factorial design was applied combining three different rearing and test temperatures that allowed us to distinguish acute from acclimated thermal effects. Individual oxygen consumption rates of diploid and triploid larvae across declining levels of oxygen availability were measured. We found that both acute and acclimated thermal effects affected the metabolic response. In comparison to triploids, diploids responded more strongly to acute temperatures, especially when reared at the highest temperature. These observations support the hypothesis that an...
In some populations, hybrids reproduce with a parental species by eliminating the genome of this ... more In some populations, hybrids reproduce with a parental species by eliminating the genome of this species from their own germline and produce gametes that only contain the genome of the other parental species (sexual host). This mode of reproduction, known as hybridogenesis, leads to a conflict of interest between the two parties because the sexual host should avoid mating with the hybrid to prevent a reduction in reproductive success, whereas the hybrid depends on such matings for survival. We investigated European water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex), including hybrids (P. esculentus, genotype LR) and two sexual host species (P. lessonae, LL and P. ridibundus, RR). We hypothesized that to maximize fitness, hybrid males should be morphologically more similar to the sexual host that is preferred by females for successful reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we compared hybrid males in two different population types, L-E (hybrids coexist with LL) and L-E-R (hybrids coexist wi...
Habitat restoration is a mitigation tool often proposed in conservation biology, however, our kno... more Habitat restoration is a mitigation tool often proposed in conservation biology, however, our knowledge about its effectiveness is still limited. Here we evaluate the effects of a large-scale drainage and habitat restoration project on the amphibian community in the Narew River Valley, Poland. We used visual encounter surveys, manual calling surveys, and dip-netting to record species presence/absence and breeding status. Data were then compared with a previous study that was conducted during the restoration process. We found a general increase in breeding activity and three species were found for the first time in the study area. Amphibians bred most frequently in ephemeral ponds on wetland meadows. Anthropogenic water bodies contained a similar number of species as natural sites did. Our results suggest that the increase in the amount of water in the river valley has had a positive effect on the local amphibian community.
Genetic variation is often lower at high latitudes, which may compromise the adaptability and hen... more Genetic variation is often lower at high latitudes, which may compromise the adaptability and hence survival of organisms. Here we show that genetic variability is negatively correlated with northern latitude in European green toads (Bufotes viridis). The result holds true for both putatively neutral microsatellite variation and supposedly adaptive MHC Class IIB variation. In particular, our findings have bearing on the conservation status of this species in Sweden, on the northern limit of its distribution where local populations are small and fragmented. These genetically impoverished populations are closely related to other populations found around the Baltic Sea basin. The low neutral and adaptive variation in these fringe populations compared to population at central ranges confirms a pattern shared across all other amphibians so far studied. In Sweden, the situation of green toads is of concern as the remaining populations may not have the evolutionary potential to cope with p...
In multicellular organisms, cell size may have crucial consequences for basic parameters, such as... more In multicellular organisms, cell size may have crucial consequences for basic parameters, such as body size and whole-body metabolic rate (MR). The hypothesis predicts that animals composed of smaller cells (a higher membrane surface-to-cell volume ratio) should have a higher mass-specific MR because a large part of their energy is used to maintain cell membranes and ionic gradients. In this article, we investigated the link between cell size and MR in diploid and triploid tadpoles and froglets of the hybridogenetic frog Pelophylax esculentus. In our previous study, we showed that triploids had significantly larger cells (erythrocytes, hepatocytes, and epidermal cells were measured). Therefore, we hypothesized that triploid tadpoles and froglets would have a lower standard metabolic rate (SMR). Our study demonstrated for the first time two distinct effects of polyploidy/cell size on MR within a single species developing in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. As we hypothesized, diploid tadpoles had a higher SMR than triploids, whereas in froglets, ploidy did not affect the SMR. We also found that the water temperatures in which tadpoles were reared had no effect on the SMR of froglets after metamorphosis. Based on our results and other reports, we suggest that cell size may have more consequences for whole-body MR in aquatic habitats than in terrestrial habitats because oxygen is less available in water and its availability in relation to oxygen demand decreases with temperature.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1655 Herpetologica D 12 00037, Feb 7, 2013
We describe a pentaploid froglet (LLLRR; three Pelophylax lessonae and two Pelophylax ridibundus ... more We describe a pentaploid froglet (LLLRR; three Pelophylax lessonae and two Pelophylax ridibundus genomes) that has never been reported before within the Water Frog (Pelophylax esculentus) hybrid complexes. The pentaploid specimen was found among almost all triploid siblings obtained from a diploid female P. esculentus (LR) crossed with a diploid male P. lessonae (LL). We confirmed ploidy levels of the parents and the offspring by karyotyping, microsatellite analysis (18 loci), and measurements of DNA content and erythrocyte size. Microsatellite analysis indicated that the pentaploid originated from a tetraploid ovum (LLRR) fertilized by a haploid sperm (L). Surprisingly, the erythrocytes of the pentaploid were not proportionally larger than in triploids, despite a higher DNA content. Only 6.7% of the erythrocytes were distinctly large, whereas the others varied strongly in shape and size; besides typical ovoid mature erythrocytes there were small, tear-shaped, or enucleated ones. We discuss the possibility of loss of some cytoplasm by large erythrocytes as a result of mechanical damages during circulation through the narrow vessels; when the erythrocytes achieve a relatively higher surface-to-volume ratio, they may function more effectively in a proper gas exchange.
Previous studies reported that low temperatures result in increases in both cell size and body si... more Previous studies reported that low temperatures result in increases in both cell size and body size in ectotherms that may explain patterns of geographic variation of their body size across latitudinal ranges. Also, polyploidy showed the same effect on body size in invertebrates. In vertebrates, despite their having larger cells, no clear effect of polyploidy on body size has been found. This article presents the relationship between temperature, cell size, growth rate, and body size in diploid and polyploid hybridogenetic frog Pelophylax esculentus reared as tadpoles at 19° and 24°C. The size of cells was larger in both diploid and triploid tadpoles at 19°C, and triploids had larger cells at both temperatures. In diploid and triploid froglets, the temperature in which they developed as tadpoles did not affect the size of their cells, but triploids still had larger cells. Triploid tadpoles grew faster than diploids at 19°C and had larger body mass; there was no clear difference betw...
Type of reproduction has an important effect on the maintenance of particular populations and spe... more Type of reproduction has an important effect on the maintenance of particular populations and species persistence in time and space. This trait significantly influences the ecological and genetic structure of populations, and in consequence the evolution of species. The primary objectives of this study were: to estimate genetic diversity within and among populations of clonal species Goodyera repens from different populations in northeastern Poland, and to amount factors shaping the genetic structure of this orchid. Based on 451 rosettes of G. repens from 11 localities in northeastern Poland, we conducted a genetic population analysis using allozymes. We included information on population size, flowering, fruit set and seed dispersal to elucidate their influences on genetic diversity of this species. Populations differed according to demographic properties. The majority of seeds (86.4–94.8 %) were found at a distance of 0.2 m. We observed a high level of genetic (PPL = 50 %, A = 1.6...
Glowną cześc pracy stanowią trzy rozdzialy, kazdy w formie opublikowanej pracy naukowej: Hermaniu... more Glowną cześc pracy stanowią trzy rozdzialy, kazdy w formie opublikowanej pracy naukowej: Hermaniuk A., Rybacki M., Taylor J.R.E (2016) Low temperature and polyploidy result in larger cell and body size in an ectothermic vertebrate. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology. 89(2): 118–129 ; Hermaniuk A., Pruvost N.B.M., Kierzkowski K., Ogielska M. (2013) Genetic and cytogenetic characteristics of pentaploidy in water frogs. Herpetologica 69(1): 36–45; Hermaniuk A., Rybacki M., Taylor J.R.E (2017) Metabolic rate of diploid and triploid edible frog, Pelophylax esculentus, correlates inversely with cell size in tadpoles but not in frogs. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology, in print, electronically published on 17.11.2016. DOI: 10.1086/689408
Being composed of small cells may carry energetic costs related to maintaining ionic gradients ac... more Being composed of small cells may carry energetic costs related to maintaining ionic gradients across cell membranes as well as benefits related to diffusive oxygen uptake. Here we test the hypothesis that these costs and benefits of cell size in ectotherms are temperature dependent. To study the consequences of cell size for whole-organism metabolic rate we compared diploid and triploid zebrafish larvae differing in cell size. A fully factorial design was applied combining three different rearing and test temperatures that allowed us to distinguish acute from acclimated thermal effects. Individual oxygen consumption rates of diploid and triploid larvae across declining levels of oxygen availability were measured. We found that both acute and acclimated thermal effects affected the metabolic response. In comparison to triploids, diploids responded more strongly to acute temperatures, especially when reared at the highest temperature. These observations support the hypothesis that an...
In some populations, hybrids reproduce with a parental species by eliminating the genome of this ... more In some populations, hybrids reproduce with a parental species by eliminating the genome of this species from their own germline and produce gametes that only contain the genome of the other parental species (sexual host). This mode of reproduction, known as hybridogenesis, leads to a conflict of interest between the two parties because the sexual host should avoid mating with the hybrid to prevent a reduction in reproductive success, whereas the hybrid depends on such matings for survival. We investigated European water frogs (Pelophylax esculentus complex), including hybrids (P. esculentus, genotype LR) and two sexual host species (P. lessonae, LL and P. ridibundus, RR). We hypothesized that to maximize fitness, hybrid males should be morphologically more similar to the sexual host that is preferred by females for successful reproduction. To test this hypothesis, we compared hybrid males in two different population types, L-E (hybrids coexist with LL) and L-E-R (hybrids coexist wi...
Habitat restoration is a mitigation tool often proposed in conservation biology, however, our kno... more Habitat restoration is a mitigation tool often proposed in conservation biology, however, our knowledge about its effectiveness is still limited. Here we evaluate the effects of a large-scale drainage and habitat restoration project on the amphibian community in the Narew River Valley, Poland. We used visual encounter surveys, manual calling surveys, and dip-netting to record species presence/absence and breeding status. Data were then compared with a previous study that was conducted during the restoration process. We found a general increase in breeding activity and three species were found for the first time in the study area. Amphibians bred most frequently in ephemeral ponds on wetland meadows. Anthropogenic water bodies contained a similar number of species as natural sites did. Our results suggest that the increase in the amount of water in the river valley has had a positive effect on the local amphibian community.
Genetic variation is often lower at high latitudes, which may compromise the adaptability and hen... more Genetic variation is often lower at high latitudes, which may compromise the adaptability and hence survival of organisms. Here we show that genetic variability is negatively correlated with northern latitude in European green toads (Bufotes viridis). The result holds true for both putatively neutral microsatellite variation and supposedly adaptive MHC Class IIB variation. In particular, our findings have bearing on the conservation status of this species in Sweden, on the northern limit of its distribution where local populations are small and fragmented. These genetically impoverished populations are closely related to other populations found around the Baltic Sea basin. The low neutral and adaptive variation in these fringe populations compared to population at central ranges confirms a pattern shared across all other amphibians so far studied. In Sweden, the situation of green toads is of concern as the remaining populations may not have the evolutionary potential to cope with p...
In multicellular organisms, cell size may have crucial consequences for basic parameters, such as... more In multicellular organisms, cell size may have crucial consequences for basic parameters, such as body size and whole-body metabolic rate (MR). The hypothesis predicts that animals composed of smaller cells (a higher membrane surface-to-cell volume ratio) should have a higher mass-specific MR because a large part of their energy is used to maintain cell membranes and ionic gradients. In this article, we investigated the link between cell size and MR in diploid and triploid tadpoles and froglets of the hybridogenetic frog Pelophylax esculentus. In our previous study, we showed that triploids had significantly larger cells (erythrocytes, hepatocytes, and epidermal cells were measured). Therefore, we hypothesized that triploid tadpoles and froglets would have a lower standard metabolic rate (SMR). Our study demonstrated for the first time two distinct effects of polyploidy/cell size on MR within a single species developing in both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. As we hypothesized, diploid tadpoles had a higher SMR than triploids, whereas in froglets, ploidy did not affect the SMR. We also found that the water temperatures in which tadpoles were reared had no effect on the SMR of froglets after metamorphosis. Based on our results and other reports, we suggest that cell size may have more consequences for whole-body MR in aquatic habitats than in terrestrial habitats because oxygen is less available in water and its availability in relation to oxygen demand decreases with temperature.
Http Dx Doi Org 10 1655 Herpetologica D 12 00037, Feb 7, 2013
We describe a pentaploid froglet (LLLRR; three Pelophylax lessonae and two Pelophylax ridibundus ... more We describe a pentaploid froglet (LLLRR; three Pelophylax lessonae and two Pelophylax ridibundus genomes) that has never been reported before within the Water Frog (Pelophylax esculentus) hybrid complexes. The pentaploid specimen was found among almost all triploid siblings obtained from a diploid female P. esculentus (LR) crossed with a diploid male P. lessonae (LL). We confirmed ploidy levels of the parents and the offspring by karyotyping, microsatellite analysis (18 loci), and measurements of DNA content and erythrocyte size. Microsatellite analysis indicated that the pentaploid originated from a tetraploid ovum (LLRR) fertilized by a haploid sperm (L). Surprisingly, the erythrocytes of the pentaploid were not proportionally larger than in triploids, despite a higher DNA content. Only 6.7% of the erythrocytes were distinctly large, whereas the others varied strongly in shape and size; besides typical ovoid mature erythrocytes there were small, tear-shaped, or enucleated ones. We discuss the possibility of loss of some cytoplasm by large erythrocytes as a result of mechanical damages during circulation through the narrow vessels; when the erythrocytes achieve a relatively higher surface-to-volume ratio, they may function more effectively in a proper gas exchange.
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Papers by Adam Hermaniuk