Synopsis. Sexual selection is often invoked to explain the evolution of extravagant morphologies, such as antlers and horns. While the focus is typically o

In the cold, temperate forests, long before spring fully arrives, blue-spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) are already on the move. These small amphibians begin migrating to their breeding pon…

Amphibians that reproduce in early spring at northern latitudes may encounter environmental ice while migrating to their breeding sites. Due to the nucleation properties of ice, contact with environme...

In the cold, temperate forests, long before spring fully arrives, blue-spotted salamanders (Ambystoma laterale) are already on the move. These small amphibians begin migrating to their breeding ponds while snow still blankets the ground and ice lingers on and in the soil. This is a risky strategy for a species that can’t survive freezing. Our recent Natural History note…

Congratulations Dr. Danilo Giacometti! The Faculty of Mathematics and Sciences at Brock has awarded you the FMS Best PhD Thesis Award. A supervisor could not be prouder!

I am really proud to congratulate Dr. Danilo Giacometti for his successful PhD Defence! The thesis entitled "Physiological and behavioural responses to temperature and humidity in fossorial amphibians" was defended today in front of his examining committee: Dr. Don Miles (External, Ohio University), Dr. Toby Mündel (External within Brock University), Dr. Diane Mack (Chair, Brock University), Dr. Miriam Richards, Dr. Kiyoko Gotanda, and myself.

For amphibians, water is everything. Their thin skin makes them especially vulnerable to drying out, so staying hydrated is not just about comfort—it is about survival. But how do amphibians manage their hydration state in the face of different temperatures and fluctuating humidity? Our recent study on spotted salamanders (Ambystoma maculatum) provides some new insights into this question. We exposed salamanders to two temperatures—17°C and 22°C—within a humidity gradient (Fig 1) to understand how salamanders behaved when given the choice to move toward more or less humid conditions under contrasting thermal conditions.

For amphibians, water is everything. Their thin skin makes them especially vulnerable to drying out, so staying hydrated is not just about comfort—it is about survival. But how do amphibians manage…

Highlighted Article: Spotted salamanders maintain hydration state by behaviourally defending a constant evaporative drive between temperatures.

Ectotherms from highly seasonal habitats often exhibit remarkable physiological plasticity, which allows them to balanceand adjust energy and water budgets in the face of fluctuating climatic …

Ectotherms from highly seasonal habitats should have enhanced potential for physiological plasticity to cope with climatic variability. However, whether this pattern is applicable to fossorial ectothe...

Ectotherms from highly seasonal habitats often exhibit remarkable physiological plasticity, which allows them to balanceand adjust energy and water budgets in the face of fluctuating climatic conditions. Yet, fossorial (i.e., underground-dwelling) ectotherms are thought to experience attenuated climatic variability underground, raising the question: do fossorial ectotherms also display seasonal adjustments in key physiological functions? We investigated how seasonal acclimation (spring vs.

A busy week with Honours student defences from the lab (and throughout the Department of Biological Sciences). From our lab: Margaret Kitney defended a brilliant thesis project on how and whether sex differences alters thermoregulatory behaviours in guppies (The effect of sex on the thermoregulatory behaviour of the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), having spent months watching fish swimming in shuttle boxes and months pouring over tracking algorithm detection processes.