The capacity of ectotherms to cope with rising temperatures associated with climate change is a significant conservation concern as the rate of warming is likely too fast for adaptation to occur in some populations. Transgenerational plasticity, if present, could potentially buffer some of the negative impacts of warming on future generations. We examined transgenerational plasticity in lake trout to assess their inter-generational potential to cope with anticipated warming. We acclimated adult lake trout to cold or warm temperatures for several months, then bred them to produce offspring from parents of matched and mismatched temperatures. At the fry stage, offspring were also acclimated to cold or warm temperatures and their thermal performance was assessed by measuring their critical thermal maximum and metabolic rate during an acute temperature challenge. Overall, transgenerational plasticity was evident: thermal performance of offspring reflected both maternal and paternal environmental conditions, and offspring performed better when their environment matched that of their parents. There was little variation in offspring critical thermal maximum or peak metabolic rate, although cold-acclimated offspring from warm-acclimated parents exhibited elevated standard metabolic rates, suggesting that transgenerational effects can be detrimental when parent and offspring environments mismatch. These results demonstrate both the occurrence and limitations of transgenerational plasticity in a coldwater salmonid in response to elevated temperature, as well as potential ecological risks associated with transgenerational plasticity when an environmental change experienced by the parents does not persist with the next generation.

中文翻译：

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环境温度对低温适应鲑鱼热性能的有限跨代影响

由于温度升高的速度可能太快而无法在某些人群中发生适应，因此，外温适应气候变化引起的气温升高的能力是一个重大的保护问题。如果存在跨代可塑性，可能会缓解变暖对子孙后代的某些负面影响。我们研究了湖鳟的跨代可塑性，以评估其代际潜力以应对预期的变暖。我们使成年湖鳟适应了寒冷或温暖的温度达数月之久，然后将它们繁殖以从温度相匹配和不匹配的父母那里繁殖出后代。在油炸阶段 还使后代适应寒冷或温暖的温度，并通过在急性温度挑战期间测量临界热最大值和代谢率来评估其热性能。总体而言，跨代可塑性是显而易见的：后代的热力表现反映了母体和父代的环境状况，并且当后代的环境与父母的环境相匹配时，后代的表现更好。子代的临界热最大值或峰值代谢率几乎没有变化，尽管来自温热适应的父母的冷适应后代表现出较高的标准代谢率，这表明当父母和后代环境不匹配时，跨代效应可能是有害的。