A thermal radiator underlies plasticity to extreme temperatures in the world's largest bird

Abstract

Organisms inhabiting extreme thermal environments, such as desert birds, have evolved spectacular adaptations to thermoregulate during hot and cold conditions. However, our knowledge of selection for thermoregulation and the potential for evolutionary responses is limited, particularly for large organisms experiencing extreme temperature fluctuations. Here we use thermal imaging to quantify selection and genetic variation in thermoregulation in ostriches (Struthio camelus), the worlds largest bird species that is experiencing increasingly volatile temperatures. We found that females that are better at regulating their head temperatures ( thermoregulatory capacity) had higher egg-laying rates under hotter conditions. Thermoregulatory capacity was both heritable and showed signatures of local adaptation: females originating from more unpredictable climates were better at regulating their head temperatures in response to temperature fluctuations. Together these results reveal that past and present evolutionary processes have shaped genetic variation in thermoregulatory capacity, which appears to protect critical organs, such as the brain, from extreme temperatures during reproduction. Impact SummaryLarge animals inhabiting extreme thermal environments, such as deserts, are predicted to be particularly vulnerable to the increasing temperature fluctuations expected in the future. However, previous work on the evolutionary potential of thermoregulation has primarily focused on the effect of hot temperatures on the survival of small ectotherms. We know little about how large endothermic vertebrates, such as birds, will respond to changing temperatures. Here we study the ostrich (Struthio camelus), the worlds largest bird, that inhabits some of the hottest and driest regions on Earth. We show that the ability of females to reproduce during hot conditions is associated with the regulation of their head temperatures ( thermoregulatory capacity). Furthermore, variation in thermoregulation is heritable and related to past climatic conditions: females originating from parts of Africa with more extreme temperature fluctuations were better able to thermoregulate, indicating local adaptation to different climatic conditions. Together, these results suggest that thermoregulation in this large desert bird has evolved in response to past climatic conditions, remains genetically variable and is currently under selection through its effect on reproduction.