News release

From: The Royal Society

Plasticity in expression clarifies the ecological drivers and evolutionary history of cannibalism in invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina)

In Australia, invasive cane toad tadpoles rapidly evolved to consistently and intensely cannibalize the eggs of other cane toads. The consistency of this behavior is surprising because rates of cannibalism by amphibian larvae are usually variable. Here, we use laboratory experiments and analyses of published data to show that rates of cannibalism by invasive Australian cane toad tadpoles are variable—older, more developed tadpoles are more cannibalistic, as are larger tadpoles and those from resource-stressed ponds. We also show that some of this variation exists in the toads’ native range, clarifying the pathway through which the behavior evolved in Australia.