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Microplastics disrupt adaptive predator-induced behavioural plasticity in Rana dalmatina tadpoles
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Scientists found that tadpoles exposed to microplastics lost their natural ability to sense danger and avoid predators, even though the microplastics didn't cause any visible physical harm. This matters because it shows microplastics can mess with an animal's survival instincts in subtle ways that basic health checks might miss — raising questions about what similar "invisible" effects these particles might have on human brain function and decision-making, since we're exposed to microplastics daily through food, water, and air.
Abstract The accumulation of microplastics (MP; plastic particles 1 μm – 1 mm in diameter) in the environment is an increasing global concern. Although the physiological effects of MP on organisms, including humans, are increasingly documented, their impacts on behaviour are far less understood. Further, little is known about how MP affect adaptive phenotypic plasticity – the ability of a genotype to adaptively modify its phenotype in response to environmental cues. Anuran tadpoles are key models for studying phenotypic plasticity, with well-established evidence for predator-induced behavioural adjustments. Tadpoles typically reduce their activity and risk-taking when exposed to chemical cues released by predators, which has been proven to be adaptive. We investigated whether MP exposure from the fertilised egg stage alters the behaviour of agile frog ( Rana dalmatina ) tadpoles, and whether it interferes with their predator-induced behavioural plasticity. Tadpoles exposed to chemical cues from dragonfly larvae showed the expected antipredator response: these larvae showed significantly reduced movement activity and risk-taking. Although exposure to MP did not influence the behaviour of tadpoles that had not been exposed to predator cues, and also did not alter predator-induced changes in movement activity, it entirely abolished the predator-induced reduction in risk-taking. These results indicate that MP can compromise antipredator behaviour, increasing the vulnerability of individuals and natural populations to predation without causing visible developmental abnormalities. We recommend that future MP research targets behavioural traits with direct relevance to survival and reproduction, and examines how adaptive phenotypic plasticity is affected.
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Scientists exposed fish to microplastics (tiny plastic particles) and found that the contamination changed how the fish behaved - making them less bold and exploratory, but causing them to eat more often. This matters because microplastics are everywhere in our environment, including in seafood we eat, and this study shows these particles can alter animal behavior in ways that might affect entire food chains. The findings help us understand how plastic pollution could be disrupting aquatic ecosystems that humans depend on for food.
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Anti-predator behavioral responses of Italian agile frog tadpoles (Rana latastei) exposed to microplastics
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Italian agile frog tadpoles were exposed to three concentrations of a mixed polymer microplastic mixture for two weeks and then tested for anti-predator behavioral responses. Higher microplastic concentrations reduced the tadpoles' ability to detect and respond to predator chemical cues, suggesting microplastics impair chemosensory-mediated defense behaviors in amphibians.
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