Data from: Evaluating adaptive, carry-over and plastic antipredator responses across a temporal gradient in Pacific chorus frogs

The development of antipredator traits is dependent on the frequency and
intensity of predator exposure over evolutionary and ecological time. We
hypothesized that prey species would respond with increasing accuracy when
exposed to predators across generational, ontogenetic and immediate
timescales. We assessed larval Pacific chorus frog (PSRE; Pseudacris
regilla) individuals that varied in population sympatry, embryonic
conditioning, and immediate exposure to stocked populations of Rainbow
Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss). Using PSRE populations from sites with and
without resident Rainbow Trout, we conditioned embryos to trout odor, PSRE
alarm cues, trout odor in combination with alarm cues, or control water.
After being hatched and reared in control water, individuals were exposed
to the four predator cue treatments using a fully factorial design.
Tadpoles from populations with resident Rainbow Trout did not behave or
develop differently than tadpoles originating from fishless sites.
However, we found evidence that PSRE reduced predation risk with a
combination of carry-over effect (i.e., transfer of information across
life history stages) and within-life stage phenotypically plastic
mechanisms. We found both developmental and behavioral carry-over effects:
tadpoles conditioned with trout odor as embryos grew more slowly and took
refuge more often than control animals. Within-life stage behavioral
plasticity was observed in tadpoles from all treatment groups, responding
to predator cues with increased refuge use. Potentially additive effects
of predator exposure on prey response should be considered when predicting
the ability of prey to recognize novel threats.