Data from: Local divergence of thermal reaction norms among amphibian populations is affected by pond temperature variation

While temperature variation is known to cause large-scale adaptive
divergence, its potential role as a selective factor over microgeographic
scales is less well understood. Here, we investigated how variation in
breeding pond temperature affects divergence in multiple physiological
(thermal performance curve (TPC) and critical thermal maximum (CTmax)) and
life history (thermal developmental reaction norms (TDRN)) traits in a
network of Rana arvalis populations. The results supported adaptive
responses to face two main constraints limiting the evolution of thermal
adaptation. First, we found support for the faster-slower model,
indicating an adaptive response to compensate for the thermodynamic
constraint of low temperatures in colder environments. Secondly, we found
evidence for the generalist-specialist trade-off with populations from
colder and less thermally variable environments exhibiting a specialist
phenotype performing at higher rates but over a narrower range of
temperatures. By contrast, the local optimal temperature for locomotor
performance and CTmax did not match either mean or maximum pond
temperatures. These results highlight the complexity of the adaptive
multiple-trait thermal responses in natural populations, and the role of
local thermal variation as a selective force driving diversity in life
history and physiological traits in the presence of gene flow.