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Testing Bergmann's Rule in marine copepods
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  • Max Campbell,
  • David Schoeman,
  • William Venables,
  • Rana Abu-Alhaija,
  • Sonia Batten,
  • Sanae Chiba,
  • Frank Coman,
  • Claire Davies,
  • Martin Edwards,
  • Ruth Eriksen,
  • Jason Everett,
  • Yutaka Fukai,
  • Mitsuo Fukuchi,
  • Octavio Esquivel Garrote,
  • Graham Hosie,
  • Jenny Huggett,
  • David Johns,
  • John Kitchener,
  • Philippe Koubbi,
  • Felicity McEnnulty ,
  • Erik Muxagata,
  • Clare Ostle,
  • Karen Robinson,
  • Anita Slotwinski,
  • Kerrie Swadling,
  • Kunio Takahashi,
  • Mark Tonks,
  • Julian Uribe-Palomino,
  • Hans Verheye,
  • William Wilson,
  • Marco Worship,
  • Atsushi Yamaguchi,
  • Zhang Wuchang,
  • Anthony Richardson
Max Campbell
University of New South Wales

Corresponding Author:[email protected]

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David Schoeman
University of the Sunshine Coast Engineering and Science
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William Venables
CSIRO EcoSciences Precinct
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Rana Abu-Alhaija
The Cyprus Institute
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Sonia Batten
The Marine Biological Association
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Sanae Chiba
Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology
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Frank Coman
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
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Claire Davies
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
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Martin Edwards
The Marine Biological Association
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Ruth Eriksen
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
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Jason Everett
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
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Yutaka Fukai
Hokkaido University
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Mitsuo Fukuchi
National Institute of Polar Research
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Octavio Esquivel Garrote
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
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Graham Hosie
The Marine Biological Association
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Jenny Huggett
University of Cape Town
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David Johns
Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
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John Kitchener
Australian Antarctic Division
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Philippe Koubbi
Ifremer Boulogne-sur-Mer
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Felicity McEnnulty
CSIRO Oceans and Atmosphere
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Erik Muxagata
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande
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Clare Ostle
The Marine Biological Association
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Karen Robinson
National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Christchurch Office
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Anita Slotwinski
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
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Kerrie Swadling
University of Tasmania
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Kunio Takahashi
National Institute of Polar Research
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Mark Tonks
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
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Julian Uribe-Palomino
CSIRO Queensland Bioscience Precinct
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Hans Verheye
University of Cape Town
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William Wilson
The Marine Biological Association
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Marco Worship
Republic of South Africa Department of Environmental Affairs Oceans and Coasts
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Atsushi Yamaguchi
Hokkaido University
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Zhang Wuchang
Institute of Oceanology Chinese Academy of Sciences
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Anthony Richardson
The University of Queensland
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Abstract

Macroecological relationships provide insights into rules that govern ecological systems. Bergmann’s Rule posits that members of the same clade are larger at colder temperatures. Whether temperature drives this relationship is debated because several other potential drivers covary with temperature. We conducted a near-global comparative analysis on marine copepods (100,326 samples, 388 taxa) to test Bergmann’s Rule, considering other potential drivers. Supporting Bergmann’s Rule, we found temperature better predicted size than did latitude or oxygen, with body size decreasing by 44.7% across the temperature range (-1.7–30ºC). Body size also decreased by 46.0% across the range in food availability and increased by 11.3% across high-predation to low-predation systems. Our results provide strong support for Bergman’s Rule in copepods, but emphasises the importance of other drivers in modifying this pattern. As the world warms, smaller copepod species are likely to emerge as “winners”, potentially reducing rates of fisheries production and carbon sequestration.
10 Aug 2021Published in Ecography. 10.1111/ecog.05545