OSCR

Elevational Variation in Organ Size and Brain-Viscera Energetic Trade-Offs in the Minshan Toad (<i>Bufo minshanicus</i>).

Overview

Authors: Yaohui Deng1, Binwen Liu2, Liming Wang1, Tonglei Yu1
  1. College of Life Science, Xinyang Normal University, Xinyang 464000, China
  2. International Joint Research Laboratory for Global Change Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Henan University, Kaifeng 475004, China
Institutions: Xinyang Normal University (China); Henan University (China)
Journal: Biology, volume 15, issue 16, article 1373
Dates: received 25 June 2026; accepted 5 August 2026; published online 12 August 2026
Type: Research article · Language: English
License: CC BY
Identifiers: DOI 10.3390/biology15161373 · PMID 42651678 · PMCID PMC13510270 · OpenAlex W7202294401
Open access: gold, a free copy (OpenAlex)
Status: data only (how the code is found and verified)
Methods: Smoothing, state filtering, decompositions, Preprocessing, Statistics
Keywords: expensive brain hypothesis, elevational gradient, organ trade-off, body condition, Bufo minshanicus, energetic constraint
Topic: Primate Behavior and Ecology (Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Agricultural and Biological Sciences), according to OpenAlex
Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China (31741019); Natural Science Foundation of Henan Province of China (252300421429)
Citations: not cited yet (Europe PMC); 83 references in the paper

Abstract

Energy trade-offs underlying brain size evolution represent a central topic in evolutionary biology. The Expensive Brain Hypothesis (EBH) posits that the high energetic costs of large brains must be compensated for by increased energy intake or reduced allocation to other costly tissues and functions. We examined the Minshan toad (Bufo minshanicus) along an elevational gradient (2594–3441 m) on the eastern Tibetan Plateau, measuring relative sizes of the brain, five visceral organs, and two reproductive organs, as well as body condition (SMI). Body size and condition significantly decreased with elevation. Relative brain mass showed a non-significant increasing trend with elevation, whereas relative masses of the liver, heart, and alimentary tract significantly increased, and lung mass significantly decreased, with pronounced sexual dimorphism. Relative brain mass was positively correlated with most viscera and male reproductive organs, while a significant brain–ovary trade-off occurred only in females at mid elevation. Overall, elevational environmental conditions shape divergent organ mass covariation patterns. High-altitude habitats may relax energetic constraints to allow coordinated organ development, while moderate mid-altitude stress induces brain–ovary resource trade-offs in females. Our findings do not universally contradict the EBH and instead demonstrate that energetic trade-offs are strongly context-dependent rather than ubiquitous across elevational gradients.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Code

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Data

Datasets cited

Data Availability Statement

Data have been made available at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20838967.

Reproduced under the paper's license (CC BY), from the paper cited above.

Versions

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Version 1, 27 September 2026: the first record

Recorded: type, language, journal, volume, issue, pages, dates, 4 authors, 6 keywords, 2 funders, 73 references.

Cite

This paper

Deng, Y., Liu, B., Wang, L., & Yu, T. (2026). Elevational Variation in Organ Size and Brain-Viscera Energetic Trade-Offs in the Minshan Toad (<i>Bufo minshanicus</i>). Biology, 15(16), 1373. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15161373

BibTeX

@article{deng2026elevational,
author = {Deng, Yaohui and Liu, Binwen and Wang, Liming and Yu, Tonglei},
title = {{Elevational Variation in Organ Size and Brain-Viscera Energetic Trade-Offs in the Minshan Toad (\<i\>Bufo minshanicus\</i\>)}},
journal = {Biology},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
volume = {15},
number = {16},
pages = {1373},
publisher = {Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)},
issn = {2079-7737},
doi = {10.3390/biology15161373},
url = {https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15161373},
pmid = {42651678},
pmcid = {PMC13510270}
}

RIS

TY - JOUR
AU - Deng, Yaohui
AU - Liu, Binwen
AU - Wang, Liming
AU - Yu, Tonglei
TI - Elevational Variation in Organ Size and Brain-Viscera Energetic Trade-Offs in the Minshan Toad (<i>Bufo minshanicus</i>)
T2 - Biology
J2 - Biology (Basel)
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/12
VL - 15
IS - 16
SP - 1373
SN - 2079-7737
PB - Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)
DO - 10.3390/biology15161373
UR - https://doi.org/10.3390/biology15161373
LA - en
ER -

CSL-JSON

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"id": "10.3390/biology15161373",
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"title": "Elevational Variation in Organ Size and Brain-Viscera Energetic Trade-Offs in the Minshan Toad (<i>Bufo minshanicus</i>)",
"container-title": "Biology",
"author": [
{
"family": "Deng",
"given": "Yaohui"
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{
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"given": "Binwen"
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"container-title-short": "Biology (Basel)",
"volume": "15",
"issue": "16",
"page": "1373",
"DOI": "10.3390/biology15161373",
"PMID": "42651678",
"PMCID": "PMC13510270",
"ISSN": "2079-7737",
"publisher": "Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI)",
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"language": "en",
"issued": {
"date-parts": [
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}

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