For a frog no bigger than a fingernail, survival depends on how it spends every bit of energy.
New research from the University of Florida shows that young frogs prioritize growing quickly even when infected with a deadly pathogen, shifting energy toward immune defense only when infections become severe. The findings, published in the Journal of Animal Ecology, reveal how early-life decisions about energy use shape survival, development and population health.
“In disease dynamics, a lot of modeling focuses on populations, but not all individuals respond the same to pathogens,” said Zuania Colón-Piñeiro Ph.D., lead author of the study. “We’re interested in understanding the mechanisms driving those differences.”