Pub Date : 2023-07-11DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10146
Amalia Segura, G. Palomar
Climate change threatens amphibians because they depend on water availability. The amount of time that a pond is filled with water – the hydroperiod – may play an important role in larval development and recruitment. Nevertheless it is usually not taken into account when predicting future species trends. We evaluated the role of the hydroperiod in the abundance of five amphibian species in temporal ponds of a Moroccan forest during a seven-year period. Particularly, we characterized the ponds and compared the climatic variables affecting our system with the previous eight-year period. We tested the relationship between rainfall and hydroperiod, and we identified the best predictor of amphibian abundance. Our data showed that the last seven years were drier than the previous eight, being three of them so dry that none of the amphibian species bred successfully in those seasons. We demonstrated that hydroperiod was the best predictor of the abundance of amphibian species and affected the amphibian community composition. The rainfall was correlated with the hydroperiod and the number of ponds filled. Species with long larval periods such as the endangered Moroccan spadefoot toad and the sharp ribbed newt might be more vulnerable to climate change since they need longer hydroperiods to develop. However, widespread species with shorter hydroperiods such as the Mauretanian toad or the stripeless tree frog might be favoured. In order to predict accurately amphibian species trend under climate change scenarios and to develop adequate conservation strategies, hydroperiod should be considered in both the models and mitigation actions.
{"title":"Hydroperiod of temporary ponds threats amphibian recruitment in Mediterranean environments","authors":"Amalia Segura, G. Palomar","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10146","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10146","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Climate change threatens amphibians because they depend on water availability. The amount of time that a pond is filled with water – the hydroperiod – may play an important role in larval development and recruitment. Nevertheless it is usually not taken into account when predicting future species trends. We evaluated the role of the hydroperiod in the abundance of five amphibian species in temporal ponds of a Moroccan forest during a seven-year period. Particularly, we characterized the ponds and compared the climatic variables affecting our system with the previous eight-year period. We tested the relationship between rainfall and hydroperiod, and we identified the best predictor of amphibian abundance. Our data showed that the last seven years were drier than the previous eight, being three of them so dry that none of the amphibian species bred successfully in those seasons. We demonstrated that hydroperiod was the best predictor of the abundance of amphibian species and affected the amphibian community composition. The rainfall was correlated with the hydroperiod and the number of ponds filled. Species with long larval periods such as the endangered Moroccan spadefoot toad and the sharp ribbed newt might be more vulnerable to climate change since they need longer hydroperiods to develop. However, widespread species with shorter hydroperiods such as the Mauretanian toad or the stripeless tree frog might be favoured. In order to predict accurately amphibian species trend under climate change scenarios and to develop adequate conservation strategies, hydroperiod should be considered in both the models and mitigation actions.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44287969","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-11DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10148
G. Velo‐Antón, E. Chambers, N. Poyarkov, D. Canestrelli, Roberta Bisconti, B. Naumov, María José Fernández Benéitez, A. Borisenko, Í. Martínez‐Solano
Assembling DNA barcode reference libraries for various taxonomic groups allows researchers to use metabarcoding or environmental DNA approaches to gain a rapid understanding of diversity in given environments. However, our ability to use reference libraries depends on how accurately DNA barcodes are able to recover taxonomic boundaries and identify species, which is rarely considered. We constructed an extensive COI barcoding library for amphibians of the Western Palearctic and successfully recovered barcodes from 60 urodele and 73 anuran species (representing 94% and 98% of the nominal anuran and urodele species in the Western Palearctic, respectively), covering the intraspecific diversity of the majority of species in this region. We tested the effectiveness of our assembled DNA barcode dataset for species identification using barcoding gap, efficiency analyses, and two phylogenetic species delimitation methods. We obtained DNA barcodes for 1251 specimens (691 anurans and 560 urodeles) with a high success rate (92-96%) of species identification. The absence of a barcoding gap in a number of samples was linked to species misidentifications, which suggest incipient speciation or cryptic diversity, or previously described mitochondrial introgression events. The phylogenetic species delimitation methods resulted in substantial oversplitting of currently accepted taxonomy. This COI barcoding library provides an almost complete and reliable reference library for Western Palearctic amphibians. We highlight the importance of generating comprehensive and well curated reference libraries that include intra- and interspecific genetic variability and the need of detailed taxonomic revision when ambiguous or incorrect DNA barcodes exist.
{"title":"COI barcoding provides reliable species identification and pinpoints cryptic diversity in Western Palearctic amphibians","authors":"G. Velo‐Antón, E. Chambers, N. Poyarkov, D. Canestrelli, Roberta Bisconti, B. Naumov, María José Fernández Benéitez, A. Borisenko, Í. Martínez‐Solano","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10148","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10148","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Assembling DNA barcode reference libraries for various taxonomic groups allows researchers to use metabarcoding or environmental DNA approaches to gain a rapid understanding of diversity in given environments. However, our ability to use reference libraries depends on how accurately DNA barcodes are able to recover taxonomic boundaries and identify species, which is rarely considered. We constructed an extensive COI barcoding library for amphibians of the Western Palearctic and successfully recovered barcodes from 60 urodele and 73 anuran species (representing 94% and 98% of the nominal anuran and urodele species in the Western Palearctic, respectively), covering the intraspecific diversity of the majority of species in this region. We tested the effectiveness of our assembled DNA barcode dataset for species identification using barcoding gap, efficiency analyses, and two phylogenetic species delimitation methods. We obtained DNA barcodes for 1251 specimens (691 anurans and 560 urodeles) with a high success rate (92-96%) of species identification. The absence of a barcoding gap in a number of samples was linked to species misidentifications, which suggest incipient speciation or cryptic diversity, or previously described mitochondrial introgression events. The phylogenetic species delimitation methods resulted in substantial oversplitting of currently accepted taxonomy. This COI barcoding library provides an almost complete and reliable reference library for Western Palearctic amphibians. We highlight the importance of generating comprehensive and well curated reference libraries that include intra- and interspecific genetic variability and the need of detailed taxonomic revision when ambiguous or incorrect DNA barcodes exist.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43703153","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-07-03DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10145
Patrícia Guedes, Yodiney dos Santos, Estrela Matilde, J. Alves, C. Rato, R. Rocha
On the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa, only one species of terrapin has been recorded: the West African mud turtle, Pelusios castaneus. Here, we use a mtDNA phylogenetic approach to shed light on the geographical origin of Pelusios castaneus on both islands. Our results indicate several independent colonisations from different African mainland regions (Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Congo). However, it is still unclear if the species arrived on the islands by natural dispersal (e.g., through vegetation rafts) or by human agency (e.g., as a food source). Our work provides important insights into the origins of P. castaneus in São Tomé and Príncipe, but a more in-depth study is needed to fully understand the origins and evolutionary histories of these populations.
{"title":"Phylogenetic relationships of the West African mud turtle (Pelusios castaneus) on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Central Africa","authors":"Patrícia Guedes, Yodiney dos Santos, Estrela Matilde, J. Alves, C. Rato, R. Rocha","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10145","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10145","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000On the island nation of São Tomé and Príncipe, West Africa, only one species of terrapin has been recorded: the West African mud turtle, Pelusios castaneus. Here, we use a mtDNA phylogenetic approach to shed light on the geographical origin of Pelusios castaneus on both islands. Our results indicate several independent colonisations from different African mainland regions (Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Sierra Leone and Congo). However, it is still unclear if the species arrived on the islands by natural dispersal (e.g., through vegetation rafts) or by human agency (e.g., as a food source). Our work provides important insights into the origins of P. castaneus in São Tomé and Príncipe, but a more in-depth study is needed to fully understand the origins and evolutionary histories of these populations.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49491231","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-07DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10143
G. Velo‐Antón, Clara Figueiredo-Vázquez, Lucía Alarcón-Ríos
Bimodal reproductive species offer an excellent opportunity to study the evolution of reproductive shifts, yet are extremely rare among vertebrates. Salamandra salamandra is one of two bimodal amphibian species, showing two viviparity modes: an aquatic (larviparity) and a terrestrial (pueriparity) mode. Although hybridization between larviparous and pueriparous lineages occurs in natural contact zones, their reproductive output is unknown. We conducted a captive breeding experiment to cross pueriparous insular females and larviparous continental males of S. s. gallaica. We first confirmed the reproductive output of the females and used parentage analysis to confirm the parents of the offspring, which resulted in a single group of aquatic larvae. We report, for the first time, direct evidence of F1 hybrids between parity modes in urodeles and a case of parity mode reversal at the individual level. Our study highlights S. salamandra as a bimodal reproductive species that offers exceptional opportunities to understand the evolution of viviparity.
{"title":"Captive breeding unveils hybridisation between aquatic and terrestrial reproductive modes and a reversal reproductive shift within Salamandra salamandra gallaica","authors":"G. Velo‐Antón, Clara Figueiredo-Vázquez, Lucía Alarcón-Ríos","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10143","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10143","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Bimodal reproductive species offer an excellent opportunity to study the evolution of reproductive shifts, yet are extremely rare among vertebrates. Salamandra salamandra is one of two bimodal amphibian species, showing two viviparity modes: an aquatic (larviparity) and a terrestrial (pueriparity) mode. Although hybridization between larviparous and pueriparous lineages occurs in natural contact zones, their reproductive output is unknown. We conducted a captive breeding experiment to cross pueriparous insular females and larviparous continental males of S. s. gallaica. We first confirmed the reproductive output of the females and used parentage analysis to confirm the parents of the offspring, which resulted in a single group of aquatic larvae. We report, for the first time, direct evidence of F1 hybrids between parity modes in urodeles and a case of parity mode reversal at the individual level. Our study highlights S. salamandra as a bimodal reproductive species that offers exceptional opportunities to understand the evolution of viviparity.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-06-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41730201","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-06-01DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10142
C. Reading, G. Jofré
The effect of environmental temperature on the growth and body condition of common toad (Bufo bufo) toadlets was studied during their first terrestrial growth season, following metamorphosis, at a pond in south Dorset, UK, between 2010 and 2021. Toadlet samples were collected annually on the first day of emergence and then approximately once a week until late September/early October. In total, 15-19 samples were collected annually depending on the duration of the toadlet activity season. Toadlet snout-vent length (mm) and body mass (mg) of each captured toadlet was measured and their body condition (Scaled Mass Index: SMI) estimated both annually and for each annual quarter season. Toadlet growth rate and SMI varied between years and were significantly correlated with the duration of their first growth season and its lowest recorded temperature. Growth rate declined as the duration of the growth season increased whilst the reverse was true for SMI. Growth rates also increased as temperatures increased and vice versa for SMI. SMI was inversely correlated to growth rate and suggest that toadlets may enter their first hibernation larger, but in poorer condition, following warm summers than cool summers, and that this may have the potential to reduce their survivorship during a following mild winter. Assuming that similar relationships, between growth rates, body condition and environmental temperatures are not restricted to toadlets during their first terrestrial growth season, then this scenario may also be applicable to subsequent juvenile stages, further increasing the potential consequences for individual survival and fitness.
{"title":"The relationship between temperature, growth rate and body condition of Bufo bufo toadlets prior to their first hibernation","authors":"C. Reading, G. Jofré","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10142","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10142","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The effect of environmental temperature on the growth and body condition of common toad (Bufo bufo) toadlets was studied during their first terrestrial growth season, following metamorphosis, at a pond in south Dorset, UK, between 2010 and 2021. Toadlet samples were collected annually on the first day of emergence and then approximately once a week until late September/early October. In total, 15-19 samples were collected annually depending on the duration of the toadlet activity season. Toadlet snout-vent length (mm) and body mass (mg) of each captured toadlet was measured and their body condition (Scaled Mass Index: SMI) estimated both annually and for each annual quarter season. Toadlet growth rate and SMI varied between years and were significantly correlated with the duration of their first growth season and its lowest recorded temperature. Growth rate declined as the duration of the growth season increased whilst the reverse was true for SMI. Growth rates also increased as temperatures increased and vice versa for SMI. SMI was inversely correlated to growth rate and suggest that toadlets may enter their first hibernation larger, but in poorer condition, following warm summers than cool summers, and that this may have the potential to reduce their survivorship during a following mild winter. Assuming that similar relationships, between growth rates, body condition and environmental temperatures are not restricted to toadlets during their first terrestrial growth season, then this scenario may also be applicable to subsequent juvenile stages, further increasing the potential consequences for individual survival and fitness.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42467385","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-31DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10139
Ángel Gálvez, M. Alonso, J. Bisbal-Chinesta, Javier Burgos, D. Candel, Berto Gil, Antonio Gómez-Mercader, Álex Mondéjar, Carlos Ortega, R. Sánchez, Marcos Real, Emilio Rosillo, Pablo Vicent-Castelló, Luis Albero
Water supplies in arid regions have traditionally been assured by cisterns, channels, wells, among other man-made structures with smooth vertical walls that can be deadly traps for several animals, including amphibians and reptiles. In this study, we investigate the incidence of such “trap structures” on the herpetofauna of the eastern Iberian Peninsula. We explored which features of these structures and which biological traits are associated with higher incidence of falling into these traps. We studied 205 trap structures and found 1224 amphibians or reptiles representing 25 different species, including endangered and protected ones. Broad-scale macroclimate and landscape variables were not associated with the incidence of traps. Instead, trap impact was influenced mainly by trap morphology and season of the year, which suggests that construction design and species phenology are the main factors to affect the incidence of a trap. Biological traits (subterranean or aquatic habits, diet, nocturnal activity or emission of reproductive calls) in some species were related to the probability of falling into these traps. Some species of snakes, lizards, and toads were more prone to fall in trap structures than other species. We conclude that trap structures can strongly impact amphibian and reptile survival, especially in arid or semi-arid regions where wells and water cisterns are widespread.
{"title":"Man-made infrastructures as accidental traps for herpetofauna in eastern Spain: incidence and modelling","authors":"Ángel Gálvez, M. Alonso, J. Bisbal-Chinesta, Javier Burgos, D. Candel, Berto Gil, Antonio Gómez-Mercader, Álex Mondéjar, Carlos Ortega, R. Sánchez, Marcos Real, Emilio Rosillo, Pablo Vicent-Castelló, Luis Albero","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10139","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10139","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Water supplies in arid regions have traditionally been assured by cisterns, channels, wells, among other man-made structures with smooth vertical walls that can be deadly traps for several animals, including amphibians and reptiles. In this study, we investigate the incidence of such “trap structures” on the herpetofauna of the eastern Iberian Peninsula. We explored which features of these structures and which biological traits are associated with higher incidence of falling into these traps. We studied 205 trap structures and found 1224 amphibians or reptiles representing 25 different species, including endangered and protected ones. Broad-scale macroclimate and landscape variables were not associated with the incidence of traps. Instead, trap impact was influenced mainly by trap morphology and season of the year, which suggests that construction design and species phenology are the main factors to affect the incidence of a trap. Biological traits (subterranean or aquatic habits, diet, nocturnal activity or emission of reproductive calls) in some species were related to the probability of falling into these traps. Some species of snakes, lizards, and toads were more prone to fall in trap structures than other species. We conclude that trap structures can strongly impact amphibian and reptile survival, especially in arid or semi-arid regions where wells and water cisterns are widespread.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47764693","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-23DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10141
Collin Walter, M. Cramberg, B. Young
To resist forward displacement of their body during non-locomotor behaviors such as feeding, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) hold their hindfeet vertical, then push the foot into the substrate so that the dorsum of the foot forms a contact area with the substrate. Herein this form of bracing is termed pedal anchoring. The purpose of the present study was to describe pedal anchoring and to demonstrate whether it entailed interaction between the hindfoot (pes) of Alligator and the substrate that differed from the interactions seen during locomotion. Alligator tracks were studied in the wild, during controlled field trials, and on a mud trackway in the laboratory; in each setting locomotor and pedal anchoring tracks were photographed, cast in Plaster of Paris, then features of the casts quantified. Statistical analysis demonstrated greater variation in the wild tracks, presumably reflecting the larger size and velocity ranges of the alligators involved, and suggested that the mud trackway used during the locomotor trials did not create significant artifact. Tracks produced during locomotion and pedal anchoring by the same alligators, on the same substrate, yielded significantly different quantitative features, different matrices of Pearson correlation coefficients, and different patterns of character distribution following Principal Component Analysis. These results all support the conclusion that pedal anchoring involves fundamentally different interaction between the pes and the substrate than occurs during locomotion.
{"title":"The gator grapnel: pedal anchoring in the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis)","authors":"Collin Walter, M. Cramberg, B. Young","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10141","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10141","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000To resist forward displacement of their body during non-locomotor behaviors such as feeding, American alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) hold their hindfeet vertical, then push the foot into the substrate so that the dorsum of the foot forms a contact area with the substrate. Herein this form of bracing is termed pedal anchoring. The purpose of the present study was to describe pedal anchoring and to demonstrate whether it entailed interaction between the hindfoot (pes) of Alligator and the substrate that differed from the interactions seen during locomotion. Alligator tracks were studied in the wild, during controlled field trials, and on a mud trackway in the laboratory; in each setting locomotor and pedal anchoring tracks were photographed, cast in Plaster of Paris, then features of the casts quantified. Statistical analysis demonstrated greater variation in the wild tracks, presumably reflecting the larger size and velocity ranges of the alligators involved, and suggested that the mud trackway used during the locomotor trials did not create significant artifact. Tracks produced during locomotion and pedal anchoring by the same alligators, on the same substrate, yielded significantly different quantitative features, different matrices of Pearson correlation coefficients, and different patterns of character distribution following Principal Component Analysis. These results all support the conclusion that pedal anchoring involves fundamentally different interaction between the pes and the substrate than occurs during locomotion.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47828491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-17DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10140
J. C. Carrillo, D. Santana, C. Prado
Amphibians exhibit diverse parental care behaviours, which may be performed by the female, male or both parents. In the Neotropical family Leptodactylidae, frogs in the genus Leptodactylus exhibit different parenting behaviours. The repertoire of care behaviours includes egg/nest attendance, nest chamber sealing, tadpole feeding with trophic eggs, and tadpole attendance associated with complex behaviours, such as pumping behaviour and channel digging. Based on the available information, we found that 23.8% of Leptodactylus species are known to exhibit post-fertilization parental care. Future studies should focus on mechanisms involved in parent-offspring communication, including acoustic and chemical signals. Moreover, behaviours such as provisioning with trophic eggs are not well understood and deserves further investigation. Because of these complex parental care behaviours, tadpole schooling, and relative easy observation, frogs in the genus Leptodactylus represent excellent models for studies interested in parent-offspring communication and evolution of parental care.
{"title":"An overview of parental care in the foam-nesting frogs of the genus Leptodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae): current knowledge and future directions","authors":"J. C. Carrillo, D. Santana, C. Prado","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10140","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10140","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Amphibians exhibit diverse parental care behaviours, which may be performed by the female, male or both parents. In the Neotropical family Leptodactylidae, frogs in the genus Leptodactylus exhibit different parenting behaviours. The repertoire of care behaviours includes egg/nest attendance, nest chamber sealing, tadpole feeding with trophic eggs, and tadpole attendance associated with complex behaviours, such as pumping behaviour and channel digging. Based on the available information, we found that 23.8% of Leptodactylus species are known to exhibit post-fertilization parental care. Future studies should focus on mechanisms involved in parent-offspring communication, including acoustic and chemical signals. Moreover, behaviours such as provisioning with trophic eggs are not well understood and deserves further investigation. Because of these complex parental care behaviours, tadpole schooling, and relative easy observation, frogs in the genus Leptodactylus represent excellent models for studies interested in parent-offspring communication and evolution of parental care.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44549177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-03DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10136
S. Mezhzherin, S. Morozov-Leonov, O. Nekrasova, O. Rostovskaya
Geographic peculiarities of population structure and hemicloning reproduction of the water frog Pelophylax esculentus complex of 904 samples within southern East European Plain were analyzed. The proportion of populations of P. ridibundus is 0.667 against those 0.042 of P. lessonae. The RE-type populations are the most common among mixed ones (0.153). The colonies of the two parental species and P. kl. esculentus (REL-type), as well as those of P. lessonae with P. kl. esculentus (LE-type), have the frequencies 0.072 and 0.046, respectively. All-hybrid populations (E-type) are not numerous across the region (0.017). In the populations of Central, Northern and Western Ukraine, the P. lessonae genome is eliminated during gametogenesis within hybrids while in the Lower Dnieper and Lower Danube drainages, genome of P. ridibundus is eliminated. In the Eastern Ukraine populations, hybrids usually produce diploid gametes or haploid gametes with the P. ridibundus genome, less often with the chromosome set of P. lessonae only, and even more rarely a mixture of different types of gametes. The predominance of P. ridibundus in hybrid communities and the elimination of the P. lessonae genome in hybrids inevitably leads to the transformation of hybrid populations into “pure” R-type populations. This circumstance makes hybridization with P. ridibundus a factor in the shrinking of P. lessonae populations. That trend is especially expressed in the Forest steppe zone, where hybridization proceeds most intensively, the P. lessonae genome is eliminated in hybrids, and unstable populations with a numerical superiority of P. ridibundus predominate.
{"title":"Geographic peculiarities of structure and hemicloning reproduction of Pelophylax esculentus water frog complex (Anura, Ranidae) populations in the East European Plain within Ukraine","authors":"S. Mezhzherin, S. Morozov-Leonov, O. Nekrasova, O. Rostovskaya","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10136","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10136","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000Geographic peculiarities of population structure and hemicloning reproduction of the water frog Pelophylax esculentus complex of 904 samples within southern East European Plain were analyzed. The proportion of populations of P. ridibundus is 0.667 against those 0.042 of P. lessonae. The RE-type populations are the most common among mixed ones (0.153). The colonies of the two parental species and P. kl. esculentus (REL-type), as well as those of P. lessonae with P. kl. esculentus (LE-type), have the frequencies 0.072 and 0.046, respectively. All-hybrid populations (E-type) are not numerous across the region (0.017). In the populations of Central, Northern and Western Ukraine, the P. lessonae genome is eliminated during gametogenesis within hybrids while in the Lower Dnieper and Lower Danube drainages, genome of P. ridibundus is eliminated. In the Eastern Ukraine populations, hybrids usually produce diploid gametes or haploid gametes with the P. ridibundus genome, less often with the chromosome set of P. lessonae only, and even more rarely a mixture of different types of gametes. The predominance of P. ridibundus in hybrid communities and the elimination of the P. lessonae genome in hybrids inevitably leads to the transformation of hybrid populations into “pure” R-type populations. This circumstance makes hybridization with P. ridibundus a factor in the shrinking of P. lessonae populations. That trend is especially expressed in the Forest steppe zone, where hybridization proceeds most intensively, the P. lessonae genome is eliminated in hybrids, and unstable populations with a numerical superiority of P. ridibundus predominate.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47082392","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2023-05-02DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10138
Elisavet-Aspasia Toli, Anastasios Bounas, A. Christopoulos, P. Pafilis, K. Sotiropoulos
The Karpathos water frog (Pelophylax cerigensis) is classified as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List and its distribution is restricted on the island of Karpathos, South Aegean Sea. Utilizing a next generation sequencing approach, we obtained whole mitochondrial genomes of P. cerigensis to determine the species phylogenetic position within the genus Pelophylax and to clarify the phylogenetic relationship between the species’ population on Karpathos Island and the population of P. cf. bedriagae from the neighboring Rhodes Island. High-throughput sequencing generated mean ± SD = 227 945 ± 18 306 reads averaged per sample. High quality reads were assembled resulting in the complete mitogenome of P. cerigensis of a total size of 17 922 bp. Mitogenome organization was similar to other Pelophylax species, comprising of 13 Protein Coding Genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and one Control Region. Overall mean genetic distance for the 13 PCGs, within the Ranidae family, ranged from 8.01% (COIII) to 11.6% (ATP8), while ratios of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions were <1 in all the 13 PCGs, indicating purifying selection. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses based on the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs (12S and 16S), showed that individuals from Karpathos and Rhodes form a well-supported monophyletic group with low genetic distance between them (p-distance = 0.1%). Hence, the Rhodes populations seem to belong to P. cerigensis and not to P. bedriagae as formerly thought, highlighting the need for revision of P. cerigensis current conservation status as well as further examination of the P. bedriagae species group.
{"title":"Phylogenetic analysis of the critically endangered Karpathos water frog (Anura, Amphibia): conservation insights from complete mitochondrial genome sequencing","authors":"Elisavet-Aspasia Toli, Anastasios Bounas, A. Christopoulos, P. Pafilis, K. Sotiropoulos","doi":"10.1163/15685381-bja10138","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-bja10138","url":null,"abstract":"\u0000The Karpathos water frog (Pelophylax cerigensis) is classified as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List and its distribution is restricted on the island of Karpathos, South Aegean Sea. Utilizing a next generation sequencing approach, we obtained whole mitochondrial genomes of P. cerigensis to determine the species phylogenetic position within the genus Pelophylax and to clarify the phylogenetic relationship between the species’ population on Karpathos Island and the population of P. cf. bedriagae from the neighboring Rhodes Island. High-throughput sequencing generated mean ± SD = 227 945 ± 18 306 reads averaged per sample. High quality reads were assembled resulting in the complete mitogenome of P. cerigensis of a total size of 17 922 bp. Mitogenome organization was similar to other Pelophylax species, comprising of 13 Protein Coding Genes (PCGs), 22 tRNAs, two rRNAs and one Control Region. Overall mean genetic distance for the 13 PCGs, within the Ranidae family, ranged from 8.01% (COIII) to 11.6% (ATP8), while ratios of synonymous and non-synonymous substitutions were <1 in all the 13 PCGs, indicating purifying selection. Maximum Likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses based on the concatenated sequences of 13 PCGs and two rRNAs (12S and 16S), showed that individuals from Karpathos and Rhodes form a well-supported monophyletic group with low genetic distance between them (p-distance = 0.1%). Hence, the Rhodes populations seem to belong to P. cerigensis and not to P. bedriagae as formerly thought, highlighting the need for revision of P. cerigensis current conservation status as well as further examination of the P. bedriagae species group.","PeriodicalId":50799,"journal":{"name":"Amphibia-Reptilia","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2023-05-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44542771","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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