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Das K, Rödel M, Stanley E, Srikanthan AN, Shanker K, Vijayakumar SP. Reed bamboos drive skull shape evolution in bush frogs of the Western Ghats, Peninsular India. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10493. [PMID: 37680959 PMCID: PMC10480065 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/21/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Reed bamboo is a major ecological and economic resource for many animals, including humans. Nonetheless, the influence of this plant's evolutionary role on the morphology of animal species remains unexplored. Here, we investigated the significance of bamboo habitats as ecological opportunities in shaping the skull morphology of bush frogs (Raorchestes) from the Western Ghats, Peninsular India. We applied a three-dimensional (3D) geometric morphometric approach to capture the skull shape of 55 species of bush frogs. We visualized the skull shape variables in phylomorphospace with principal component analysis and performed phylogenetic generalized least-squares analysis to assess the impact of cranial size (evolutionary allometry) and habitat (bamboo or non-bamboo) on cranial shape. We quantified the morphological disparity between bamboo and non-bamboo bush frogs' skull shape, and employed RRphylo, a phylogenetic ridge regression method, to access the evolutionary rate and rate shifts of skull shape change. The phylomorphospace delineated bamboo and non-bamboo bush frogs. While cranial shape exhibited a significant but smaller association with size, its association with habitat type was non-significant. We detected, however, significant differences in skull shape between the two frog groups, with bamboo frogs showing higher morphological disparity and a remarkable shift in the evolutionary rate of skull shape diversification. These findings underscore the role of reed bamboo in the evolution of skull shape in the radiation of frogs, endemic to the Western Ghats. We demonstrate that the association between the members of two distinct endemic clades (bamboo reeds and bamboo frogs) is the outcome of a deep-time ecological opportunity that dates back to the Miocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kalpana Das
- Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity ScienceBerlinGermany
| | - Mark‐Oliver Rödel
- Museum für Naturkunde – Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity ScienceBerlinGermany
| | - Edward Stanley
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural HistoryUniversity of FloridaGainesvilleFloridaUSA
| | - Achyuthan N. Srikanthan
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
- Department of BiologyClark UniversityWorcesterMassachusettsUSA
| | - Kartik Shanker
- Centre for Ecological SciencesIndian Institute of ScienceBangaloreIndia
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Yan F, Liu X, Zhang Y, Yuan Z. Direct development of the bush frog Raorchestes longchuanensis (Yang and Li 1978) under laborary conditions in Southern China. J NAT HIST 2021. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2021.1895349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Fang Yan
- College of Life Science, Yunnan University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Xiaolong Liu
- Key Laboratory of Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Yinpeng Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
| | - Zhiyong Yuan
- Key Laboratory of Conserving Wildlife with Small Populations in Yunnan, Southwest Forestry University, Kunming, Yunnan, China
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Garg S, Suyesh R, Das S, Bee MA, Biju SD. An integrative approach to infer systematic relationships and define species groups in the shrub frog genus Raorchestes, with description of five new species from the Western Ghats, India. PeerJ 2021; 9:e10791. [PMID: 33717674 PMCID: PMC7936570 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10791] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 12/26/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
The genus Raorchestes is a large radiation of Old World tree frogs for which the Western Ghats in Peninsular India is the major center for origin and diversification. Extensive studies on this group during the past two decades have resolved long-standing taxonomic confusions and uncovered several new species, resulting in a four-fold increase in the number of known Raorchestes frogs from this region. Our ongoing research has revealed another five new species in the genus, formally described as Raorchestes drutaahu sp. nov., Raorchestes kakkayamensis sp. nov., Raorchestes keirasabinae sp. nov., Raorchestes sanjappai sp. nov., and Raorchestes vellikkannan sp. nov., all from the State of Kerala in southern Western Ghats. Based on new collections, we also provide insights on the taxonomic identity of three previously known taxa. Furthermore, since attempts for an up-to-date comprehensive study of this taxonomically challenging genus using multiple integrative taxonomic approaches have been lacking, here we review the systematic affinities of all known Raorchestes species and define 16 species groups based on evidence from multi-gene (2,327 bp) phylogenetic analyses, several morphological characters (including eye colouration and pattern), and acoustic parameters (temporal and spectral properties, as well as calling height). The results of our study present novel insights to facilitate a better working taxonomy for this rather speciose and morphologically conserved radiation of shrub frogs. This will further enable proper field identification, provide momentum for multi-disciplinary studies, as well as assist conservation of one of the most colourful and acoustically diverse frog groups of the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India.,Department of Environmental Studies, Sri Venkateswara College, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Sandeep Das
- Forest Ecology and Biodiversity Conservation Division, Kerala Forest Research Institute, Peechi, Kerala, India.,EDGE of Existence programme, Conservation and Policy, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota - Twin Cities, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - S D Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
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Macfarland L, Mahony NA, Harrison M, Green D. Habitat-mediated breeding performance of Lewis's Woodpeckers (Melanerpes lewis) in British Columbia. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212929. [PMID: 30893345 PMCID: PMC6426180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212929] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Tree cavities provide a critical resource for cavity-nesting animals, and high quality cavities can be difficult for animals to acquire in habitats where competition is high. We investigated the breeding performance of Lewis’s Woodpeckers in three habitat types in British Columbia, Canada in 2013 and 2014. We also assessed whether the number of nest competitors and cavity availability influenced the habitat specific breeding performance of this threatened cavity nesting species. We found that daily nest survival rate was lower in burned habitat (0.15 ± 0.08 (0.05–0.37)) than in live pine (0.72 ± 0.10 (0.51–0.87)) or cottonwood (0.69 ± 0.09 (0.51–0.83)) habitats. However, hatching success (the proportion of eggs that hatch) was lower in live pine habitat (0.59 ± 0.09 95% CI) than burned (0.77 ± 0.19 95% CI) or cottonwood (0.80 ± 0.07 95% CI) habitat, and the fledging success of successful nests in live pine and burned habitat (1.86 ± 0.31 and 1.88 ± 0.59 95% CI, respectively) was slightly lower than in cottonwood habitat (2.61 ± 0.45 95% CI). Consequently, Lewis’s Woodpeckers in cottonwood habitat produced more fledglings per nesting attempt (2.05 ± 0.49 95% CI) than in live pine (1.53 ± 0.35 95% CI) or burned (0.79 ± 0.49 95% CI) habitat. Habitats differed in the number of nesting competitors and the number of suitable cavities surrounding active Lewis’s Woodpecker nests. Our results showed that cavity density best explained breeding performance differences although the mechanisms remain unclear. There was no evidence that the number of heterospecific nest competitors, including the invasive European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris), explained or influenced Lewis’s Woodpecker breeding performance. Cavity density influenced the productivity of successful nests but did not explain habitat differences in hatching success or daily nest survival. Further work is required to understand the mechanistic basis for the habitat specific breeding performance of Lewis’s Woodpeckers. Habitat differences in breeding performance in British Columbia are not consistent with those in other regions, highlighting the importance of regionally-specific demographic data for managing species at risk.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren Macfarland
- Simon Fraser University, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Nancy A. Mahony
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Wildlife and Research Division, Science and Technology Branch, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
| | - Megan Harrison
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canadian Wildlife Service, Delta, British Columbia, Canada
| | - David Green
- Simon Fraser University, Centre for Wildlife Ecology, Department of Biological Sciences, Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
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Thorpe CJ, Lewis TR, Kulkarni S, Watve A, Gaitonde N, Pryce D, Davies L, Bilton DT, Knight ME. Micro-habitat distribution drives patch quality for sub-tropical rocky plateau amphibians in the northern Western Ghats, India. PLoS One 2018; 13:e0194810. [PMID: 29579111 PMCID: PMC5868820 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0194810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/09/2018] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
The importance of patch quality for amphibians is frequently overlooked in distribution models. Here we demonstrate that it is highly important for the persistence of endemic and endangered amphibians found in the threatened and fragile ecosystems that are the rocky plateaus in Western Maharashtra, India. These plateaus are ferricretes of laterite and characterise the northern section of the Western Ghats/Sri Lanka Biodiversity Hotspot, the eighth most important global hotspot and one of the three most threatened by population growth. We present statistically supported habitat associations for endangered and data-deficient Indian amphibians, demonstrating significant relationships between individual species and their microhabitats. Data were collected during early monsoon across two seasons. Twenty-one amphibian taxa were identified from 14 lateritic plateaus between 67 and 1179m above sea level. Twelve of the study taxa had significant associations with microhabitats using a stepwise analysis of the AICc subroutine (distLM, Primer-e, v7). Generalist taxa were associated with increased numbers of microhabitat types. Non-significant associations are reported for the remaining 9 taxa. Microhabitat distribution was spatially structured and driven by climate and human activity. Woody plants were associated with 44% of high-elevation taxa. Of the 8 low-elevation taxa 63% related to water bodies and 60% of those were associated with pools. Rock size and abundance were important for 33% of high elevation specialists. Three of the 4 caecilians were associated with rocks in addition to soil and stream presence. We conclude the plateaus are individualistic patches whose habitat quality is defined by their microhabitats within climatic zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christopher J. Thorpe
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (CJT); (TRL)
| | - Todd R. Lewis
- Westfield, Wareham, Dorset, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (CJT); (TRL)
| | | | - Aparna Watve
- Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Taljapur, Osmanabad, Maharashtra, India
| | - Nikhil Gaitonde
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Rajiv Gandhi Nagar, Kodigehalli, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
| | - David Pryce
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Lewis Davies
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - David T. Bilton
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
| | - Mairi E. Knight
- Ecology and Evolution Research Group, School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth, Devon, United Kingdom
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Seshadri KS, Bickford DP. Faithful fathers and crooked cannibals: the adaptive significance of parental care in the bush frog Raorchestes chalazodes, Western Ghats, India. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2420-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Ament DC, Dos Santos TG. Taxonomy and First Records of Two Megaselia Rondani Species (Diptera: Phoridae) Preying upon Eggs of Phyllomedusa iheringii Boulenger (Anura: Phyllomedusidae). NEOTROPICAL ENTOMOLOGY 2017; 46:289-294. [PMID: 28247244 DOI: 10.1007/s13744-016-0462-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2016] [Accepted: 10/31/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Non-aquatic reproductive modes have evolved among frogs possibly favored by some advantages such as the avoidance of aquatic predators. These reproductive modes, however, make the egg clutches susceptible to terrestrial predators, among which Diptera larvae are some of the most harmful. The present work reports the predation by phorid flies of 22 egg clutches of Phyllomedusa iheringii Boulenger in the South of Brazil. Phorid specimens were identified as Megaselia bruchiana (Borgmeier & Schmitz) and Megaselia necrophaga (Enderlein), species that were reported previously to be associated with ants and dead beetles, respectively. Frog-feeding in these species is hypothesized to be use of an alternative seasonal food source. We amend the diagnoses of both Megaselia species and provide new illustrations to facilitate their identification. We also describe the male of M. bruchiana for the first time and associate males with females of both species.
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Affiliation(s)
- D C Ament
- Depto de Biologia, Univ de São Paulo, Fac de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto, Av Bandeirantes 3900, 14040-901, Ribeirão Preto, SP, Brasil.
| | - T G Dos Santos
- Univ Federal do Pampa, Campus São Gabriel, São Gabriel, RS, Brasil
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Hissa DC, Bezerra WM, Freitas CDTD, Ramos MV, Lopes JLDS, Beltramini LM, Roberto IJ, Cascon P, Melo VMM. Frog Foam Nest Protein Diversity and Synthesis. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY. PART A, ECOLOGICAL GENETICS AND PHYSIOLOGY 2016; 325:425-33. [PMID: 27460953 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2016] [Accepted: 06/30/2016] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Some amphibian species have developed a breeding strategy in which they deposit their eggs in stable foam nests to protect their eggs and larvae. The frog foam nests are rich in proteins (ranaspumin), especially surfactant proteins, involved in the production of the foam nest. Despite the ecological importance of the foam nests for evolution and species conservation, the biochemical composition, the long-term stability and even the origin of the components are still not completely understood. Recently we showed that Lv-RSN-1, a 23.5-kDa surfactant protein isolated from the nest of the frog Leptodacylus vastus, presents a structural conformation distinct from any protein structures yet reported. So, in the current study we aimed to reveal the protein composition of the foam nest of L. vastus and further characterize the Lv-RSN-1. Proteomic analysis showed the foam nest contains more than 100 of proteins, and that Lv-RSN-1 comprises 45% of the total proteins, suggesting a key role in the nest construction and stability. We demonstrated by Western blotting that Lv-RSN-1 is mainly produced only by the female in the pars convoluta dilata, which highlights the importance of the female preservation for conservation of species that depend on the production of foam nests in the early stages of development. Overall, our results showed the foam nest of L. vastus is composed of a great diversity of proteins and that besides Lv-RSN-1, the main protein in the foam, other proteins must have a coadjuvant role in building and stability of the nest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Denise Cavalcante Hissa
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
| | - Walderly Melgaço Bezerra
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | | | - Márcio Viana Ramos
- Departamento de Bioquímica e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Ceará Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - José Luiz De Souza Lopes
- Instituto de Física, Universidade de São Paulo, Cidade Universitária, Rua do Matão, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Leila Maria Beltramini
- Instituto de Física de São Carlos, Universidade de São Paulo, Av. João Dagnone, São Carlos, SP, Brazil
| | - Igor Joventino Roberto
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Amazonas, Departamento de Biologia, Avenida General Rodrigo Octávio, Manaus, Amazonas, Brasil
| | - Paulo Cascon
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
| | - Vânia Maria Maciel Melo
- Departamento de Biologia, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Av. Humberto Monte, Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil
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Gaitonde N, Giri V, Kunte K. ‘On the rocks’: reproductive biology of the endemic toad Xanthophryne (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Western Ghats, India. J NAT HIST 2016. [DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2016.1200686] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nikhil Gaitonde
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary road, Bengaluru, India
- Manipal University, Manipal, India
| | - Varad Giri
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary road, Bengaluru, India
| | - Krushnamegh Kunte
- National Centre for Biological Sciences, Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, GKVK Campus, Bellary road, Bengaluru, India
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Willaert B, Suyesh R, Garg S, Giri VB, Bee MA, Biju SD. A unique mating strategy without physical contact during fertilization in Bombay Night Frogs (Nyctibatrachus humayuni) with the description of a new form of amplexus and female call. PeerJ 2016; 4:e2117. [PMID: 27326376 PMCID: PMC4911947 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.2117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Anurans show the highest diversity in reproductive modes of all vertebrate taxa, with a variety of associated breeding behaviours. One striking feature of anuran reproduction is amplexus. During this process, in which the male clasps the female, both individuals' cloacae are juxtaposed to ensure successful external fertilization. Several types of amplexus have evolved with the diversification of anurans, and secondary loss of amplexus has been reported in a few distantly related taxa. Within Nyctibatrachus, a genus endemic to the Western Ghats of India, normal axillary amplexus, a complete loss of amplexus, and intermediate forms of amplexus have all been suggested to occur, but many species remain unstudied. Here, we describe the reproductive behaviour of N. humayuni, including a new type of amplexus. The dorsal straddle, here defined as a loose form of contact in which the male sits on the dorsum of the female prior to oviposition but without clasping her, is previously unreported for anurans. When compared to known amplexus types, it most closely resembles the form of amplexus observed in Mantellinae. Furthermore, we prove that, opposed to the situation in most anurans, male semen release happens before egg deposition. We hypothesize that the male ejaculates on the female's dorsum and that sperm subsequently runs from her back and hind legs before fertilizing the eggs. A second feature characterizing anuran breeding is the advertisement call, mostly produced solely by males. Despite recent descriptions of several new Nyctibatrachus species, few studies have explored their vocal repertoire. We describe both the male advertisement call and a female call for N. humayuni. The presence of a female call has not been reported within Nyctibatrachidae, and has been reported in less than 0.5% of anuran species. Altogether, our results highlight a striking diversity and several unique aspects of Nyctibatrachus breeding behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robin Suyesh
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi , Delhi , India
| | - Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi , Delhi , India
| | - Varad B Giri
- Research Collections, National Centre for Biological Sciences , Bangalore, Karnataka , India
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota-Twin Cities Campus , St. Paul, Minnesota , USA
| | - S D Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi , Delhi , India
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