An integrative approach to infer systematic relationships and define species groups in the shrub frog genus<i>Raorchestes</i>, with description of five new species from the Western Ghats, India

Garg, Sonali; Suyesh, Robin; Das, Sandeep; Bee, Mark A.; Biju, S. D.

doi:10.7717/peerj.10791

Cited by 11 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Communication signals may be predicted to exhibit diversity in support of these varied functions. In hyper-diverse regions such as the Western Ghats, understanding and quantifying this behavioral diversity may provide both scientific insight and important inputs for conservation (Garg et al 2021). Recent literature suggests that behavioral diversity must be considered when assessing biodiversity for conservation (Caro and Sherman 2012; Cooke et al 2014; Cordero-Rivera 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nyctibatrachus and Pseudophilautus have both evolved in the Western Ghats-Sri Lanka biodiversity hotspot (Van Bocxlaer et al 2012; Vijayakumar et al 2016; Meegaskumbura et al 2019; Torsekar 2019). Although studies of anuran vocalizations from this region have characterized taxonomic diversity (Garg et al 2021), relatively little remains known about vocal behavior. Members of both lineages use vocalizations to communicate and are prolonged, territorial breeders (Gramapurohit et al 2011; Bee, Suyesh, et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Behavioral context shapes vocal sequences in two anuran species with different repertoire sizes

Bhat

Saka

et al. 2021

Preprint

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Acoustic signals in animals serve to convey context-dependent information to receivers. Birds and mammals combine diverse sounds into complex sequences to communicate, but these sequences largely remain understudied in other taxa. Anuran vocalizations are a prominent feature of their life history, and function in defense of territories and to attract mates. However, despite the spectacular diversity of anurans in tropical regions of the world, vocal diversity and communication strategies remain relatively poorly studied. Specifically, studies of vocal sequences and context-dependent vocal patterns in frogs remain few. Here, we investigated the context-dependent vocal repertoire and the use of vocal sequences by two anuran species belonging to different lineages, both endemic to the hyper-diverse Western Ghats of India. By recording vocal sequences both when frogs were alone and in the presence of a territorial rival, we present evidence that both species modify their vocal repertoire according to context. Specifically, one species appends notes to generate more complex sequences, whereas the other shifts to different note types, resulting in different sequences for different contexts. Thus, despite differences in repertoire size, both frog species are capable of adjusting the temporal sequence of vocalizations to communicate in different contexts. This study highlights the need for further studies of insular frogs, to understand how diversification across these continental islands has influenced the evolution of vocal repertoires, vocal sequence patterns and communication systems.Lay SummaryAnimals employ complex sequences of acoustic signals to communicate in diverse behavioral contexts. Here, we demonstrate that two frog species with different vocal repertoires both modify the sequence of note emissions in the presence of a territorial rival. These patterns demonstrate that anurans are capable of complex shifts in the patterns of their vocalization, to communicate different messages to different receivers. Our findings demonstrate the value of studying behavioral diversity in tropical regions.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral context shapes vocal sequences in two anuran species with different repertoire sizes

Bhat

Saka

et al. 2021

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…They credit Garg et al (2021) for highlighting the shallow divergence between the species. However, the findings were first presented by Mirza et al (2019) and confirmed by Garg et al (2021). This suggests a poor literature review by Narayanan et al (2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

“…Shallow divergence: Narayanan et al (2021) draw attention to the case of shallow genetic divergence between R. bombayensis (Annandale, 1919) and R. sanctisilvaticus (Das & Chanda, 1997), which are broadly distributed across the Western Ghats and the Eastern Ghats respectively (Biju & Bossuyt 2009;Garg et al 2021;Mirza et al 2019). They credit Garg et al (2021) for highlighting the shallow divergence between the species. However, the findings were first presented by Mirza et al (2019) and confirmed by Garg et al (2021).…”

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confidence: 99%

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LETTER TO EDITOR: A response to Narayanan et al. (2021) “On the validity of the recently described bush frog Raorchestes kollimalai Gowande, Ganesh & Mirza, 2020” published in Zootaxa

Mirza¹,

Gowande²

2021

Taprobanica

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Narayanan et al. (2021) make extremely grave allegations of ‘misrepresentation of data’ by Gowande et al. (2020). Narayanan et al. (2021) found serious flaws in the publication dealing with the description of Raorchestes kollimalai by Gowande, Ganesh & Mirza (2020). The authors state that Gowande et al. (2020) overlooked many errors, which consequently raises questions on the validity of R. kollimalai. We here respond to their comments, dispel their false allegations of misrepresentation of data and provide evidence for the validity of Raorchestes kollimalai. A common practice while writing a response/critique of a published paper is to contact the editor of the journal in which the paper was published, which, in this case, is TAPROBANICA. However, Narayanan et al. (2021) chose to publish their critique in a different journal, ZOOTAXA and thus, were unaware of the erratum to the paper on the new species. The erratum that was published in a recent issue of Taprobanica (Gowande et al. 2021) resolves some of the concerns raised by Narayanan et al. (2021). These concerns were a mistake on the part of Gowande et al. (2020) but by no means did the authors intend to hide or misrepresent data as accused by Narayanan et al. (2021).

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Reed bamboos drive skull shape evolution in bush frogs of the Western Ghats, Peninsular India

Das,

Rödel,

Stanley

et al. 2023

Ecology and Evolution

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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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An integrative approach to infer systematic relationships and define species groups in the shrub frog genusRaorchestes, with description of five new species from the Western Ghats, India

Cited by 11 publications

References 61 publications

Behavioral context shapes vocal sequences in two anuran species with different repertoire sizes

Behavioral context shapes vocal sequences in two anuran species with different repertoire sizes

LETTER TO EDITOR: A response to Narayanan et al. (2021) “On the validity of the recently described bush frog Raorchestes kollimalai Gowande, Ganesh & Mirza, 2020” published in Zootaxa

Reed bamboos drive skull shape evolution in bush frogs of the Western Ghats, Peninsular India

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