Patterns of correlations and locomotor specialization in anuran limbs: association with phylogeny and ecology

Petrović, Tamara G.; Vukov, Tanja; Kolarov, Nataša Tomašević

doi:10.1016/j.zool.2020.125864

Cited by 3 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 59 publications

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“…These findings are in line with those of Moen et al (2016), who found that the evolution of the general body form in anurans is also characterized by a remarkable degree of morphological conservation, alongside widespread convergence (related to microhabitat), even among phylogenetically distant clades that diverged as far back as 150 Ma. Numerous previous works on biomechanics (e.g., Herrel et al 2016) and macroevolutionary anatomical patterns in anurans (e.g., Citadini et al 2018; Buttimer et al 2020; Stepanova and Womack 2020; Petrović et al 2021) have shown that locomotion, together with microhabitat, has been a major driver of diversification and convergence in anuran limb evolution. Our results agree with these previous findings: (1) taxa are distributed in the limb morphospace according to their locomotor modes (Fig.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frog limbs in deep time: is jumping locomotion at the roots of the anuran Bauplan?

Pérez-Ben,

Lires,

Gómez

2023

Paleobiology

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The unique body plan of frogs (Lissamphibia: Anura) has been largely conserved from at least 200 Myr, and its evolution from a more generalized tetrapod condition is still poorly understood, in part due to the scarce early fossil record of Salientia, the anuran total-group. The origin of the anuran Bauplan has been classically explained as an adaptation to jumping, but recent studies incorporating new data in a phylogenetic context have challenged the popular jumping hypothesis. Here we revisit and test this hypothesis from a paleobiological perspective by integrating limb data from a wide range of extant and fossil frogs. We first explored the evolution of limb proportions from the Jurassic to the Paleogene to understand when the present limb diversity originated and whether, and to what extent, limb proportions have been conserved over the last 200 Myr. We then inferred the locomotor capabilities of extinct species by phylogenetic flexible discriminant analysis, and from these inferences, we studied the locomotor diversity of frogs over geological time and reconstructed the ancestral state for frog-like salientians. The evolution of limb proportions is characterized by an early diversification that was underway in the Jurassic, followed by a repeated convergence over a limited area of the morphospace that was already explored by the Early Cretaceous. In agreement with this early limb diversity, the Jurassic stem species were also locomotory diverse, and their inferred locomotor modes do not support the jumping hypothesis. We propose that the patterns found herein of repeated convergent evolution of both limb proportions and locomotor capabilities over geological time hamper any attempt to confidently infer the ancestral locomotion mode and, it therefore might be time to start focusing on other hypotheses on the origin of the anuran Bauplan that are not related to locomotion.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Frog limbs in deep time: is jumping locomotion at the roots of the anuran Bauplan?

Pérez-Ben,

Lires,

Gómez

2023

Paleobiology

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Comparative osteology of paradoxical frogs (Hylidae: Pseudae) with comments on diagnostic features, evolutionary trends and potential aquatic adaptations

Turazzini

Gómez

2023

Zoologischer Anzeiger

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Ecogeographic rules in a common Neotropical treefrog: No clinal variation along a mountain range

Escalona,

Gelambi,

Hoyos‐Díaz

et al. 2024

Acta Zoologica

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Body and limb size are associated with many aspects of the biology of animals. Geographic variation in morphological traits has often been investigated through ecogeographical rules. Bergmann's rule posits an inverse relationship between body size and temperature in homeotherms, while Allen's rule posits that endothermic animals inhabiting colder climates have relatively shorter protruding parts (e.g., limbs) in comparison to populations from warmer climates. However, the applicability and validity of these rules in poikilotherms are currently contentious. In this study, we aimed to test predictions of Bergmann's and Allen's rules in populations of the Neotropical frog Boana platanera. We analysed 142 adult male museum specimens from 17 localities along a mountain range in western Venezuela. We obtained six external morphological measurements and assessed the correlation of body size and limb size with temperature data for each locality. Our results were contrary to the expectations but consistent with previous studies. All this together indicates that exceptions to the Bergmann's and Allen's rules are frequent and idiosyncratic in anurans. We discuss alternative hypotheses that could explain geographic variation of body and limb size in future studies.

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Patterns of correlations and locomotor specialization in anuran limbs: association with phylogeny and ecology

Cited by 3 publications

References 59 publications

Frog limbs in deep time: is jumping locomotion at the roots of the anuran Bauplan?

Frog limbs in deep time: is jumping locomotion at the roots of the anuran Bauplan?

Comparative osteology of paradoxical frogs (Hylidae: Pseudae) with comments on diagnostic features, evolutionary trends and potential aquatic adaptations

Ecogeographic rules in a common Neotropical treefrog: No clinal variation along a mountain range

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