Semiochemicals in Anurans: Testing Different Categories with One Poison Frog Species

Schulte, Lisa M.

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-22026-0_22

Cited by 7 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…In addition to egg deposition, some frogs (e.g., dendrobatids and aromobatids) must also decide which tadpoles to transport (i.e., their own offspring) and where to deposit them. Ranitomeya variabilis use chemical cues to distinguish between conspecific and heterospecific tadpoles and to avoid placing tadpoles in dangerous sites with conspecifics (Schulte et al 2011(Schulte et al , 2015Lötters 2013, 2014;Schulte 2016). Other experimental studies have shown that R. amazonica males do not differentiate between their own and foreign clutches (Poelman and Dicke, 2007), whereas O. pumilio females (Stynoski 2009) and A. femoralis females (Ringler et al 2016) use indirect recognition via spatial location of clutches and tadpoles to discriminate between their own and unrelated progeny.…”

Section: Anuransmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives

Schulte

Ringler

Rojas

et al. 2020

Herpetological Monographs

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Despite rising interest among scientists for over two centuries, parental care behavior has not been as thoroughly studied in amphibians as it has in other taxa. The first reports of amphibian parental care date from the early 18th century, when Maria Sibylla Merian went on a field expedition in Suriname and reported frog metamorphs emerging from their mother's dorsal skin. Reports of this and other parental behaviors in amphibians remained descriptive for decades, often as side notes during expeditions with another purpose. However, since the 1980s, experimental approaches have proliferated, providing detailed knowledge about the adaptive value of observed behaviors. Today, we recognize more than 30 types of parental care in amphibians, but most studies focus on just a few families and have favored anurans over urodeles and caecilians. Here, we provide a synthesis of the last three centuries of parental care research in the three orders comprising the amphibians. We draw attention to the progress from the very first descriptions to the most recent experimental studies, and highlight the importance of natural history observations as a source of new hypotheses and necessary context to interpret experimental findings. We encourage amphibian parental care researchers to diversify their study systems to allow for a more comprehensive perspective of the behaviors that amphibians exhibit. Finally, we uncover knowledge gaps and suggest new avenues of research using a variety of disciplines and approaches that will allow us to better understand the function and evolution of parental care behaviors in this diverse group of animals.

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Section: Anuransmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives

Schulte

Ringler

Rojas

et al. 2020

Herpetological Monographs

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“…The widespread occurrence of these SMGs among dendrobatoids adds a new dimension to studies of the reproductive biology of these frogs, which, for decades, have investigated acoustic, visual, and tactile cues in courtship, mating, and parental care across the diversity of Aromobatidae (e.g., Allobates : Castillo‐Trenn & Coloma, 2008; Costa & Dias, 2019; Juncá, 1998; Lima et al, 2002; Montanarin et al, 2011; Rocha et al, 2018; Roithmair, 1994; Souza et al, 2017; Stückler et al, 2019; Zimmermann, 1989; Anomaloglossus : Bourne et al, 2001; Pettitt et al, 2012; Juncá, 1998; Mannophryne : Dole & Durant, 1974; Greener et al, 2020; Wells, 1980a; Rheobates : Lüddecke, 1999) and Dendrobatidae (e.g., Ameerega : Costa et al, 2006; Forti et al, 2013; Roithmair, 1994; Colostethus : Wells, 1980b; Dendrobates : Rojas & Pašukonis, 2019; Summers, 1992, 2014; Wells, 1978; Epipedobates : Zimmermann, 1989; Hyloxalus : Lötters et al, 2000; Quiguango‐Ubillús & Coloma, 2008; Oophaga : Crump, 1972; Dreher & Pröhl, 2014; Limerick, 1980; Jungfer, 1985; Jungfer et al, 1996; Silverstone, 1973; Summers, 1992; Yang et al, 2019a, 2019b; Paruwrobates : Myers & Burrowes, 1987; Phyllobates : Zimmermann, 1989; Zimmermann & Zimmermann, 1985; Ranitomeya : Caldwell, 1997; Caldwell & Oliveira, 1999) but have almost entirely overlooked the possible role of chemical cues (but see Forester & Wisnieski, 1991; Korbeck & McRoberts, 2005; Schulte, 2016; Schulte & Lötters, 2014; Schulte and Rössler, 2013; Schulte et al, 2011).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Structure and evolution of the sexually dimorphic integumentary swelling on the hands of dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatoidea)

et al. 2021

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The hands of adult males of many dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives possess swelling formed by glandular tissue hypothesized to secrete courtship pheromones delivered to the female during cephalic amplexus. Variation in the occurrence and external morphology of the swelling of finger IV has provided important evidence for dendrobatoid systematics for decades, but its underlying structure has not been investigated. We undertook a detailed comparative analysis of the integument of the hand, including both external morphology and histology, of 36 species representing the diversity of dendrobatoid frogs and several close relatives. The swelling is caused by four densely packed, hypertrophic, morpho‐histochemical types of specialized mucous glands (SMGs). We observed type I SMGs on fingers II–V and the wrist, including areas that are not swollen, types II and IV exclusively on finger IV, and type III on finger IV and the wrist. Type I SMGs occur either in isolation or together with types II, III, or IV; types II, III, and IV never occur together or without type I. We delimited 15 characters to account for the variation in external morphology and the occurrence of SMGs. Our data suggest that type I SMGs are a new synapomorphy for Dendrobatoidea and that type II SMGs originated in either the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of Dendrobatidae or independently in the MRCAs of Aromobatidae and Colostethinae, respectively, while types III and IV are restricted to Anomaloglossus. The discovery of these SMGs adds a new dimension to studies of poison frog reproductive biology, which have investigated acoustic, visual, and tactile cues in courtship, mating, and parental care across the diversity of Dendrobatoidea for decades but have almost entirely overlooked the possible role of chemical cues.

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“…For R. variabilis, the recognition of chemical cues or signals of con‐ and heterospecific tadpoles and conspecific adults has been shown only for adult frogs so far (Schulte & Lötters, ; Schulte & Rößler, ; Schulte et al ., ). A similar ability to recognize con‐ or heterospecifics has not been investigated in their tadpoles yet (Schulte, ). However, based on the wide array of studies showing the use of chemical senses in tadpoles (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Poison frog tadpoles seek parental transportation to escape their cannibalistic siblings

Schulte

Mayer

2017

Journal of Zoology

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Parental care is a limited resource which in many species is acquired by the offspring through begging behaviours and often causes competition between siblings. The Neotropical poison frog Ranitomeya variabilis provides a very specific form of parental care: because its tadpoles are cannibalistic males usually separate them from their siblings after hatching by transporting them singly to small water bodies. However, in some cases parents do not transport their tadpoles but let them all hatch into the same pool. Here, we investigate if abandoned tadpoles of R. variabilis actively seek parental care in form of transportation. We conducted experiments where tadpoles of the same clutch were presented with con-and heterospecific frogs, and both moving and non-moving frog models. Our results revealed that abandoned tadpoles actively approached all frogs and sometimes even climbed onto their backs. We suggest that this tadpole behaviour may function to allow tadpoles to escape sibling competition and cannibalism. Being the first (and possibly the only one) to leave the shared pool should give a tadpole a high survival advantage over its brood-mates. We further found that tadpoles did not approach artificial models, suggesting that these where either not natural enough or that tadpoles do not recognize frogs by visual or tactile cues but might use chemical or multiple stimuli. The latter is also the case in related egg-feeding species where tadpoles beg for food. We therefore discuss our results in relation to potential begging behaviours, as well as fixed action patterns and parent-offspring conflict, being potential questions opening up for future examinations regarding our findings.

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Semiochemicals in Anurans: Testing Different Categories with One Poison Frog Species

Cited by 7 publications

References 63 publications

Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives

Developments in Amphibian Parental Care Research: History, Present Advances, and Future Perspectives

Structure and evolution of the sexually dimorphic integumentary swelling on the hands of dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatoidea)

Poison frog tadpoles seek parental transportation to escape their cannibalistic siblings

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