Underwater sound emission as part of an antipredator mechanism in <i><scp>C</scp>eratophrys cranwelli</i> tadpoles

Costa, Carolina Salgado; Pereyra, Mariana; Alcalde, Leandro; Herrera, Raul; Trudeau, Vance L.; Natale, Guillermo Sebastián

doi:10.1111/azo.12035

Cited by 14 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 18 publications

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“…Also, juvenile spadefoot toads (Pelobates fuscus) emit feeding calls in the presence of prey, probably in the context of a general arousal (ten Hagen et al 2016). The underwater calls of tadpoles of Ceratophrys (Natale et al 2011;Salgado-Costa et al 2014) probably fit into the warning call subcategory, but might also in part represent feeding calls.…”

Section: Functional Categories Of Anuran Vocalizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice

Köhler

Jansen

Rodríguez³

et al. 2017

Zootaxa

465

410

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Vocalizations of anuran amphibians have received much attention in studies of behavioral ecology and physiology, but also provide informative characters for identifying and delimiting species. We here review the terminology and variation of frog calls from a perspective of integrative taxonomy, and provide hands-on protocols for recording, analyzing, comparing, interpreting and describing these sounds. Our focus is on advertisement calls, which serve as premating isolation mechanisms and, therefore, convey important taxonomic information. We provide recommendations for terminology of frog vocalizations, with call, note and pulse being the fundamental subunits to be used in descriptions and comparisons. However, due to the complexity and diversity of these signals, an unequivocal application of the terms call and note can be challenging. We therefore provide two coherent concepts that either follow a note-centered approach (defining uninterrupted units of sound as notes, and their entirety as call) or a call-centered approach (defining uninterrupted units as call whenever they are separated by long silent intervals) in terminology. Based on surveys of literature, we show that numerous call traits can be highly variable within and between individuals of one species. Despite idiosyncrasies of species and higher taxa, the duration of calls or notes, pulse rate within notes, and number of pulses per note appear to be more static within individuals and somewhat less affected by temperature. Therefore, these variables might often be preferable as taxonomic characters over call rate or note rate, which are heavily influenced by various factors. Dominant frequency is also comparatively static and only weakly affected by temperature, but depends strongly on body size. As with other taxonomic characters, strong call divergence is typically indicative of species-level differences, whereas call similarities of two populations are no evidence for them being conspecific. Taxonomic conclusions can especially be drawn when the general advertisement call structure of two candidate species is radically different and qualitative call differences are thus observed. On the other hand, quantitative differences in call traits might substantially vary within and among conspecific populations, and require careful evaluation and analysis. We provide guidelines for the taxonomic interpretation of advertisement call differences in sympatric and allopatric situations, and emphasize the need for an integrative use of multiple datasets (bio-acoustics, morphology, genetics), particularly for allopatric scenarios. We show that small-sized frogs often emit calls with frequency components in the ultrasound spectrum, although it is unlikely that these high frequencies are of biological relevance for the majority of them, and we illustrate that detection of upper harmonics depends also on recording distance because higher frequencies are attenuated more strongly. Bioacoustics remains a prime approach in integrative taxonomy of anurans if uncertainty due to possible intraspecific variation and technical artifacts is adequately considered and acknowledged.

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Section: Functional Categories Of Anuran Vocalizationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice

Köhler

Jansen

Rodríguez³

et al. 2017

Zootaxa

465

410

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“…Chacophrys has a more typical, generalized, suspension feeding tadpole [ 27 , 34 ], and Lepidobatrachus larvae are obligatorily megalophagous [ 33 ], feeding upon living nekton, including other tadpoles. Lepidobatrachus tadpoles display many morphological features for capturing very large prey that are exceptional among anurans [ 30 , 32 , 35 , 36 ]. The uniqueness of Lepidobatrachus tadpoles resulted from evolutionary changes in several specific developmental pathways that occurred simultaneously or sequentially from a generalized larval type [ 36 , 37 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…ornata and Ce. cranwelli , the tadpoles emit underwater sounds that are thought to be a mechanism for avoiding cannibalism [ 29 , 30 ]. b2 Ce.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Developmental changes and novelties in ceratophryid frogs

Fabrezi

Quinzio

Goldberg

et al. 2016

EvoDevo

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The Neotropical frog genera Ceratophrys, Chacophrys and Lepidobatrachus form the monophyletic family Ceratophryidae. Although in- and out-group relationships are not fully resolved, the monophyly of the three genera is well supported by both morphological and molecular data. Much is known about the morphology of the ceratophryids, but there is little comparative information on how modification of a common ancestral developmental pathway played a role in shaping their particular body plans. Herein, we review morphological variation during ceratophryid ontogeny in order to explore the role of development in their evolution. The ceratophryids are collectively characterized by rapid larval development with respect to other anurans, yet the three genera differ in their postmetamorphic growth rates to sexual maturity. Derived traits in the group can be divided into many homoplastic features that evolved in parallel with those of anurans with fossorial/burrowing behaviors in semiarid environments, and apomorphies. Morphological novelties have evolved in their feeding mechanism, which makes them capable of feeding on exceptional large prey. Lepidobatrachus is unusual in having reduced the ecomorphological differences between its larvae and adults. As a result, both the larvae and the frog are similarly able to capture large prey underwater. Some unique features in Lepidobatrachus are differentiated in the tadpole and then exaggerated in the adult (e.g., the posterior displaced jaw articulation) in a manner unobserved in any other anurans.

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“…Among other aspects of their biology, their anatomy, larval morphology, ontogeny, diet, behavior, and karyology have been capturing the attention of herpetologists for a long time. The unique larval morphology in Lepidobatrachus and unusual larval morphologies of Chacophrys and Ceratophrys are well documented (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1923;Parker, 1931;Cei, 1968;Faivovich and Carrizo, 1992;Quinzio et al, 2006), as are several aspects of their anatomy and development (Fritzsch et al, 1987;Wassersug and Heyer, 1988;Ruibal and Thomas, 1988;Lavilla and Fabrezi, 1992; Ulloa Kreisel 2000Kreisel , 2002Vera Candioti, 2005;Fabrezi and Quinzio, 2008;Fabrezi and Lobo, 2009;Fabrezi, 2011;Bloom et al, 2013;Fabrezi and Cruz, 2014;Quinzio and Fabrezi, 2014), and a unique sound-producing mechanism in the larvae of Ceratophrys (Natale et al, 2011;Salgado Costa et al, 2014). The ontogeny of the postcranial skeleton and the massive skull have been well studied (Wild 1997(Wild , 1999Fabrezi, 2011;Quinzio and Fabrezi, 2012;Ziermann et al, 2013), as has variation in the distinctive muscles employed in feeding and locomotion (Limeses, 1963;1964;Reig and Limeses, 1963;Fabrezi and Lobo, 2009;Fabrezi et al, 2014); their carnivorous diet was recently reviewed by Schalk et al (2014).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Big, Bad, and Beautiful: Phylogenetic Relationships of the Horned Frogs (Anura: Ceratophryidae)

Faivovich

Nicolì

Blotto

et al. 2014

South American Journal of Herpetology

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The horned frog family, Ceratophryidae, currently comprises three genera and 12 extant species, distributed from the Caribbean lowlands to the Pampean grasslands. Horned frogs are fossorial species that are remarkable in terms of their adult and larval morphology, karyotype, behavior, and other aspects of their biology. In this paper we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis with the goals of: (1) exploring the relationships among the species of Ceratophryidae; (2) studying the evolution of polyploidy; (3) studying the evolution of cocoon formation and larval development duration associated with surviving in semiarid environments; and (4) reviewing the ceratophryid fossil record that could be relevant as calibration points in molecular divergence estimations. The analysis included 11 of the 12 extant species and, when possible, multiple exemplars per species, as well as multiple outgroups. Sequence data were obtained on seven mitochondrial and six nuclear genes for up to 8200 bp per specimen. Our results indicate that the individual monophyly of Ceratophrys and Lepidobatrachus is well corroborated. The monotypic Chacophrys is recovered as the sister taxon of Lepidobatrachus, but with Jackknife frequency < 50%. Lepidobatrachus asper is the sister taxon of L. laevis + L. llanensis. Relationships within Ceratophrys are congruent with an earlier proposal, with a clade composed of the species possessing a dorsal bony shield (Ce. aurita, Ce. cranwelli, Ce. joazeirensis, and Ce. ornata), and another clade composed of Ce. stolzmanni, Ce. calcarata, and Ce. cornuta. Unlike earlier proposals, the octoploid species (Ce. aurita, Ce. joazeirensis, and Ce. ornata) are not monophyletic, as the diploid Ce. cranwelli, and Ce. ornata are sister taxa. This result implies an ambiguous optimization of ploidy levels, with either a single origin of octoploidy with a subsequent reversal to diploidy, or two independent origins of octoploidy being equally parsimonious; both alternatives are quite unusual from the perspective of chromosome evolution. Our results suggest that ceratophryids diversified in semiarid environments and three independent events resulted in three species subsequently occupying temperate or tropical humid areas. This early diversification in semiarid areas explains the retention of characteristics associated with these environments (like the production of a cocoon of dead skin during estivation, and possibly an accelerated larval period and development) in species present in humid areas. A revision of the fossil record of this family of frogs indicates that there are only two fossil remains that could serve as calibration points for molecular clock estimation, but a number of issues associated with them preclude their use.

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Underwater sound emission as part of an antipredator mechanism in Ceratophrys cranwelli tadpoles

Cited by 14 publications

References 18 publications

The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice

The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice

Developmental changes and novelties in ceratophryid frogs

Big, Bad, and Beautiful: Phylogenetic Relationships of the Horned Frogs (Anura: Ceratophryidae)

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