Comparative morphology analysis of torrent frogs (Anura: Hylodidae)

• Grant number: 14/04077-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: June 16, 2014
• End date: February 15, 2015
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Taxonomy of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Taran Grant
• Grantee: Rachel Montesinos Martins Pereira
• Supervisor: Kevin de Queiroz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 12/22566-3 - Phylogenetic Systematics of Hylodidae Gunther 1858 (Amphibia: Anura), BP.DR

Abstract

Hylodidae is a monophyletic family composed of 42 species distributed in three genera: Crossodactylus, Hylodes and Megaelosia. The inclusion of morphological characters is essential for phylogenetic analysis in a total evidence context. However, the morphology of this family has been poorly studied in an evolutionary overview and few species have been included in systematic studies. Most of the hylodid species have only their external morphology described and characteristics of their osteology and miology are unknown. The NMNH has a large amphibian collection with approximately 590 specimens of Hylodidae distributed in 23 species and, together with the main scientific collections, the US has approximately 1150 specimens. However, curators of collections in the US commonly refuse to loan material overseas. The difficulties for international loans and the amount of important specimens in scientific collections in the US are the main reasons for this internship. The goal of this project is to investigate the morphological variation among genera and species of Hylodidae, scoring an extensive list of characters available for anurans. For several species, their muscles and bones will be described for the first time. These data will be incorporated into a concatenated matrix (molecular and morphological data) for phylogenetic reconstruction. Their phylogeny will be used to investigate the evolution of their morphology and relationships of Hylodidae. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

ELIAS-COSTA, AGUSTIN J.; MONTESINOS, RACHEL; GRANT, TARAN; FAIVOVICH, JULIAN. The vocal sac of Hylodidae (Amphibia, Anura): Phylogenetic and functional implications of a unique morphology. Journal of Morphology, v. 278, n. 11, p. 1506-1516, NOV 2017. (12/10000-5, 14/04077-0, 12/22566-3, 13/50741-7)