Evolution of parental care in glassfrogs (Amphibia: Anura: Centrolenidae)

• Grant number: 16/05070-5
• Support type: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Effective date (Start): June 01, 2016
• Effective date (End): March 31, 2020
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Principal Investigator: Cynthia Peralta de Almeida Prado
• Grantee: Anyelet Valencia Aguilar
• Home Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated scholarship(s): 18/09852-3 - Mating systems in glassfrogs (Anura, Centrolenidae): evidence for alternative reproductive behaviors?, BE.EP.DR 17/07219-9 - Genetic relationship between larvae and caregiver males of the glassfrog Hyalinobatrachium cappellei (Anura, Centrolenidae), BE.EP.DR

Abstract

Parental care promotes offspring survival but entails some cost for parents. In anurans parental care is diverse, although displayed in only about 20% of species. Male egg attendance is the commonest form of care in anurans, mainly associated with egg protection from pathogens and desiccation. Although, several phylogenetic hypothesis and considerations about evolution of parental care in anurans have been proposed, data about parental care behavior in several families are lacking. The general aim of this project is to assess if parentage degree influences male egg attendance intensity, consequently influencing egg mortality due to a high risk of desiccation and predation decreasing offspring survival. Furthermore, we will study the evolutionary history of parental care in glassfrogs. In chapter 1, we will test the hypothesis that egg survival and consequently successful larvae hatching will be influenced by male attendance strategy. It is expected that in Hyalinobatrachium cappellei an increase in male attendance frequency will result in an increase of offspring survival. In chapter 2, we will test the territorial-male model, where a high genetic relatedness between territorial parents and their clutches will increase parental care degree. Here, it is expected attending males to be the genetic father of the offspring in order to offset costs related to mating opportunity loss and decrease in food intake. In chapter 3, we will perform a phylogenetic comparative analysis to investigate the factors leading to the evolution of parental care in species in the family Centrolenidae. The results of our study will provide information hitherto little explored in the literature regarding sexual selection and the evolution of parental care in Neotropical anurans. (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)

VALENCIA-AGUILAR, ANYELET; ZAMUDIO, KELLY R.; HADDAD, CELIO F. B.; BOGDANOWICZ, STEVE M.; PRADO, CYNTHIA P. A. Show me you care: female mate choice based on egg attendance rather than male or territorial traits. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY, v. 31, n. 4, p. 1054-1064, JUL-AUG 2020. Web of Science Citations: 1.

VALENCIA-AGUILAR, ANYELET; RODRIGUES, DOMINGOS DE JESUS; PRADO, CYNTHIA P. A. Male care status influences the risk-taking decisions in a glassfrog. BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY, v. 74, n. 7 JUN 16 2020. Web of Science Citations: 0.