Ecomorphological evolution of Pipoidea, revealing locomotor repertoire and microhabitat of extinct species

• Grant number: 22/10768-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Doctorate
• Start date: April 01, 2023
• End date: November 30, 2023
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Paleozoology
• Principal Investigator: Max Cardoso Langer
• Grantee: Lucas Almeida Barcelos
• Supervisor: David Chambers Blackburn Jr.
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Filosofia, Ciências e Letras de Ribeirão Preto (FFCLRP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Ribeirão Preto , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of Florida, Gainesville (UF), United States
• Associated to the scholarship: 19/24466-5 - Pipoidea phylogeny, a integrative approach based on morphology, new fossils and molecular markers, BP.DR

Abstract

Pipoidea is one of the most ancient and well-documented lineages of frogs. Almost all extant species of the group are aquatic (except Rhinophrynus dorsalis). Recently, extinct species of Pipoidea were proposed as fully aquatic, but the knowledge on the evolutionary history of the group redirects for a more complex scenario. We intend to unravel the the ecomorphological evolution of Pipoidea by the aid of discriminant analysis. We will hypothesize on the locomotor repertoire and microhabitat of extinct species based on the limb proportions of its respective representatives. (AU)