What calling behavior tells about the evolution of anurans (Amphibia): diversification of Neoaustrarana in the Atlantic Forest streams

• Grant number: 24/13553-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Support Program for Fixating Young Doctors
• Effective date (Start): July 01, 2024
• Effective date (End): June 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Animal Behavior
• Acordo de Cooperação: CNPq
• Principal Investigator: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Grantee: Fábio Perin de Sá
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Rio Claro. Rio Claro , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 24/01541-0 - What calling behavior tells about the evolution of anurans (Amphibia): diversification of Neoaustrarana in the Atlantic Forest streams, AP.R

Abstract

Anuran amphibians show acoustic communication as a fundamental component of reproduction. Hylodidae and Cycloramphidae are two anuran families that have an unclear phylogenetic relationship, but are consistently recovered close together. Today, those families have been nested with Alsodidae and Batrachylidae, forming the clade named Neoaustrarana. In this group, hylodids and cycloramphids are branches that diversified through fast-flowing streams, both endemic to the Atlantic Forest. The knowledge about the diversity in those anuran families has been expanded, but there are still many morphological, behavioral, and evolutionary gaps. It is peculiar that, even though they are both associated with fast-flowing streams, Hylodidae and Cycloramphidae developed disparate reproductive behaviors. In one direction, hylodids lay eggs in an underwater chamber; in another direction, cycloramphids typically oviposit on rock near the stream, out of the water. Possibly with different selective pressures, in Hylodidae there is call loss and in Cycloramphidae there is colonization of leaf litter and open areas, distancing the stream and showing water-independent reproduction. Given those peculiarities in the natural history of the two families, and considering the calls importance for reproduction in anurans, we have a relevant system for evolutionary studies that relate behavior and diversification in vertebrates. Drawing an evolutionary pathway hypothesis that relates laryngeal morphologies, reproductive modes, and calling behaviors, we propose to investigate the diversification of Neoaustrarana in the Atlantic Forest fast-flowing streams, elucidating muteness in hylodids. Important components of the project are the field searching coupled with historical DNA extraction for missing key-species, and also the study of laryngeal morphology. (AU)