Unraveling Phenotypic Plasticity in Tadpoles: A Study on the Genus Rupirana (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae)

• Grant number: 26/07381-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: June 01, 2026
• End date: May 31, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Zoology - Morphology of Recent Groups
• Principal Investigator: Tiago Leite Pezzuti
• Grantee: Luís Antônio Albino Bonadio
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências, Letras e Ciências Exatas (IBILCE). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de São José do Rio Preto. São José do Rio Preto , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The genus Rupirana is endemic to the Chapada Diamantina. Currently, Rupirana comprises two species: Rupirana cardosoi and Rupirana kaatinga. The former is widely distributed throughout the Chapada Diamantina, whereas the latter was recently described from the municipality of Gentio do Ouro, in the northern portion of the region. Populations of Rupirana exhibit phenotypic variation in tadpoles, which may be related to different water flow gradients (i.e., lotic and lentic environments). While tadpoles of R. cardosoi and R. kaatinga from the Chapada Diamantina occur in both lentic and lotic habitats, the population of R. cardosoi from Morro do Chapéu is restricted to fast-flowing streams. In this case, there appears to be a marked larval difference for this population, which is known for its genetic divergence. In turn, due to its recent description, R. kaatinga still lacks a description of its larval morphology. The occurrence of different tadpole morphotypes across these environments may indicate phenotypic plasticity; however, these morphological variations still require investigation. In this context, the present study aims to compare the external and internal morphology of tadpoles from different populations of Rupirana in the Chapada Diamantina, with emphasis on populations from Gentio do Ouro and Morro do Chapéu, in order to identify potential diagnostic characters for these lineages. External morphology, as well as skeletal and buccopharyngeal system characters, will be comparatively analyzed using a broad population sampling of both species. (AU)