and and foot musculature of Sooglossoidea: synapomorphies, convergences and hind limb digging behaviour in anuran

Author(s)

Blotto, Boris L. ^{[1, 2]} ; Biju, S. D. ^[3] ; Pereyra, Martin O. ^[4] ; Araujo-Vieira, Katyuscia ^{[2, 5, 6]} ; Faivovich, Julian ^{[2, 7]} ; Grant, Taran ^{[1, 8]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

^[2] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Museo Argentino Ciencias Nat Bernardino Rivadavia, Div Herpetol, Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[3] Univ Delhi, Dept Environm Studies, Systemat Lab, Delhi 110007 - India

^[4] Univ Nacl Misiones, Fac Ciencias Exactas Quim & Nat, CONICET, Inst Biol Subtrop, Lab Genet Evolut Claudio J Bida, N3300LQF, Posadas, Misiones - Argentina

^[5] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Ctr Aquicultura, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[6] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Biodiversidade, BR-13506900 Rio Claro, SP - Brazil

^[7] Univ Buenos Aires, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, Dept Biodiversidad & Biol Expt, C1428EGA, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[8] Univ Sao Paulo, Museu Zool, Colecao Anfibios, BR-04263000 Sao Paulo, SP - Brazil

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Biological Journal of the Linnean Society; v. 135, n. 2, p. 336-393, FEB 2022.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

We describe the hand and foot musculature of the fossorial Indian purple frog, Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis, and compare it to other members of Sooglossoidea: the Seychellean sooglossid genera Sechellophryne and Sooglossus. Due to the key phylogenetic position of Sooglossoidea, we compare its members with the diversity of Anura and define 52 characters from the hand and foot musculature, among which 26 are novel hypotheses of homology. We found several synapomorphies for Sooglossus, Sooglossidae, Nasikabatrachidae and Sooglossoidea. Additionally, we (1) propose synapomorphies for diverse anuran clades at different taxonomic levels, (2) re-evaluate the identity of some conflicting plantar and palmar muscles in the context of Batrachia and (3) discuss putative adaptations to hind limb digging behaviour resulting from morphological convergences. The lack of a clear pattern of convergences among hind limb digging species suggests the occurrence of a phenomenon of many-to-one mapping from form to function. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/15425-0 - A multi-disciplinary approach to the study of amphibian diversification: phase 2
• Grantee: Taran Grant
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants - Phase 2
• FAPESP's process: 16/21401-1 - Filling gaps in the knowledge of anuran hand and foot musculature: studies on the Indian families Micrixalidae, Nasikabatrachidae, Nyctibatrachidae, Ranixalidae, and key Indian genera
• Grantee: Boris Leonardo Blotto Acuña
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• FAPESP's process: 15/11237-7 - Evolution of the hand and foot musculature of Anura, with special reference to Hyloidea (Anura: Neobatrachia)
• Grantee: Boris Leonardo Blotto Acuña
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• FAPESP's process: 13/20423-3 - Relationships among major clades of Hyloidea (Anura: Neobatrachia): one of the main unresolved problems of the phylogeny of Anura
• Grantee: Boris Leonardo Blotto Acuña
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 12/10000-5 - A multi-disciplinary approach to the study of amphibian diversification
• Grantee: Taran Grant
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/24979-2 - The evolution of the larynx in anurans: a study of the laryngeal structure in the most species-rich genus of Neotropical treefrogs (Hylidae: Scinax)
• Grantee: Katyuscia de Araujo Vieira
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral