Download or read book Polymorphic Mating Signals and Female Choice in an Amazonian Frog written by Mónica Alexandra Guerra and published by . This book was released on 2014 with total page 218 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Sexual selection, more specifically mate choice, is one of the most important mechanisms responsible for signal evolution and assortative mating. My thesis integrates genetic analysis, behavioral assays and morphological observations to understand the evolution of polymorphic male mating signals in the frog Peters’ Dwarf Frogs (Physalaemus petersi). In this frog, different populations form distinct genetic clades that coincide with the type of advertisement call males produce. My thesis has four chapters: the first chapter investigates the role of sexual selection in the origin and maintenance of polymorphic mating signals and its consequences for reproductive isolation. I demonstrate strong female mate choice for male signals at a sympatric site. I propose that sexual selection is responsible for the maintenance of different call morphs in sympatric populations, and it likely contributed to the origin of polymorphic male signals. Males of P. petersi form choruses. Males that produce different call morphs are found calling together in sympatric populations. This set up the question if Peters’ Dwarf Frogs use acoustic cues to join choruses in nature. In the second chapter, I demonstrated that the males perform phonotaxis to choruses of similar call frequency. Along with the previous studies of female phonotaxis, the results suggest the pattern of discrimination of males and females are similarly based on the frequency of the call. Evolution of some behaviors results from changes in morphology; for instance, advertisement calls are normally restricted to males, which have larger larynges and muscles than females. In the third chapter, I investigate the ontogenetic morphological differences between males and females of a model in animal communication and close relative of P. petersi, the túngara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus. The results constitute the first comparison between males and females in the ontogeny of the vocal apparatus of a common frog, and contribute to the general knowledge of developmental differences in sound-producing organs. Lastly, in the fourth chapter, I investigated the developmental differences between males of two populations of Peters’ Dwarf Frog that produce different types of calls. I found the laryngeal growth is significantly different between P. petersi males that produce different types of calls.
Download or read book Sexual Selection in the Gray Tree Frog Hyla Versicolor written by Hilary Catherine Walton and published by . This book was released on 2005 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Abstract: Although correlates to male calling effort have been identified previously in the gray tree frog, Hyla versicolor, the relative predictive strength and directionality of effect of a wide variety of factors has not been known. This has limited our understanding of the selection pressures operating on this form of endurance rivalry, which has constrained our understanding of how female choice operates in nature. By discovering a new selection pressure on male calls and demonstrating that it is correlated with a male mating advantage, a mechanism of female choice has been identified for the first time in nature in this species. In the first part of this study, mixed models were used to investigate the effects of a diversity of factors on measures of male calling effort. For example, position on the pond periphery, condition, number of neighbors calling, date, and a change in barometric pressure were all found to significantly predict call duration. While this suggests diverse selective forces operate on male calling effort, the number of factors to which males actually respond appear limited. Because differences in response were found between call duration and intercall interval, selection likely acts with nuance across components of calling effort. These mixed models have also revealed a factor, position on the pond periphery, which has not previously been known to influence male calling effort. In the second part of this study, the relationship between position on the pond periphery and male call length was studied in detail, particularly with regard to male mating success. Males calling from areas of the pond where males tended to make longer-than-average calls were more likely to be found in amplexus; however, males producing longer calls were not. This indicates that female choice in the field differs from female preferences in the laboratory. Females may use call length to identify areas of high quality males, rather than to discriminate between individuals. Males may use long calls to compete for areas with ideal sites, rather than to attract females directly. Quality of calling site may indicate seasonal calling behavior, whereas call length may indicate nightly calling behavior.
Download or read book Faux Frogs Foam Nests and Females written by Olivia Rose Marie Hamilton and published by . This book was released on 2022 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Chapter 1 - Across many taxa, males gather in leks to perform multisensory courtship displays for females. Changes in the sensory scene over the course of mate evaluation are inevitable during a lek. This dynamic nature makes a female’s ability to recall the location of individual signalers an important component of female mate choice. It is hypothesized that complex (especially multimodal) signals may improve a female’s ability to remember, and thus discriminate among potential mates. To test this hypothesis, we employed robotic frogs and a blinding system in playbacks with female túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus). Specifically, we asked if the visual component of a multimodal signal improves a female’s ability to remember the location of a signaler. Females’ memory for a multimodal signal was examined after an initial presentation period followed by a holding period and/or silent period. Females were only able to remember a signaler’s location after the introduction of a silent period. They were still able to remember even after a combined 25 s after the obstruction of the visual stimulus (robotic frog). Silence is common in choruses and our data suggest that memory instantiation for multisensory stimuli occurs as a result of this silence. Chapter 2 - Vision can play a vital role in a receiver’s response to a signal. Often used in tandem with other sensory stimuli, vision is commonly used as a modality for signaling to potential mates. In nocturnal species, however, the neural processing of an image with a limited light source may degrade the resolution and/or details of that scene and the signalers within it. Túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus) are a Neotropical species that perform nocturnal multimodal courtship displays (visual, acoustic, and seismic) to attract females. Females have been shown to have a consistent preference for a multimodal display in laboratory settings at a fixed distance. Here, we tested how the distance between a female and a displaying “male” (robotic frog and speaker) influenced the decisions of female túngara frogs. We compared the response of females to a robotic frog at three distances (80 cm, 90 cm, and 110 cm) from the release point of females. At the established 80 cm distance, females significantly chose the multimodal speaker over the unimodal, but this preference vanished at 90 and 110 cm. These data suggest that female túngara frogs are unable to recognize the visual stimulus of a male’s multimodal display as it becomes more distant. This is consistent with observations of natural pairings wherein females sample and choose males at close distances. We suggest that female túngara frogs efficiently integrate visual stimuli in nocturnal conditions, but their distance to a stimulus limits this ability. Chapter 3 - Anurans exhibit extreme diversity in their reproductive strategies. During fertilization, species from several lineages produce foam nests that buffer developing embryos to their external environment. There have been many proposed functions for the production of these nests, but one function that has received little attention is how foam nests may act as an environmental cue to influence female mating decisions. In the túngara frog (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus), males commonly call near foam nests when they are displaying for females. Previously, it was demonstrated that females of this species prefer a male call when it is associated with a real, field-collected nest (Martin et al. 2011). Amplexed pairs also often form communal nests, and it has been hypothesized that foam nests may act as a cue for an ideal oviposition site to amplectant females. Here, we tested the preferences of females using both real and faux, 3D printed foam nests in various treatment conditions. We were unable to find any evidence that females respond to the visual stimulus of foam nests during mate evaluation or that foam nests act as a possible cue for an oviposition site. We did, however, show that females had identical responses to the faux and real foam nests. Our results demonstrate that even in a well-studied organism like túngara frogs, we still have much to learn about their fundamental ecology. Chapter 4 - In this natural history note, we describe the first observation of a terrestrial vertebrate predator for the foam nests of túngara frogs (Physalaemus (=Engystomops) pustulosus) in the rainforest of Soberanía National Park, Panamá. The snake species we observed feeding on the eggs within the nest was documented as a juvenile Erythrolamprus (=Liophis) epinephelus and this is also the first account of oophagy for this species.
Download or read book Molecular Ecology Resources written by and published by . This book was released on 2008 with total page 836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes written by Jonathan P. Evans and published by University of Chicago Press. This book was released on 2011-09-26 with total page 424 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The history of biology is populated by numerous model species or organisms. But few vertebrate groups have aided evolutionary and ecological research more than the live-bearing fishes of the family Poeciliidae. Found throughout tropical and subtropical waters, poeciliids exhibit a fascinating variety of reproductive specializations, including viviparity, matrotrophy, unisexual reproduction, and alternative mating strategies, making them ideal models for research on patterns and processes in ecology, behavior, and evolution. Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes is a much-needed overview of the scientific potential and understanding of these live-bearing fishes. Chapters by leading researchers take up a wide range of topics, including the evolution of unisexual reproduction, life in extreme environments, life-history evolution, and genetics. Designed to provide a single and highly approachable reference, Ecology and Evolution of Poeciliid Fishes will appeal to students and specialists interested in all aspects of evolutionary ecology.
Download or read book Dissertation Abstracts International written by and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 876 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Herpetology written by Laurie J. Vitt and published by Academic Press. This book was released on 2013-03-25 with total page 773 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The fourth edition of the textbook Herpetology covers the basic biology of amphibians and reptiles, with updates in nearly every conceptual area. Not only does it serve as a solid foundation for modern herpetology courses, but it is also relevant to courses in ecology, behavior, evolution, systematics, and morphology. Examples taken from amphibians and reptiles throughout the world make this book a useful herpetology textbook in several countries. Naturalists, amateur herpetologists, herpetoculturists, zoo professionals, and many others will find this book readable and full of relevant natural history and distributional information. Amphibians and reptiles have assumed a central role in research because of the diversity of ecological, physiological, morphological, behavioral, and evolutionary patterns they exhibit. This fully revised edition brings the latest research to the reader, ranging over topics in evolution, reproduction, behavior and more, allowing students and professionals to keep current with a quickly moving field. Heavily revised and updated with discussion of squamate (lizard and snake) taxonomy and new content reflected in current literature Includes increased focus on conservation biology in herpetology while retaining solid content on organismal biology of reptiles and amphibians Presents new photos included from authors' extensive library
Download or read book Cumulated Index Medicus written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 1836 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Herpetology written by F. Harvey Pough and published by Pearson Education / Prentice Hall. This book was released on 2004 with total page 744 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For upper-level undergraduate courses in herpetology, this text emphasizes the integration of information to produce a picture of amphibians and their roles in ecosystems.
Download or read book Animal Behaviour Abstracts written by and published by . This book was released on 2000 with total page 448 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Index Medicus written by and published by . This book was released on 2004 with total page 2164 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Vols. for 1963- include as pt. 2 of the Jan. issue: Medical subject headings.
