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Updated: Jun 3, 2026
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Ecotoxicological Methodologies to Evaluate Biomarkers at Different Scales in Neotropical Anurans
Published on: April 28, 2023
The evolution of jumping performance in anurans: morphological correlates and ecological implications
F R Gomes1, E L Rezende, M B Grizante
1Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
|April 5, 2011
Summary
Anuran (frog) locomotion and hind-limb morphology evolve with habitat. Fossorial (burrowing) frogs show reduced jumping ability and shorter limbs due to specialization for digging, demonstrating ecological diversification
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Comparative Anatomy
- Herpetology
Background:
- Anuran locomotor performance and hind-limb morphology are influenced by habitat and lifestyle.
- Previous studies have explored these relationships, but often without controlling for phylogenetic effects.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the evolution of anuran locomotor performance and hind-limb morphology in relation to habitat use and lifestyle.
- To differentiate the effects of ecological diversification from phylogeny on these traits.
Main Methods:
- Reanalysis of existing data on anuran locomotor performance (n = 56 species) using phylogenetically explicit statistical methods.
- Assembly of morphological data (hind-limb length to snout-vent length ratio) from literature and museum specimens (n = 43 species).
Main Results:
- Broad habitat categories (terrestrial, semi-aquatic, arboreal) did not adequately distinguish between phylogenetic and ecological effects on locomotion.
- A refined classification, including fossorial/non-fossorial and canopy strata, revealed significant ecological diversification.
- Fossorial anurans exhibited significantly lower jumping performance and shorter hind limbs compared to other groups, controlling for body size (SVL).
Conclusions:
- Ecological diversification plays a role in shaping anuran locomotor performance and hind-limb morphology.
- A trade-off between burrowing efficiency and jumping performance has led to morphological specialization in fossorial anurans.
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