Aposematism increases acoustic diversification and speciation in poison frogs
Juan C Santos1, Margarita Baquero2, César Barrio-Amorós3
1Biodiversity Research Centre, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada V6T 1Z4 National Evolutionary Synthesis Center, Suite A200, 2024 West Main St., Durham, NC 27705, USA jcsantos@biodiversity.ubc.ca infraguttatus@gmail.com.
Proceedings. Biological Sciences
|October 17, 2014
Summary
Aposematism, or warning coloration, in poison frogs may drive vocal signal diversification. Reduced predation risk allows for more elaborate mating calls, influenced by sexual selection.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Communication
- Behavioral Ecology
Background:
- Multimodal signals balance attracting mates and avoiding predators.
- Organisms with anti-predator defenses may elaborate mating signals.
- Aposematism (warning signals) is hypothesized to associate with signal diversification.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between aposematism and vocal signal diversification in poison frogs.
- To test if anti-predator defenses influence mating call characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Assembled an acoustic signal database for aposematic and cryptic poison frog species.
- Analyzed mating calls for spectral, temporal, and environmental traits.
- Compared diversification and extinction rates between aposematic and non-aposematic lineages.
Main Results:
- Aposematic lineages diversify more and rarely revert to non-aposematic phenotypes.
- Vocal signal diversification was associated with spectral and temporal call features.
- Extinction rates were similar between aposematic and non-aposematic species.
Conclusions:
- The evolution of aposematism may reduce predation pressure, facilitating vocal signal diversification.
- Sexual selection can then act on these diversified signals, leading to elaboration.
- Aposematism provides a pathway for increased complexity in animal communication systems.
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