Chemical communication in an archaic anuran amphibian

Abstract

Bioacoustic signals appear to be so essential to the social communication of anuran amphibians that other sensory modalities have been largely ignored. We studied the abilities of Leiopelma hamiltoni, a species evolutionarily basal to most living anurans, to communicate by means of chemosignals. We collected frogs in the field, held them in captivity for 72 h, and then tested their preferences for substrates that they had marked themselves to those marked by conspecifics. Individuals preferred paper towels that they had marked themselves to those marked by frogs collected from other home ranges. Preferences were greater, on average, when the conspecific had been collected farther away. Frogs did not discriminate between their own odor and those of other individuals with which they had shared a home range. Individuals preferred their own odor to a blank unmarked towel but also avoided odors of unfamiliar conspecifics when paired with a blank. The discovery of chemical communication in an archaic anuran offers a window into how frogs may have communicated before mechanisms of bioacoustic signaling evolved. We suggest, however, that chemical signaling may be widespread in anuran amphibians. Copyright 2004.