Abstract
BackgroundThe morphology of anuran larvae is suggested to differ between species with tadpoles living in standing (lentic) and running (lotic) waters. To explore which character combinations within the general tadpole morphospace are associated with these habitats, we studied categorical and metric larval data of 123 (one third of which from lotic environments) Madagascan anurans.ResultsUsing univariate and multivariate statistics, we found that certain combinations of fin height, body musculature and eye size prevail either in larvae from lentic or lotic environments.ConclusionEvidence for adaptation to lotic conditions in larvae of Madagascan anurans is presented. While lentic tadpoles typically show narrow to moderate oral discs, small to medium sized eyes, convex or moderately low fins and non-robust tail muscles, tadpoles from lotic environments typically show moderate to broad oral discs, medium to big sized eyes, low fins and a robust tail muscle.
Highlights
The morphology of anuran larvae is suggested to differ between species with tadpoles living in standing and running waters
Characters of lentic versus lotic life Based on univariate comparisons, we find significant differences between lentic and lotic larvae of Madagascan anuran species for oral disc position, oral disc width, ventral and dorsal jaw sheaths, marginal papillae, eye size, tail muscle and fin shape
Since PC1 is mainly explained by oral structures, we propose that this pattern within Principal Component (PC) dimensions does not discriminate lentic versus lotic tadpoles per se
Summary
The morphology of anuran larvae is suggested to differ between species with tadpoles living in standing (lentic) and running (lotic) waters. It is assumed that this has favoured the extensive anuran radiation [4], with almost 7400 species known today, markedly exceeding the number of species in the two other amphibian orders (Gymnophiona, Urodela) with less specialized larvae [5, 6]. Most anurans deposit their eggs in ephemeral or perennial lentic waters [6, 7].
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