Cladistic analysis and osteological descriptions of the frog species in theLeptodactylus fuscusspecies group (Anura, Leptodactylidae)

Abstract

The genus Leptodactylus is predominantly Neotropical (a few species have colonized the southern Neartic region) and is distributed from Texas to Argentina and on certain Caribbean islands. Leptodactylus was divided into five groups of species: Leptodactylus melanonotus, Leptodactylus ocellatus, Leptodactylus fuscus, Leptodactylus pentadactylus and Leptodactylus marmoratus. Among these, the L. fuscus group is the one with most species, with 27 taxa. Characters unverified in most of the species are used to define the L. fuscus group. However, the monophyly of the group has never been tested rigorously in a quantitative phylogenetic context. Thus, the main goal of this study was to test such monophyly and to construct a phylogeny of the L. fuscus group. A matrix of 114 characters scored across 43 taxa was constructed, with 31 characters taken from external morphology, 58 from adult skeletons, 16 from larval chondrocranium, 5 from ethology and 4 from morphometric data were included. Out of all the species examined, 23 belonged to the ingroup and 20 to the outgroup. The data set was analysed with implied weights, by using TNT software. The monophyly of the group was strongly supported in the fittest cladogram obtained. The optimizations of some characters on this hypothesis support traditional evolutionary hypotheses. The optimizations also suggest the presence of paedomorphic character states in some species, which is also discussed.

Heterochrony in Growth and Development in Anurans from the Chaco of South America

“…Species examined are placed in Hylidae, Leptodactylidae, Ceratophryidae, Leuiperidae, and Microhylidae. Relationships within hylids are simplified from Faivovich et al (2005), within leptodactylids from Ponssa (2008), and within ceratophryids, leiuperids, and microhylids from Grant et al (2006). Other hypotheses based on morphological data (Fabrezi 2006;Fabrezi and Quinzio 2008) described Ceratophrys or Chacophrys as basal taxon within ceratophryines To document growth variation during the ontogeny, measurements of snout-vent length in larvae and postmetamorphic specimens, and total length in larvae (snouttip tail length) were made with dial callipers (0.02 mm).…”

Diet and resource partitioning among anurans in irrigated rice fields in Pantanal, Brazil

“…(Ponssa, 2008) could reflect a similar foraging mode and habitat occupancy, resulting in a high niche overlap among them. In contrast, IRI and frequency of occurrence of smaller prey types, such as Diptera, were assigned mainly to L. podicipinus, suggesting that differences in feeding habits among L. podicipinus and L. chaquensis can be related to their distinct body sizes.…”

A survey of shape variation in keratinized labial teeth of anuran larvae as related to phylogeny and ecology

“…Most tadpoles were in Gosner Stages 30-37 (Gosner, 1960), except for Trachycephalus venulosus (Stage 39). The phylogenetic hypothesis employed as a framework for the analyses was based on Frost et al (2006;updated in Frost, 2009), Grant et al (2006, Pramuk (2006), Ponssa (2008), Barrionuevo (2009), andCei (1980). This hypothesis constitutes a meta-tree in the sense that it combines phylogenetic analyses of various degrees of robustness, by grafting phylogenies onto a fixed-base tree (Funk & Specht, 2007).…”

“…5). On the basis of labial tooth features of Ascaphus and its basal Pramuk (2006), Ponssa (2008), Barrionuevo (2009), andCei (1980). Abbreviations next to species names represent ecomorphological guilds (Altig & McDiarmid, 1999a).…”