Convergent evolution of bright coloration and toxicity in frogs

Summers, Kyle

doi:10.1073/pnas.2335928100

Cited by 26 publications

(18 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Rapid diversification in conspicuous colouration among species and populations remains an intriguing and contentious issue in evolutionary biology (Summers et al. , 1997; Summers & Clough, 2001; Summers, 2003; Summers et al. , 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Rapid diversification of colouration among populations of a poison frog isolated on sky peninsulas in the central cordilleras of Peru

Roberts

Brown

Schulte³

et al. 2006

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim Comparison of Epipedobates bassleri (Myers, 1987), which occurs on highaltitude mountain ridges ('sky peninsulas') in the Andean transition zone and demonstrates high levels of divergence in colouration among populations, and Epipedobates hahneli (Schulte, 1999), which occurs throughout the lowland regions of the Amazon basin and is morphologically conserved, using phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial sequence data and comparison of colour pattern.Location Central cordilleras of Peru (near Tarapoto, San Martin).Methods DNA was extracted from individuals of E. bassleri from the central cordilleras of Peru, and from individuals of E. hahneli from across Peru. The cytochrome b mitochondrial gene region was amplified and sequenced for individuals of each species, and phylogenetic analysis was carried out using Bayesian inference. Genetic distances among populations and geographic distances of each species were examined and compared using Mantel tests. Parametric bootstrapping was used to test the monophyly of E. bassleri. ResultsEpipedobates bassleri formed a well-supported monophyletic group and showed higher levels of genetic divergence among populations than was shown among populations of E. hahneli from the same region. Distinct clades representing different geographic regions were recovered for E. hahneli. Levels of divergence among more geographically distant populations of E. hahneli were higher than levels of divergence among E. bassleri populations. We found a significant correlation between genetic divergence and geographic distance as measured along a 1000-m contour line, but not as measured by direct routes (crossing putative biogeographical barriers).Main conclusions Levels of genetic divergence were higher among populations of morphologically conservative E. hahneli than among populations of morphologically variable E. bassleri, suggesting rapid divergence in colouration among populations of E. bassleri. These patterns support previous arguments concerning the role of the montane transition zone between the high mountains and lowlands in divergence and speciation. High levels of both genetic and phenotypic divergence among populations of E. bassleri indicate that ecological or behavioural factors may be responsible for the high levels of colour variation seen among E. bassleri, but not among E. hahnleli, populations.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Poison frogs of the family Dendrobatidae exhibit dramatic variation in colour hue, intensity, and pattern. Recent comparative analyses suggest that some of this variation is correlated with differences in toxicity and associated aposematism (Summers & Clough, 2001; Santos et al. , 2003).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid diversification of colouration among populations of a poison frog isolated on sky peninsulas in the central cordilleras of Peru

Roberts

Brown

Schulte³

et al. 2006

Journal of Biogeography

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“…In many cases, bright coloration appears to be associated with the advertisement of toxicity (aposematism), and this certainly seems likely to be an important factor in the evolution of bright coloration in the poison frogs (Summers & Clough, 2001). In general, aposematism might be expected to favour convergence, rather than divergence, because toxic organisms with similar coloration should more effectively train predators (Mallet & Joron, 1999).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Variation in spectral reflectance among populations of Dendrobates pumilio, the strawberry poison frog, in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

Summers

Cronin

Kennedy

2003

Journal of Biogeography

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121

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Aim The goal of this study was to quantify levels of variation in spectral reflectance within and among populations of Dendrobates pumilio, the strawberry poison frog from the Bocas del Toro Archipelago. Location This study was carried out in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, in the Republic of Panama, Central America. Methods Spectral reflectance was measured for samples of individuals from fifteen distinct island and mainland populations, using an Ocean Optics 2000 spectrometer and a BiLink portable computer. Results Our results provide quantitative evidence for extreme polymorphism among populations, and more limited levels of polymorphism within some populations. No obvious signs of sexual dimorphism were found. All the colour morphs appear to have relatively little reflectance in the ultraviolet part of the spectrum. There is some evidence for clinal variation in colour and pattern across some mainland populations. There is also at least one area where distinctly different morphs occur in sympatry, suggesting the possibility of incipient reproductive isolation. We argue that variation in coloration may have been enhanced by sexual selection.

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“…Furthermore, recently published phylogenetically based work is providing important insights into the evolutionary history and ecological function of aposematic signaling (Santos et al 2003; Summers 2003; Vamosi 2005; Przeczek et al 2008). One suggestion is that aposematism may be a key evolutionary innovation, for example, reducing extinction rates or increasing speciation rates within lineages (Vamosi 2005).…”

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The Dual Benefits of Aposematism: Predator Avoidance and Enhanced Resource Collection

2009

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Theories of aposematism often focus on the idea that warning displays evolve because they work as effective signals to predators.Here, we argue that aposematism may instead evolve because, by enhancing protection, it enables animals to become more exposed and thereby gain resource-gathering benefits, for example, through a wider foraging niche. Frequency-dependent barriers (caused by enhanced conspicuousness relative to other prey and low levels of predator education) are generally assumed to make the evolution of aposematism particularly challenging. Using a deterministic, evolutionary model we show that aposematic display could evolve relatively easily if it enabled prey to move more freely around their environments, or become exposed in some other manner that provides fitness benefits unrelated to predation risk. Furthermore, the model shows that the traits of aposematic conspicuousness and behavior which lead to raised exposure positively affect each other, so that the optimal level of both tends to increase when the traits exist together, compared to when they exist in isolation. We discuss the ecological and evolutionary consequences of aposematism. One conclusion is that aposematism could be a key evolutionary innovation, because by widening habitat use it may promote adaptive radiation as a byproduct of enhanced ecological opportunity.K E Y W O R D S : Aposematism, key innovation, life history, niche, predator.

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Convergent evolution of bright coloration and toxicity in frogs

Cited by 26 publications

References 17 publications

Rapid diversification of colouration among populations of a poison frog isolated on sky peninsulas in the central cordilleras of Peru

Rapid diversification of colouration among populations of a poison frog isolated on sky peninsulas in the central cordilleras of Peru

Variation in spectral reflectance among populations of Dendrobates pumilio, the strawberry poison frog, in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago, Panama

The Dual Benefits of Aposematism: Predator Avoidance and Enhanced Resource Collection

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