The effect of kinship on intraspecific competition in larvae of the poison frog Ameerega bassleri (Anura, Dendrobatidae)

Abstract

The effect of kinship on intraspecific competition in larvae of the poison frog Ameerega bassleri (Anura, Dendrobatidae). According to inclusive fitness theory, cooperation between related individuals should ameliorate the effect of intraspecific competition. However, close relatedness is also thought to increase similarity between individuals and therefore increase the risk of exploitative competition. Studies of the effects of kinship in larval amphibians have produced mixed results concerning these two hypotheses. We examined the effect of kinship on the mean and variation of mass after 30 days of growth in groups composed of either pure siblings or a mixture of five different sibships in a species of poison frog, Ameerega bassleri. We found no significant differences between sibling and mixed treatments with respect to mass or variation in mass. Our results are consistent with other studies in larval anurans which have found no differences between sibling and mixed treatments, suggesting that the effects of kin selection and genetic similarity between competitors may in some cases cancel each other out.

Distribution and diversification of Adelphobates, emblematic poison frogs from Brazilian Amazonia

“…Field experiments along an altitude gradient indicated that the survival of A. trivittata is strongly affected by A. bassleri, on the other hand, the latter was not affected by A. trivittata, regardless of elevation. It is possible, in this case, that the absence of A. bassleri in lowlands is due to physiological constraints, while that of A. trivittata in the highlands is a consequence of competitive exclusion by A. bassleri (Twomey et al 2008).…”

“…In Dendrobatidae, documented instances of competitive interactions have been observed between sympatric and parapatric species, as well as cases of intraspecific competition (Twomey et al 2008, Ryan & Barry 2011, Fouilloux et al 2022). These interactions typically revolve around the competition for suitable sites for tadpole deposition and development, which are critical resources for individual fitness.…”

“…An interesting example of how this type of interaction can influence species distributions was observed in two dendrobatids, Ameerega trivittata and A. bassleri (Twomey et al 2008). These have parapatric distributions in an elevation gradient in Peru: A. trivittata occurs predominantly in lowland areas, while A. bassleri occurs predominantly in high altitude areas, although occasionally the reverse occurs for both species.…”

“…These have parapatric distributions in an elevation gradient in Peru: A. trivittata occurs predominantly in lowland areas, while A. bassleri occurs predominantly in high altitude areas, although occasionally the reverse occurs for both species. Both share important resources for tadpole development and in some locations they can occur in sympatry, so competition in these areas is expected (Twomey et al 2008). Field experiments along an altitude gradient indicated that the survival of A. trivittata is strongly affected by A. bassleri, on the other hand, the latter was not affected by A. trivittata, regardless of elevation.…”

“…Diversification processes in Andean dendrobatids occurred mainly in the early Oligocene (Santos et al 2009), and resulted in a great diversity of species that have a high degree of endemism (Brown et al 2011, Grant et al 2017, Guillory et al 2019. This may have occurred especially due to allopatric barriers generated by Andean orogeny and to the high variety of environments associated with altitudinal gradients, favoring specialization and the occupation of restricted niches (Roberts et al 2007, Twomey et al 2008, Vasconcelos et al 2019. Meanwhile, in dendrobatids of the Amazonian lowlands, as well as the Aromobatidae (sister group to Dendrobatidae), most diversification occurred more recently, from the Miocene, and has been associated mostly with marine incursions and the organization of the modern Amazon drainage network (Santos et al 2009, Réjaud et al 2020.…”