TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolution of the anuran foam nest
T2 - Trait conservatism and lineage diversification
AU - Pereira, Elisa Barreto
AU - Pinto-Ledezma, Jesús N.
AU - De Freitas, Cíntia Gomes
AU - Villalobos, Fabricio
AU - Collevatti, Rosane Garcia
AU - Maciel, Natan Medeiros
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2017 The Linnean Society of London.
PY - 2017/12
Y1 - 2017/12
N2 - Key innovations are organismal traits that trigger adaptive radiation and lineage diversification. The wide range of anuran reproductive strategies from aquatic to terrestrial modes are potential key innovations. One such strategy is the foam nest, a structure with multiple functions that originated independently several times in different continents. Here, we explore several evolutionary aspects associated with the foam nest in multiple lineages to test the hypothesis that this trait is phylogenetically conserved and has influenced diversification. We used the most inclusive anuran phylogeny to date to reconstruct ancestral states, measure phylogenetic signal and evaluate models of trait-dependent diversification. Our results show that the foam nest appeared during the Paleocene-Eocene transition (c. 55 Myr) in three major groups (Leptodactylidae, Limnodynastidae and Rhacophoridae) and has been highly conserved ever since. The foam nest probably originated from an ancestor with aquatic reproduction, except in Rhacophoridae (in which it evolved from an ancestor with jelly nests). Despite possessing several ecological functions, we found evidence of the influence of foam nests on diversification rates only in the South American lineage Leptodactylidae. We suggest that the foam nest was an important adaptation to historical climatic changes, enabling reproduction in dry open areas.
AB - Key innovations are organismal traits that trigger adaptive radiation and lineage diversification. The wide range of anuran reproductive strategies from aquatic to terrestrial modes are potential key innovations. One such strategy is the foam nest, a structure with multiple functions that originated independently several times in different continents. Here, we explore several evolutionary aspects associated with the foam nest in multiple lineages to test the hypothesis that this trait is phylogenetically conserved and has influenced diversification. We used the most inclusive anuran phylogeny to date to reconstruct ancestral states, measure phylogenetic signal and evaluate models of trait-dependent diversification. Our results show that the foam nest appeared during the Paleocene-Eocene transition (c. 55 Myr) in three major groups (Leptodactylidae, Limnodynastidae and Rhacophoridae) and has been highly conserved ever since. The foam nest probably originated from an ancestor with aquatic reproduction, except in Rhacophoridae (in which it evolved from an ancestor with jelly nests). Despite possessing several ecological functions, we found evidence of the influence of foam nests on diversification rates only in the South American lineage Leptodactylidae. We suggest that the foam nest was an important adaptation to historical climatic changes, enabling reproduction in dry open areas.
KW - Anura
KW - Key innovation
KW - Leptodactylidae
KW - Reproductive mode
KW - Rhacophoridae
KW - Terrestriality
KW - Thermal maximum
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U2 - 10.1093/biolinnean/blx110
DO - 10.1093/biolinnean/blx110
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85052336521
SN - 0024-4066
VL - 122
SP - 814
EP - 823
JO - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
JF - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
IS - 4
ER -