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Differential parental care behaviors of arboreal and terrestrial microhylid frogs from Papua New Guinea

Differential parental care behaviors of arboreal and terrestrial microhylid frogs from Papua New... I studied the ecology of parental care behaviors displayed by two closely related sympatric species of microhylid frogs in Papua New Guinea that occupy different microhabitats. Adult removal experiments on the terrestrial frog Hylophorbus rufescens and the undescribed arboreal frog Oreophryne sp. “A” demonstrate a significant positive effect of parental attendance on offspring survivorship and differential causes of egg mortality between microhabitats. Desiccation was the primary cause of egg mortality for the arboreal frog, whereas predation was the main source of mortality for the terrestrial frog. These selection pressures (desiccation and predation) are comparable to two of Wilson’s “prime movers” of the evolution of parental care (harsh environment and predation) and may have driven and/or are maintaining the evolution of parental care behaviors in these Papuan microhylid frogs. These results highlight microhabitat-specific selection pressures in the evolution and maintenance of parental care behaviors. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Springer Journals

Differential parental care behaviors of arboreal and terrestrial microhylid frogs from Papua New Guinea

Bickford, David
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology , Volume 55 (4) – Nov 22, 2003
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References (42)

Publisher
Springer Journals
Copyright
Copyright © 2004 by Springer-Verlag
Subject
LifeSciences
ISSN
0340-5443
eISSN
1432-0762
DOI
10.1007/s00265-003-0717-x
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

I studied the ecology of parental care behaviors displayed by two closely related sympatric species of microhylid frogs in Papua New Guinea that occupy different microhabitats. Adult removal experiments on the terrestrial frog Hylophorbus rufescens and the undescribed arboreal frog Oreophryne sp. “A” demonstrate a significant positive effect of parental attendance on offspring survivorship and differential causes of egg mortality between microhabitats. Desiccation was the primary cause of egg mortality for the arboreal frog, whereas predation was the main source of mortality for the terrestrial frog. These selection pressures (desiccation and predation) are comparable to two of Wilson’s “prime movers” of the evolution of parental care (harsh environment and predation) and may have driven and/or are maintaining the evolution of parental care behaviors in these Papuan microhylid frogs. These results highlight microhabitat-specific selection pressures in the evolution and maintenance of parental care behaviors.

Journal

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology – Springer Journals

Published: Nov 22, 2003

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