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| Macho de la rana venenosa diablito Oophaga sylvatica, Ecuador. © Luis A. Coloma (Centro Jambatu) |
Santos, J. C., Baquero, M., Barrio-Amorós, C., Coloma, L. A., Erdtmann, L. K., Lima, A. P. y Cannatella, D. C. 2014. Aposematism increases acoustic diversification and speciation in poison frogs. Proceedings of the Royal Society B 281:20141761.
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Las ranas venenosa evolucionaron para cantar más y con fuerza
16:02 17 October 2014 by Penny Sarchet
Es sexy y lo sabe. La rana diablito es ruidosa en la búsqueda de pareja y no le importa que la oigan.
La intrepidez de la rana diablito frente a depredadores hambrientos podría deberse a su toxicidad. La rana diablito, Oophaga sylvatica, es un miembro del grupo de ranas venenosas conocidas como dendrobátidos. Sus colores llamativos advierten a los depredadores que no es seguro comerlas, lo cual según Juan Carlos Santos, de la Universidad de British Columbia en Vancouver, Canadá, cree que ha permitido la evolución de llamadas de apareamiento más extravagantes.
Santos y sus colegas investigaron las llamadas, coloración y toxicidad de 170 especies de ranas, incluyendo a la rana diablito. Ellos encontraron una fuerte relación entre el volumen de la llamada de una rana y su aposematismo –colores que advierten de su toxicidad. En general, mientras más tóxica es una rana, es más llamativa y más evidente y canta más fuerte y más rápido (Proceedings of the Royal Society B). Las ranas no tóxicas se camuflan y cantan desde perchas menos expuestas, dice Santos.
"Las hembras pueden tener un efecto significativo en la selección de los machos más ruidosos, ya que los depredadores evitarán estos individuos aposemáticos", dice Santos.
Los cantos del macho pueden viajar a grandes distancias, en un intento de atraer a su pareja. Pero no se trata sólo de atraer la atención de una rana hembra –se trata de hacerle saber cuán deseable es.
"El cantar es una actividad muy exigente y sólo los individuos sanos tienen el ... Ver más en New Scientist
"Las hembras pueden tener un efecto significativo en la selección de los machos más ruidosos, ya que los depredadores evitarán estos individuos aposemáticos", dice Santos.
Los cantos del macho pueden viajar a grandes distancias, en un intento de atraer a su pareja. Pero no se trata sólo de atraer la atención de una rana hembra –se trata de hacerle saber cuán deseable es.
"El cantar es una actividad muy exigente y sólo los individuos sanos tienen el ... Ver más en New Scientist
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| Macho de la rana venenosa wikiri Ameerega bilinguis, Ecuador. © Luis A. Coloma (Centro Jambatu) |
Poisonous frogs evolve to sing longer and louder
16:02 17 October 2014 by Penny Sarchet
He's sexy and he knows it. The little devil frog is noisy in pursuit of a partner, and doesn't care who hears him.
The little devil frog's fearlessness in the face of hungry predators could be down to his toxicity. The little devil, Oophaga sylvatica, is a member of the dendrobatid group of poisonous frogs. His bright colours warn predators that he is unsafe to eat, which Juan Santos of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, believes has allowed the evolution of more flamboyant mating calls.
Santos and his colleagues examined the calls, colourings and toxicity of 170 species of frog, including the little devil. They found a strong relationship between the volume of a frog's call and its aposematism – markings that warn of its toxicity. In general, the more toxic a frog, the brighter and more noticeable it is – and the louder and more rapidly it sings (Proceedings of the Royal Society B). Non-toxic frogs are camouflaged and call from less exposed perches, says Santos.
"Females can have a significant effect on the selection of the most noisy males, given that predators will avoid these aposematic individuals," says Santos.
The male's calls can travel over long distances, in an attempt to attract a mate. But it's not just about attracting a female frog's attention – it's about letting her know how desirable he is.
"Calling is a very demanding activity and only healthy individuals have the... See more in New Scientist
He's sexy and he knows it. The little devil frog is noisy in pursuit of a partner, and doesn't care who hears him.
The little devil frog's fearlessness in the face of hungry predators could be down to his toxicity. The little devil, Oophaga sylvatica, is a member of the dendrobatid group of poisonous frogs. His bright colours warn predators that he is unsafe to eat, which Juan Santos of the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada, believes has allowed the evolution of more flamboyant mating calls.
Santos and his colleagues examined the calls, colourings and toxicity of 170 species of frog, including the little devil. They found a strong relationship between the volume of a frog's call and its aposematism – markings that warn of its toxicity. In general, the more toxic a frog, the brighter and more noticeable it is – and the louder and more rapidly it sings (Proceedings of the Royal Society B). Non-toxic frogs are camouflaged and call from less exposed perches, says Santos.
"Females can have a significant effect on the selection of the most noisy males, given that predators will avoid these aposematic individuals," says Santos.
The male's calls can travel over long distances, in an attempt to attract a mate. But it's not just about attracting a female frog's attention – it's about letting her know how desirable he is.
"Calling is a very demanding activity and only healthy individuals have the... See more in New Scientist
