Evolution of morphology and ecology in hyperdiverse larval amphibian communities in Madagascar

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Anuran (frog) communities in the tropics often reach remarkable levels of species diversity, with up to 50-100 species occurring at one site. Few studies have systematically addressed the factors allowing these high numbers of species to co-exist. Considering that related species of frogs in their adult phase do not tend to occupy radically different niches in morphology or nutrition, niche partitioning in the larval phase may be a key factor shaping these species-rich communities. The present project attempts the first large-scale ecological study of a hyperdiverse tropical tadpole community, by combining a number of innovative techniques and using a highly suitable model region. The study will be carried out in Madagascar, where anuran systematics are largely settled and large molecular, phylogenetic, distributional and bioacoustic databases on these organisms have been assembled by the applicant and other colleagues. Tadpoles will be identified to species by DNA barcoding, representing one of the first field studies to demonstrate the applicability of this technique to identify vertebrate life-history stages at a large scale using molecular methods. A variety of autecological and synecological parameters will be screened. Trophic levels will be comparatively assessed using stable isotopes, a well-established technique which, however, has so far not been applied to larval amphibians. The obtained ecomorphological characters will be plotted along an existing, complete and well-resolved molecular phylogeny of Madagascan frogs, and their evolution traced using Bayesian and likelihood statistics.