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

马达加斯加高度多样化的幼虫两栖动物群落形态和生态的演变

• 批准号: 29037998
• 负责人: Professor Dr. Miguel Vences
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: Zoologisches Institut
• 依托单位国家: 德国
• 项目类别: Research Grants
• 财政年份: 2006
• 资助国家: 德国
• 起止时间: 2005-12-31 至 2009-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://gepris.dfg.de/gepris/projekt/29037998?language=en
• 关键词: Evolution; morphology; ecology; hyperdiverse; larval

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.

热带地区的蜈蚣（青蛙）群落的物种多样性往往达到显着水平，一处栖息地多达 50-100 个物种。很少有研究系统地探讨导致如此大量物种共存的因素。考虑到相关的青蛙物种在成年阶段不会在形态或营养方面占据完全不同的生态位，幼虫阶段的生态位划分可能是塑造这些物种丰富的群落的关键因素。本项目尝试通过结合多种创新技术并使用高度合适的模型区域，对高度多样化的热带蝌蚪群落进行首次大规模生态研究。这项研究将在马达加斯加进行，那里的无尾目系统学已基本解决，并且申请人和其他同事已经收集了有关这些生物体的大型分子、系统发育、分布和生物声学数据库。蝌蚪将通过 DNA 条形码进行物种鉴定，这是首批实地研究之一，旨在证明该技术可利用分子方法大规模识别脊椎动物的生活史阶段。将筛选各种自生态学和同步学参数。将使用稳定同位素对营养水平进行比较评估，这是一种成熟的技术，但迄今为止尚未应用于两栖动物幼体。获得的生态形态特征将沿着马达加斯加青蛙现有的、完整的、解析良好的分子系统发育图绘制，并使用贝叶斯和似然统计来追踪它们的进化。