The ecological drivers of variation in pectoral girdle anatomy in frogs

SOLIZ MÓNICA C.; ABDALA, V; TULLI, M. J.

Acta Zoologica

John Wiley and Sons Inc

Año: 2024

In this ecomorphological study, we investigate how the ventral pectoral girdlemorphology of anurans correlates with their locomotor modes, habitat prefer-ences, and phylogenetic relationships. We analysed 18 morphometric variablesof the pectoral girdle´s ventral region across 19 anuran species, encompassingdiverse locomotion modes (jumping, hopping, walking, and swimming) andhabitats (arboreal, bushy, terrestrial, and aquatic). Our findings, predominantlyexplained by the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck model, reveal evolutionary adaptations inpectoral girdle morphology driven by habitat-specific demands. Notably, bushyand walker-jumper species exhibit large clavicles, coracoids, and sternums, alongwith a broad medial pectoral girdle and bigger epicoracoid. Terrestrial and arbo-real- jumpers have a larger omosternum area compared to predominantly swim-ming species. Arboreal walkers show shorter epicoracoid horns and narrowercoracoids. Interestingly, bushy and terrestrial species have a higher proportion ofbone tissue in their pectoral girdles. This indicates a potential adaptation to sup-port the additional to adaptation to participate in shock absorption. The patternsrecovered underscore the intricate relationship between anatomical evolutionand environmental adaptation in anurans.