Skeletochronology, an underrated tool for amphibian conservation in the Neotropics

STANESCU, F.; VLAD, S. E. ; TELEA, A. ; SZEKELY, D. ; MARANGONI, F.; TOPLICEANU, T. D. ; COGALNICEANU, D.

Conferencia; SCIENTIFIC CONFERENCE OF DOCTORAL SCHOOLS; 2021

With over 8300 species, amphibians exhibit complex and diverse life histories and adaptations, while alsofacing the highest extinction risk among terrestrial vertebrates. The Neotropical realm harbors the highestamphibian species diversity and also some of the most endangered ones. The study of aging and growth inthese species is vital for the understanding of key components of their life-history adaptations and tradeoffs,responsible for shaping population responses to environmental changes. Skeletochronology is a nonlethalmethod that allows age estimation in amphibians by counting the lines of arrested growth in the bonetissue (i.e., phalanges). We performed a literature search to identify studies where skeletochronology wasapplied in amphibians and found more than 600 published papers on this topic. Most were published afterthe 90?s (~90%), when the general protocol for aging amphibians using skeletochronology became wellestablished. Less than 10% of the published research involved Neotropical amphibians originating fromArgentina, Brazil, Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, and Panama. Here, skeletochronology was applied in40 species from 10 families, mostly Bufonidae (n = 14), Leptodactylidae (n = 11) and Hylidae (n = 5). Wereviewed these studies in order to highlight the main challenges and opportunities for future research.Skeletochronology proved to be a valuable tool in revealing life-history strategies and trade-offs inNeotropical amphibians. For example, some of the most important results revealed that species fromunpredictable and arid environments exhibit strong life-history trade-offs, compromising longevity forreproductive success. On the other hand, skeletochronology may not be suitable for all species, especiallyfor those inhabiting aseasonal environments. However, we recommend that the applicability of the methodbe further tested in a wider array of Neotropical species from various habitats by making use of readilyavailable museum specimens.