Spatial Patterns in the Morphological Diversity of Madagascan Frogs

Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, containing a large proportion of endemic species. To make conservation efforts more effective, it is necessary to understand the spatial distribution of this huge biodiversity. In this study, the patterns of morphological variation and diversity in the adult anu...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Escoriza, Daniel, Poch Cartañá, Santiago, Boix Masafret, Dani
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2023
País:España
Institución:Varias* (Consorci de Biblioteques Universitáries de Catalunya, Centre de Serveis Científics i Acadèmics de Catalunya)
Repositorio:Recercat. Dipósit de la Recerca de Catalunya
OAI Identifier:oai:recercat.cat:10256/23712
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/10256/23712
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Biodiversitat -- Conservació -- Madagascar
Biodiversity conservation -- Madagascar
Anurs -- Madagascar -- Variació
Anura -- Madagascar -- Variation
Anurs -- Madagascar -- Morfologia
Anura -- Madagascar -- Morphology
Descripción
Sumario:Madagascar is a biodiversity hotspot, containing a large proportion of endemic species. To make conservation efforts more effective, it is necessary to understand the spatial distribution of this huge biodiversity. In this study, the patterns of morphological variation and diversity in the adult anurans of Madagascar were evaluated and compared across different climatic regions. These patterns were investigated for 370 species (2360 specimens), and the variation in 13 morphological traits obtained from taxonomic databases was assessed. The results revealed differences in body size distribution across climatic regions and that the most morphologically distinctive species occur in humid regions. The analysis also showed that anuran assemblages tend to be more species-rich, more morphologically diverse, and more morphologically clustered in tropical rainforests. These patterns are attributable to regional variations in the amount and seasonality of precipitation. An understanding of the complex patterns of spatial diversity could be useful for regional prioritization in the conservation of Madagascan anurans