Burrowing behavior of Dermatonotus muelleri (Anura, Microhylidae) with reference to the origin of the burrowing behavior of Anura

Nomura, Fausto [UNESP]; Rossa-Feres, Denise C.; Langeani, Francisco [UNESP]

Burrowing behavior of Dermatonotus muelleri (Anura, Microhylidae) with reference to the origin of the burrowing behavior of Anura

Data

2009-01-01

Autores

Nomura, Fausto

Rossa-Feres, Denise C.

Langeani, Francisco

Editor

Springer Tokyo

Tipo

Artigo

Direito de acesso

Acesso restrito

Resumo

Dermatonotus muelleri is a forelimbs-head-first burrowing frog that uses its forelimbs for soil removal, and it is the second anuran species known to arch its head downwards at an angle of almost 90A degrees to the longitudinal axis of its body when burrowing. The burrowing behavior of D. muelleri is divided in three stages: head burrowing, body burrowing, and chamber construction. Burrowing in D. muelleri includes construction of a subterranean chamber used for estivation during the dry season. Phylogenetic analysis based on literature survey of burrowing behavior suggested that head-first burrowing behavior has evolved several times in anuran history, forming a convergence complex, and that hindlimbs-first burrowing is a basal behavior.