scholarly journals Genetic attributes of midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) populations do not correlate with degree of species decline

2013 ◽  
Vol 3 (9) ◽  
pp. 2806-2819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ursina Tobler ◽  
Trenton W. J. Garner ◽  
Benedikt R. Schmidt
Keyword(s):  
Species Decline ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

scholarly journals Hybrid zone genomics supports candidate species in Iberian Alytes obstetricans

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-112
Author(s):  
Christophe Dufresnes ◽  
Íñigo Martínez-Solano
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Zone ◽  
Molecular Taxonomy ◽  
Grey Zone ◽  
Transect Sampling ◽  
Genomic Approach ◽  
Candidate Species ◽  
The Common ◽  
Decisive Evidence ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

Abstract While estimates of genetic divergence are increasingly used in molecular taxonomy, hybrid zone analyses can provide decisive evidence for evaluating candidate species. Applying a population genomic approach (RAD-sequencing) to a fine-scale transect sampling, we analyzed the transition between two Iberian subspecies of the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans almogavarii and A. o. pertinax) in Catalonia (northeastern Spain), which putatively diverged since the Plio-Pleistocene. Their hybrid zone was remarkably narrow, with extensive admixture restricted to a single locality (close to Tarragona), and congruent allele frequency clines for the mitochondrial (13 km wide) and the average nuclear genomes (16 km wide). We also fitted clines independently for 89 taxon-diagnostic SNPs: most of them behave like the nuclear background, but a subset (13%) is completely impermeable to gene flow and might be linked to barrier loci involved in hybrid incompatibilities. Assuming that midwife toads are able to disperse in the area of contact, we conclude that these taxa experience partial reproductive isolation and represent incipient species, i.e. Alytes almogavarii and Alytes obstetricans. Interestingly, their evolutionary age and mitochondrial divergence fall below the thresholds proposed in molecular systematics studies, emphasizing the difficulty of predicting the outcome of secondary contacts between young lineages entering the grey zone of speciation.

Influence of advertisement calls on reproductive success in the male midwife toad Alytes obstetricans

Behaviour ◽  
2003 ◽  
Vol 140 (7) ◽  
pp. 885-898 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dominique Le Jacques ◽  
Thierry Lodé
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Fundamental Frequency ◽  
Female Choice ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Advertisement Call ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Evolutionary Trend ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

AbstractConsidering the advertisement call in anuran as a sexually selected trait, we investigated the effects of male call parameters on reproductive success in midwife toad Alytes obstetricans. The pattern of advertisement call was studied in 81 males. The mean fundamental frequency varied among males. Fundamental frequency, call duration and male size correlated with the male mating success. From the stepwise regression analysis, the low call frequency was found to influence significantly the number of carried eggs and the hatching success. The fact that a single male may fertilise the eggs of several females and a single female may mate with several males constitutes an original sexual system. Large males obtained more matings and showed a higher hatching success. Female choice for dominant frequency may be regarded as a related-fitness trait being correlated with male size. Anyway, the male size and the female choice for low calls result in a same evolutionary trend favouring a best fitness.

The alyteserins: Two families of antimicrobial peptides from the skin secretions of the midwife toad Alytes obstetricans (Alytidae)

Peptides ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (6) ◽  
pp. 1069-1073 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Michael Conlon ◽  
Anni Demandt ◽  
Per. F. Nielsen ◽  
Jérôme Leprince ◽  
Hubert Vaudry ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Antimicrobial Peptides ◽  
Skin Secretions ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

Size-dependent male reproductive success and size-assortative mating in the midwife toad Alytes obstetricans

1998 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Böll ◽  
K.E. Linsenmair
Keyword(s):  
Assortative Mating ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Hatching Success ◽  
Paternal Care ◽  
Breeding Period ◽  
Male Reproductive Success ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Egg Carrying ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

AbstractIn a field population of the midwife toad, Alytes obstetricans, a temperate zone species with extensive paternal care, size-assortative mating was observed. During the more favourable mating season of 1987, larger males carried bigger single clutches, as expected from assortative matings. Furthermore, larger males experienced higher mating success over the whole season as well as during single egg carrying intervals. However, during the extraordinarily dry breeding period of 1988, no size-related male mating success was found. Males were in both years highly successful caretakers as far as hatching success of the tadpoles was concerned. Brood care was associated with conditional costs for egg-carrying males in 1988, but not in 1987. Neither hatching success nor hatching size of the tadpoles were correlated with male size. Possible causes, leading to the observed mating advantage of larger-sized males in some years, but not in others, are discussed.

Midwife toads (Alytes obstetricans) select their diurnal refuges based on hydric and thermal properties

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 275-280 ◽  
Author(s):  
Léa Lange ◽  
François Brischoux ◽  
Olivier Lourdais
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Properties ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Habitat Use ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Bare Soil ◽  
Terrestrial Habitat ◽  
Terrestrial Habitats ◽  
Midwife Toad ◽  
Alytes Obstetricans

Abstract Most amphibians use both aquatic and terrestrial habitats. While the aquatic phase attracted considerable interest, terrestrial habitat use is often less investigated. We studied diurnal refuge selection in the Midwife toad in Western central France. We used a factorial design and tested the effect of refuge type (wood versus rubber boards) and substrate (wet sawdust versus bare soil). Most animals were observed under refuges with sawdust substrate. An interaction between refuge type and temperature was detected with higher presence probability under rubber refuges at low temperature. Conflicting hydric and thermic requirements are likely determinants of the observed pattern.

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