The Original Descriptions of Bufo fowleri and Bufo americanus

Copeia ◽  
1931 ◽  
Vol 1931 (3) ◽  
pp. 94 ◽  
Author(s):  
George S. Myers
Keyword(s):  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Bufo Fowleri

Investigating opposing patterns of character displacement in release and advertisement vocalizations of Bufo fowleri and Bufo americanus (Anura; Bufonidae)

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (9) ◽  
pp. 1577-1585 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christopher J Leary
Keyword(s):  
Hybrid Zone ◽  
Mate Recognition ◽  
Character Displacement ◽  
Dominant Frequency ◽  
Species Group ◽  
Bufo Americanus ◽  
Premating Isolation ◽  
Rapid Release ◽  
Bufo Fowleri

Anuran release vocalizations function to prevent prolonged amplexus between males, whereas advertisement vocalizations potentially act as a premating isolation mechanism. To facilitate rapid release during heterospecific amplexus, selection should favor convergent character displacement in release vocalizations. Conversely, to promote isolation between sympatric congeners, selection should favor divergent character displacement in advertisement vocalizations. I examined properties of release and advertisement vocalizations of Bufo fowleri and Bufo americanus that are important in mate recognition (periodicity and dominant frequency) to determine if the two calls exhibit opposing patterns of character displacement. Release vocalizations showed no pattern of displacement. The periodicity of sympatric advertisement vocalizations differed from that of allopatric vocalizations for B. americanus but not for B. fowleri. However, the results were not consistent with the pattern expected for divergent character displacement because the two species differed in this parameter in allopatry. These results are compared with published reports of char acter displacement in the B. americanus species-group in the context of a possible mosaic hybrid zone for these species.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document