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836 results for “Toads”
Sex-based differences in the use of post-fire habitats by invasive cane toads (Rhinella marina)
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Raw electrophysiology recording files from toads implanted with flexible mesh electronics
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Data from: Neural and sensory basis of homing behavior in the invasive cane toad, Rhinella marina
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A decision-making framework to maximize the evolutionary potential of populations: Genetic and genomic insights from the common midwife toad (Alytes obstetricans) at its range limits
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Data from: Tradeoffs affect the adaptive value of plasticity: Stronger cannibal-induced defenses incur greater costs in toad larvae
<p>Adaptive developmental plasticity allows individuals to match their phenotype with their environment, which can increase fitness where threats are inconsistently present. Because adaptive traits are not ubiquitously nor infinitely plastic, tradeoffs between benefits and costs or limits are theoretically necessary to constrain plastic responses. Systems in which extreme risk can be reliably detected are ideal for investigating mechanisms that constrain plasticity, as even costly responses may be adaptive where risk is severe. Cane toads (<em>Rhinella marina</em>) are abundant in Australia and produce large clutches (frequently >10,000 eggs), but asynchronous breeding and rapid development result in variable larval densities within breeding pools. In the field, we found that cannibalism by older cohorts often reduces the survival of conspecific eggs and newly hatched pre-feeding larvae ("hatchlings") by >99%, as feeding larvae ("tadpoles") use chemical cues from the relatively immobile hatchlings to locate and consume them. After hatchlings become free-swimming, however, they are safe from cannibalism. Hatchlings can reduce this period of vulnerability by accelerating development when they detect conspecific tadpole cues. However, this developmental acceleration decreases initial tadpole mass, reduces subsequent survival, growth, and development, affects behavior, and compromises feeding structures. Reaction norms differ among clutches, and greater developmental acceleration is followed by greater impairment of larval function in plastic clutches, whereas nonresponsive clutches are unaffected by exposure to cannibal cues. More plastic clutches ultimately exhibit both poorer performance and greater variation among siblings in exposed and (to a lesser degree) control treatments. Variation among clutches in tadpole viability is driven by differences in plasticity rather than phenotype; fitness reductions are linked to developmental acceleration, not rapid development <em>per se</em>. Clutches with intrinsically slow pre-feeding developmental rates exhibit stronger acceleration (i.e., steeper reaction norms), but clutches with intrinsically rapid development reach invulnerable stages more quickly than those that accelerate development. As a result, high cannibalism risk may favor canalized rapid development rather than facultative developmental acceleration. Cannibalism plays an important role in the recruitment of this invasive species, and hatchling defenses against this threat demonstrate how the limits and tradeoffs associated with an inducible defense can favor canalized defenses over phenotypic plasticity.</p>
Susceptibility of fire-bellied toad (B. bombina and B. variegata) tadpoles to predation
<p><em>B. bombina</em> and <em>B. variegata</em> are ecologically distinct taxa that nevertheless hybridise in nature wherever their distribution ranges adjoin. These data were collected to test the hypothesis that <em>B. variegata</em> tadpoles are more susceptible to predation than those of <em>B. bombina</em>. The former develop in ephemeral aquatic sites that can be predator-free, whereas the latter are found in predator-rich semi-permanent ponds. Tadpoles of both taxa were raised under under uniform laboratory conditions and their relative predation risk was assessed over a four-week period using dragonfly larvae as predators. The tadpoles were reared in the presence of chemical predation cues so that they could develop a predator-induced phenotype. The data confirm our hypothesis. These results suggest that <em>B. variegata</em> traits associated with higher predation risk produce barriers to gene flow across the hybrid zone.</p>
Reconstructing hotspots of genetic diversity from glacial refugia and subsequent dispersal in Italian common toads (Bufo bufo)
<p>Genetic diversity feeds the evolutionary process and allows populations to adapt to environmental changes. However, we still lack a thorough understanding of why hotspots of genetic diversity are so 'hot'. Here, we analysed the relative contribution of bioclimatic stability and genetic admixture between divergent lineages in shaping spatial patterns of genetic diversity in the common toad <i>Bufo bufo</i> along the Italian peninsula. We combined population genetic, phylogeographic and species distribution modelling (SDM) approaches to map ancestral areas, glacial refugia, and secondary contact zones. We consistently identified three phylogeographic lineages, distributed in northern, central and southern Italy. These lineages expanded from their ancestral areas and established secondary contact zones, before the last interglacial. SDM identified widespread glacial refugia in peninsular Italy, sometimes located under the present-day sea-level. Generalized linear models indicated genetic admixture as the only significant predictor of the levels of population genetic diversity. Our results show that glacial refugia contributed to preserving both levels and patterns of genetic diversity across glacial-interglacial cycles, but not to their formation, and highlight a general principle emerging in Mediterranean species: higher levels of genetic diversity mark populations with substantial contributions from multiple genetic lineages, irrespective of the location of glacial refugia.</p>
Pleistocene glacial cycles drove lineage diversification and fusion in the Yosemite toad (Anaxyrus canorus)
Pleistocene glacial cycles drove lineage diversification and fusion in the Yosemite toad (<em>Anaxyrus canorus</em>) <p>Species endemic to alpine environments can evolve via steep ecological selection gradients between lowland and upland environments. Additionally, many alpine environments have faced repeated glacial episodes over the past two million years, fracturing these endemics into isolated populations. In this "glacial pulse" model of alpine diversification, cycles of allopatry and ecologically divergent glacial refugia play a role in generating biodiversity, including novel admixed ("fused") lineages. We tested for patterns of glacial pulse lineage diversification in the Yosemite toad (<em>Anaxyrus</em> [<em>Bufo</em>] <em>canorus</em>), an alpine endemic tied to glacially influenced meadow environments. Using double-digest RADseq on populations densely sampled from a portion of the species range, we identified nine distinct lineages with divergence times ranging from 18–724 ka, coinciding with multiple Sierra Nevada glacial events. Three lineages have admixed origins, and demographic models suggest these fused lineages have persisted throughout past glacial cycles. Directionality indices supported the hypothesis that some lineages recolonized Yosemite from east of the ice sheet, whereas other lineages remained in western refugia. Finally, refugial niche reconstructions suggest that low- and high-elevation lineages have convergently adapted to similar climatic niches. Our results suggest glacial cycles and refugia may be important crucibles of adaptive diversity across deep evolutionary time.</p> <p> </p> Gene pool boundaries for the Yosemite toad (<em>Anaxyrus canorus</em>) reveal asymmetrical migration within meadow neighborhoods <p>The Yosemite toad (<em>Anaxyrus</em> [<em>Bufo</em>] <em>canorus</em>) is a federally threatened species of meadow-specializing amphibian endemic to the high-elevation Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. The species is one of the first amphibians to undergo a large demographic collapse that was well documented, and is reputed to remain in low abundance throughout its range. Recent phylogeographic work has demonstrated that Pleistocene toad lineages diverged and then admixed to differing extents across an elevational gradient. Although lineage divisions may have significant effects on evolutionary trajectories over large spatial and temporal scales, present-day population dynamics must be delineated in order to manage and conserve the species effectively. In this study, we used a double-digest RADseq dataset to address three primary questions: (1) Are single meadows or neighborhoods of nearby meadows most correlated with population boundaries? (2) Does asymmetrical migration occur among neighborhoods of nearby meadows? (3) What topographic or hydrological variables predict such asymmetrical migration in these meadow neighborhoods? Hierarchical STRUCTURE and AMOVA analyses suggested that populations are typically circumscribed by a single meadow, although 84% of meadows exist in neighborhoods of at least two meadows connected by low levels of migration, and over half (53%) of neighborhoods examined display strong asymmetrical migration. Meadow neighborhoods often contain one or more large and flat "hub" meadows that experience net immigration, surrounded by smaller and topographically rugged "satellite" meadows with net emigration. Hubs tend to contain more genetic diversity and could be prioritized for conservation and habitat management and as potential sources for reestablishment efforts.</p> <p> </p> Landscape genetics of a sub-alpine toad: Climate change predicted to induce upward range shifts via asymmetrical migration corridors <p>Climate change is expected to have a major hydrological impact on the core breeding habitat and migration corridors of many amphibians in the 21st century. The Yosemite toad (<em>Anaxyrus canorus</em>) is a species of meadow-specializing amphibian endemic to the high-elevation Sierra Nevada Mountains of California. Despite living entirely on federal lands, it has recently faced severe extirpations, yet our understanding of climatic influences on population connectivity is limited. In this study, we used a previously published double-digest RADseq dataset along with numerous remotely sensed habitat features in a landscape genetics framework to answer two primary questions in Yosemite National Park: (1) Which fine-scale climate, topographic, soil, and vegetation features most facilitate meadow connectivity? (2) How is climate change predicted to influence both the magnitude and net asymmetry of genetic migration? We developed an approach for simultaneously modeling multiple toad migration paths, akin to circuit theory, except raw environmental features can be separately considered. Our workflow identified the most likely migration corridors between meadows and used the unique cubist machine learning approach to fit and forecast environmental models of connectivity. We identified the permuted modeling importance of numerous snowpack-related features, such as runoff and groundwater recharge. Our results highlight the importance of considering phylogeographic structure, and asymmetrical migration in landscape genetics. We predict an upward elevational shift for this already high elevation species, as measured by the net vector of anticipated genetic movement, and a north-eastward shift in species distribution via the network of genetic migration corridors across the park.</p> <p> </p> <p>** Note: Multiple articles are associated with this dataset</p>
Data from: Phylogeography of Aegean green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup): continental hybrid swarm vs. insular diversification with discovery of a new island endemic
Background: Debated aspects in speciation research concern the amount of gene flow between incipient species under secondary contact and the modes by which post-zygotic isolation accumulates. Secondary contact zones of allopatric lineages, involving varying levels of divergence, provide natural settings for comparative studies, for which the Aegean (Eastern Mediterranean) geography offers unique scenarios. In Palearctic green toads (Bufo viridis subgroup or Bufotes), Plio-Pleistocene (~2.6 Mya) diverged species show a sharp transition without contemporary gene flow, while younger lineages, diverged in the Lower-Pleistocene (~1.9 Mya), admix over tens of kilometers. Here, we conducted a fine-scale multilocus phylogeographic analysis of continental and insular green toads from the Aegean, where a third pair of taxa, involving Mid-Pleistocene diverged (~1.5 Mya) mitochondrial lineages, earlier tentatively named viridis and variabilis, (co-)occurs. Results: We discovered a new lineage, endemic to Naxos (Central Cyclades), while coastal islands and Crete feature weak genetic differentiation from the continent. In continental Greece, both lineages, viridis and variabilis, form a hybrid swarm, involving massive mitochondrial and nuclear admixture over hundreds of kilometers, without obvious selection against hybrids. Conclusions: The genetic signatures of insular Aegean toads appear governed by bathymetry and Quaternary sea level changes, resulting in long-term isolation (Central Cyclades: Naxos) and recent land-bridges (coastal islands). Conversely, Crete has been isolated since the end of the Messinian salinity crisis (5.3 My) and Cretan populations thus likely result from human-mediated colonization, at least since Antiquity, from Peloponnese and Anatolia. Comparisons of green toad hybrid zones support the idea that post-zygotic hybrid incompatibilities accumulate gradually over the genome. In this radiation, only one million years of divergence separate a scenario of complete reproductive isolation, from a secondary contact resulting in near panmixia.
Red Lucky Money Toad
Substance sample "Jade Toad" retextured to look like a lucky money toad. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab
Money Toad - Photogrammetry - Lowpoly
Gifted to me by a factory manager in Shenzhen. The Jin Chan is most commonly translated as "Money Toad" or "Money Frog". It represents a popular Feng Shui charm for prosperity. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jin_Chan Lowoly model, scanned with agisoft metashape. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab
Infection success data from experimental pairings of cane toad hosts and lungworm parasites
<p>By imposing novel selection pressures on both participants, biological invasions can disrupt evolutionary "arms races" between hosts and parasites. A spatially replicated cross-infection experiment reveals strong divergence in the ability of lungworms (<em>Rhabdias pseudosphaerocephala</em>) to infect invasive cane toads (<em>Rhinella marina</em>) in Australia. In areas colonised for > 20 years, toads are more resistant to infection by local strains of parasites than by allopatric strains. The situation reverses at the invasion front, where super-infective parasites have evolved. Invasion-induced shifts in genetic diversity and selective pressures may explain why hosts win the arms race in long-colonised areas whereas parasites win the arms race at the invasion front.</p>
Data from: Genomic, phenotypic, and environmental correlates of speciation in the midwife toads (Alytes)
<p>This package includes the following : </p> <ul> <li>A matrix of 5,111 SNPs genotyped in the subgenus <em>Alytes </em>(Ao_complex_5111loci.str)</li> <li>A matrix of 3,535 SNPs genotyped in<em> A. o. lusitanicus</em>,<em> A. o. pertinax</em> and<em> A. cisternasii </em>(OC_3535loci.str)</li> <li>A matrix of 15,211 SNPs genotyped in <em>A. o. pertinax</em> and <em>A. dickhilleni</em> (OD_15211loci.str)</li> <li>SNP matrices (.str), Q estimates and environemental suitability estimates (Q_transect_xxx.txt), distances along transects (dist_transect_xxx.txt), hzar inputs (Input_HZ_xxx.csv), lists of diagnostic loci (HZ_xxx_diag_loci.csv) and R commands (HZ_xxx.r), as used to analyze the hybrid zones coded as CAN, HUE, POR, MAD, GAL, PYR</li> <li>Locus-by-locus cline parameters for the eight hybrid zones considered (Clines_HZ_xxx.csv) and R commands used for vizualization (Clines.Display.r)</li> <li>Occurrence records of <em>Alytes</em> (Occurence_dataset.csv)</li> <li>Bioacoustic dataset (Bioacoustic_dataset.csv), and the R commands used for analyses (Bioacoustics.r)</li> <li>Morphometric dataset, including raw measurements (Morphometric_dataset.csv), the input file for GroupStruct (Morphometric_dataset_naked.csv), the size-corrected measurements (Morphometric_dataset_corrected.csv), and the R commands used for analyses (Morphometrics.r)</li> <li>Environemental dataset (Environemental_dataset.csv), and the R commands used for analyses (Environmental.r)</li> </ul>
Shock or jump: deimatic behaviour is repeatable and polymorphic in a yellow-bellied toad
<p>Inter-individual variation in antipredatory strategies has long attracted curiosity among scientists. Deimatisms is a complex and time-structured antipredatory strategy consisting in prey suddenly unleashing unexpected defences to frighten predators and stop their attack. Being deimatism traditionally considered as a stereotyped antipredatory response, the inter-individual variation in phenotypic traits related to deimatic displays is almost unexplored. In this study, we employed common garden experiments on 71 yellow-bellied toad <em>Bombina pachypus</em> to investigate the extent and pattern of inter-individual variation in the <em>unken-reflex</em> behaviour, a deimatic display performed by some amphibians. Results show that deimatic displays consistently differ among individuals. Only about half of the individuals reacted to the predation stimuli by exhibiting the display, which varied in responsiveness, duration and intensity. All the investigated descriptors were repeatable (R > 0.50, p < 0.01). Finally, we found significant correlations between the measured parameters, defining two alternative behavioural profiles: individuals quickly doing <em>unken-reflex</em>, with high intensity and long duration of the display, and individuals avoiding <em>unken-reflex</em> but rather escaping. Such dichotomy resembles respectively the proactive and reactive coping styles. Such an unexpected variation in deimatic behaviour raises intriguing questions on the evolutionary processes shaping multiple adaptive responses to predation within populations.</p>
Dataset on: First record of Brongersma's toad Barbarophryne brongersmai (Anura, Bufonidae) in the central High Atlas Mountains, Morocco.
<p>Brongersma’s toad Barbarophryne brongersmai is known in the southern Moroccan Atlantic coast, in the Anti–Atlas, in the arid plain of Marrakech, and in several localities in North–western Algeria. However, its distribution in Morocco is far from clear and its range is not well known. We report a new record of B. brongersmai in Morocco, in the region of the central High Atlas. The habitat type in this region is different from areas where the species has been observed previously. It consists of temporary ponds, located between rock outcrops and filled by stormy rains or snow during the winter. We recommend conducting surveys to collect additional information about this toad in other Moroccan regions, such as in the Middle Atlas where suitable conditions for this species may exist.</p> <p> </p>
Population genomics of a predatory mammal reveals patterns of decline and impacts of exposure to toxic toads
<p>Mammal declines across northern Australia are one of the major biodiversity loss events occurring globally. There has been no regional assessment of the implications of these species declines for genomic diversity. To address this, we conducted a species-wide assessment of genomic diversity in the northern quoll (<em>Dasyurus hallucatus</em>), an Endangered marsupial carnivore. We used next-generation sequencing methods to genotype 10,191 SNPs in 352 individuals from across a 3220 km length of the continent, investigating patterns of population genomic structure and diversity, and identifying loci showing signals of putative selection. We found strong heterogeneity in the distribution of genomic diversity across the continent, characterised by (1) biogeographic barriers driving hierarchical population structure through long-term isolation, and (2) severe reductions in diversity resulting from population declines, exacerbated by the spread of introduced toxic cane toads (<em>Rhinella marina</em>). These results warn of a large ongoing loss of genomic diversity and associated adaptive capacity as mammals decline across northern Australia. Encouragingly, populations of the northern quoll established on toad-free islands by translocations appear to have maintained most of the initial genomic diversity after 16 years. By mapping patterns of genomic diversity within and among populations, and investigating these patterns in the context of population declines, we can provide conservation managers with data critical to informed decision-making. This includes the identification of populations that are candidates for genetic management, the importance of remnant island and insurance/translocated populations for the conservation of genetic diversity, and the characterisation of putative evolutionarily significant units.</p>
Evidence that catecholaminergic systems mediate dynamic colour change during explosive breeding events in toads
<p><span>Many animals communicate by rapidly (within minutes or seconds) changing their body coloration. We know, however, little about the physiology of this behaviour. Here we study how catecholaminergic hormones regulate rapid colour change in explosive breeding toads (<em>Duttaphrynus melanostictus</em>), where large groups of males gather and quickly change their colour from brown to bright yellow during reproduction. We find that both epinephrine (EP) and/or norepinephrine (NE) cause the toads' skin to become yellow in minutes, even in the absence of social and environmental cues associated with explosive breeding. We hypothesize that natural selection drives the evolution of rapid colour change by co-opting the functional effects of catecholaminergic action. If so, then hormones involved in "fight or flight" responsivity may mechanistically facilitate the emergence of dynamic visual signals that mediate communication in a sexual context. </span></p>
Do changes in body mass alter white blood cell profiles and immune function in Australian cane toads (Rhinella marina)?
<p><span>Variation in food resources can result in dramatic fluctuations in the body condition of animals dependent on those resources. Decreases in body mass can disrupt patterns of energy allocation and impose stress, thereby altering immune function. In this study we investigated links between changes in body mass of captive cane toads (Rhinella marina), their circulating white blood cell populations, and their performance in immune assays. Captive toads that lost weight over a 3-month period had increased levels of monocytes and heterophils and reduced levels of eosinophils. Basophil and lymphocyte levels were unrelated to changes in mass. Because individuals that lost mass had higher heterophil levels but stable lymphocyte levels, the ratio of these cell types was also higher, partially consistent with a stress response. Phagocytic ability of whole blood was higher in toads that lost mass, due to increased circulating levels of phagocytic cells. Other measures of immune performance were unrelated to mass change. These results highlight the challenges faced by invasive species as they expand their range into novel environments which may impose substantial seasonal changes in food availability that were not present in the native range. Individuals facing energy restrictions may shift their immune function towards more economical and general avenues of combating pathogens. </span></p>
Netsuke - Toad on Sandal
Nineteenth-century wooden netsuke by Kokei, now in the collection of the Minneapolis Institute of Art. A little more information about the object here: https://collections.artsmia.org/art/30483/toad-sitting-on-a-straw-sandal-kokei From our small-objects scanning tests with the Artec Space Spider. This netsuke is 2.2cm (less than one inch) long. Source: Objaverse 1.0 / Sketchfab
Data from: Effect of parasite infection and invasion history on feeding, growth and energy allocation of cane toads
<p>The energy allocation decisions that organisms make can differ between sexes and populations and be influenced by factors such as age and parasite infection. We conducted experimental parasite infections on common-garden reared cane toads originating from sites across the species' invasive range in Australia to assess how sex, parasite infection and invasion history affected the toad's food intake, growth rate and organ weights. Female toads had larger fat stores, larger livers and larger gonads than did males, reflecting increased investment into gametes. Growth rate did not differ between the sexes. Lungworm infection increased feeding by male but not female toads and increased fat storage in all toads. Fat body, liver, gonad sizes and feeding rates all differed among toads from different locations within the toad's invasion transect across Australia, even though our measurements were made under standardized conditions on captive animals. Toads from populations close to the invasion front ate more and had heavier fatbodies, and livers than did toads from long-colonised areas, but they had smaller gonads. This pattern reflects the evolution of a more dispersive phenotype among invasive populations, whereby the rate of dispersal is enhanced by increased energy intake and storage, and delayed reproduction.</p>
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