A comparative study of the mating call of Pelophylax ridibundus and Pelophylax kurtmuelleri (Anura: Ranidae) from syntopic and allotopic populations |
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Authors: | Simeon Lukanov Nikolay Tzankov Daniela Simeonovska-Nikolova |
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Affiliation: | 1. Department of Ecology and Protection of Nature, Faculty of Biology, University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, Bulgariasimeon_lukanov@abv.bg;3. Department of Vertebrates National Museum of Natural History – BAS, Sofia, Bulgaria;4. Department of Ecology and Protection of Nature, Faculty of Biology, University “St. Kliment Ohridski”, Sofia, Bulgaria |
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Abstract: | The mating call of Pelophylax ridibundus and Pelophylax kurtmuelleri from three syntopic and five allotopic populations was studied. All recordings were made during the mating season. We tested the hypothesis that the call of P. ridibundus from allotopic populations would differ from that in syntopic populations with P. kurtmuelleri. For the comparative analysis we used univariate and multivariate statistical methods and the following characteristics: call duration, pulse group duration, pulse group interval, pulse group period, pulse group number, minimum, maximum, fundamental and dominant frequencies and pulse energy. Analyses reveal a trait divergence in most of the studied characteristics of the signals, with stronger differentiation between P. kurtmuelleri and P. ridibundus in syntopic populations than between the two species in allotopic ones. The possible evolutionary implications of this divergence are discussed. |
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Keywords: | divergence intraspecific speciation vocalization Pelophylax allopatry sympatry |
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