TY - JOUR
T1 - Evidence for ecological tuning of anuran biofluorescent signals
AU - Whitcher, Courtney
AU - Ron, Santiago R.
AU - Ayala-Varela, Fernando
AU - Crawford, Andrew J.
AU - Herrera-Alva, Valia
AU - Castillo-Urbina, Ernesto Fernando
AU - Grazziotin, Felipe
AU - Bowman, Randi M.
AU - Lemmon, Alan R.
AU - Lemmon, Emily Moriarty
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2024.
PY - 2024/12
Y1 - 2024/12
N2 - Although biologists have described biofluorescence in a diversity of taxa, there have been few systematic efforts to document the extent of biofluorescence within a taxonomic group or investigate its general significance. Through a field survey across South America, we discover and document patterns of biofluorescence in tropical amphibians. We more than triple the number of anuran species that have been tested for this trait. We find evidence for ecological tuning (i.e., the specific adaptation of a signal to the environment in which it is received) of the biofluorescent signals. For 56.58% of species tested, the fluorescence excitation peak matches the wavelengths most abundant at twilight, the light environment in which most frogs are active. Additionally, biofluorescence emission spans both wavelengths of low availability in twilight and the peak sensitivity of green-sensitive rods in the anuran eye, likely increasing contrast of this signal for a conspecific receiver. We propose an expanded key for testing the ecological significance of biofluorescence in future studies, providing potential explanations for the other half of fluorescent signals not originally meeting formerly proposed criteria. With evidence of tuning to the ecology and sensory systems of frogs, our results suggest frog biofluorescence is likely functioning in anuran communication.
AB - Although biologists have described biofluorescence in a diversity of taxa, there have been few systematic efforts to document the extent of biofluorescence within a taxonomic group or investigate its general significance. Through a field survey across South America, we discover and document patterns of biofluorescence in tropical amphibians. We more than triple the number of anuran species that have been tested for this trait. We find evidence for ecological tuning (i.e., the specific adaptation of a signal to the environment in which it is received) of the biofluorescent signals. For 56.58% of species tested, the fluorescence excitation peak matches the wavelengths most abundant at twilight, the light environment in which most frogs are active. Additionally, biofluorescence emission spans both wavelengths of low availability in twilight and the peak sensitivity of green-sensitive rods in the anuran eye, likely increasing contrast of this signal for a conspecific receiver. We propose an expanded key for testing the ecological significance of biofluorescence in future studies, providing potential explanations for the other half of fluorescent signals not originally meeting formerly proposed criteria. With evidence of tuning to the ecology and sensory systems of frogs, our results suggest frog biofluorescence is likely functioning in anuran communication.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85206497659&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1038/s41467-024-53111-w
DO - 10.1038/s41467-024-53111-w
M3 - Article
C2 - 39406728
AN - SCOPUS:85206497659
SN - 2041-1723
VL - 15
JO - Nature Communications
JF - Nature Communications
IS - 1
M1 - 8884
ER -