The global importance and interplay of colour-based protective and thermoregulatory functions in frogs

Ricarda Laumeier (), Martin Brändle, Mark-Oliver Rödel, Stefan Brunzel, Roland Brandl and Stefan Pinkert
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Ricarda Laumeier: Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Martin Brändle: Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Mark-Oliver Rödel: Museum für Naturkunde—Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science
Stefan Brunzel: University of Applied Science Erfurt
Roland Brandl: Faculty of Biology, Philipps-Universität Marburg
Stefan Pinkert: Yale University

Nature Communications, 2023, vol. 14, issue 1, 1-11

Abstract: Abstract Small-scale studies have shown that colour lightness variation can have important physiological implications in ectotherms, with darker species having greater heating rates, as well as protection against pathogens and photooxidative damage. Using data for 41% (3059) of all known frog and toad species (Anura) from across the world, we reveal ubiquitous and strong clines of decreasing colour lightness towards colder regions and regions with higher pathogen pressure and UVB radiation. The relative importance of pathogen resistance is higher in the tropics and that of thermoregulation is higher in temperate regions. The results suggest that these functions influence colour lightness evolution in anurans and filtered for more similarly coloured species under climatic extremes, while their concurrent importance resulted in high within-assemblage variation in productive regions. Our findings indicate three important functions of colour lightness in anurans – thermoregulation, pathogen and UVB protection – and broaden support for colour lightness-environment relationships in ectotherms.

Date: 2023
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-43729-7

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