Host manipulation by parasites through the lens of Niche Construction Theory.

The effect of parasites on host behaviour is generally considered an example of the extended phenotype, implying that parasite genes alter host behaviour to benefit the parasite. While the extended phenotype is a valid perspective supported by empirical examples, this approach was proposed from an evolutionary perspective and it does not fully explain all processes that occur at ecological time scales. For instance, the roles of the ontogenetic environment, memory and learning in forming the host phenotype are not explicitly mentioned.

The iNaturalist platform as a source of data to study amphibians in Brazil.

Based on debilitating recent budget cuts for science, Brazilian researchers had to find alternative ways to continue scientific production. Here we provide a perspective for the use of citizen-science data deposited in the iNaturalist platform as an alternative source of data to support biodiversity research. Observations contributed by volunteers can be analyzed at large spatial and temporal scales and can respond to questions in behavioral and population ecology.

Posts Supporting Anti-Environmental Policy in Brazil are Shared More on Social Media.

Weakening environmental laws supported by disinformation are currently of concern in Brazil. An example of disinformation is the case of the "firefighter cattle". Supporters of this idea believe that by consuming organic mass, cattle decrease the risk of fire in natural ecosystems.

Data collected by citizen scientists reveal the role of climate and phylogeny on the frequency of shelter types used by frogs across the Americas.

Shelters are microhabitats where animals rest and hide. These microhabitats can be used from short daily periods to long-term estivation or hibernation. Environmental conditions and the phenotypical characteristics of the animal drive habitat selection in relation to shelters.

Torrent frogs emit acoustic signals of a narrower spectral range in habitats with longer-lasting biotic background noise.

Animal acoustic communication can be challenging under intense noise. Amphibians that inhabit noisy environments offer a great opportunity to study potential mechanisms that maximise signal transmission. Based on the hypothesis that frogs can adjust their calls to circumvent communication problems, we tested the effect of the duration of biotic sounds (intermittent acoustic signals from two syntopic species) on calling properties of a torrent frog species.

A new species of Aplectana (Nematoda: Cosmocercidae) in the Marsupial frog Gastrotheca microdiscus (Amphibia: Hemiphractidae) from Brazil.

Aplectana longa n. sp. (Ascaridida: Cosmocercidae) from the small intestine of Gastrotheca microdiscus (Amphibia: Hemiphractidae) is described and illustrated.

Notes on vocalizations of Brazilian amphibians IV: advertisement calls of 20 Atlantic Forest frog species.

Bioacoustics is a powerful tool used for anuran species diagnoses, given that advertisement calls are signals related to specific recognition and mate attraction. Thus, call descriptions can support species taxonomy. In spite of that, call descriptions are lacking for many species, delaying advances in biodiversity research.

ATLANTIC AMPHIBIANS: a data set of amphibian communities from the Atlantic Forests of South America.

Amphibians are among the most threatened vertebrates in the world and this is also true for those inhabiting the Atlantic Forest hotspot, living in ecosystems that are highly degraded and threatened by anthropogenic activities. We present a data set containing information about amphibian communities sampled throughout the Atlantic Forest Biome in South America. The data were extracted from 389 bibliographic references (articles, books, theses, and dissertations) representing inventories of amphibian communities from 1940 to 2017.

Current knowledge on bioacoustics of the subfamily Lophyohylinae (Hylidae, Anura) and description of Ocellated treefrog vocalizations.

Background: Anuran vocalizations, such as advertisement and release calls, are informative for taxonomy because species recognition can be based on those signals. Thus, a proper acoustic description of the calls may support taxonomic decisions and may contribute to knowledge about amphibian phylogeny.

Methods: Here we present a perspective on advertisement call descriptions of the frog subfamily Lophyohylinae, through a literature review and a spatial analysis presenting bioacoustic coldspots (sites with high diversity of species lacking advertisement call descriptions) for this taxonomic group.

The acoustic repertoire of the Atlantic Forest Rocket Frog and its consequences for taxonomy and conservation (, Aromobatidae).

The use of acoustic signals is a common characteristic of most anuran species to mediate intraspecific communication. Besides many social purposes, one of the main functions of these signals is species recognition. For this reason, this phenotypic trait is normally applied to taxonomy or to construct evolutionary relationship hypotheses.

Perspectives on invasive amphibians in Brazil.

Introduced species have the potential to become invasive and jeopardize entire ecosystems. The success of species establishing viable populations outside their original extent depends primarily on favorable climatic conditions in the invasive ranges. Species distribution modeling (SDM) can thus be used to estimate potential habitat suitability for populations of invasive species.

Can treefrog phylogeographical clades and species' phylogenetic topologies be recovered by bioacoustical analyses?

Phenotypic traits, such as the frog advertisement call, are generally correlated with interspecific genetic variation, and, as a consequence of strong sexual selection, these behaviors may carry a phylogenetic signal. However, variation in acoustic traits is not always correlated with genetic differences between populations (intraspecific variation); phenotypic plasticity and environmental variables may explain part of such variation. For example, local processes can affect acoustic properties in different lineages due to differences in physical structure, climatic conditions, and biotic interactions, particularly when populations are isolated.

Advertisement call and genetic structure conservatism: good news for an endangered Neotropical frog.

Background: Many amphibian species are negatively affected by habitat change due to anthropogenic activities. Populations distributed over modified landscapes may be subject to local extinction or may be relegated to the remaining-likely isolated and possibly degraded-patches of available habitat. Isolation without gene flow could lead to variability in phenotypic traits owing to differences in local selective pressures such as environmental structure, microclimate, or site-specific species assemblages.