Data from: Locomotor mode and the evolution of the hindlimb in Western Mediterranean Anurans

The evolutionary association between morphology, locomotor performance and
habitat use is a central element of the ecomorphological paradigm, and it
is known to underlie the evolution of phenotypic diversity in numerous
animal taxa. In anuran amphibians the hindlimb acts as the propulsive
agent, and as such, it is directly associated with jumping performance. In
this study we combine individual- and species-level analyses to examine
the effects of locomotor mode on body size and hindlimb morphology of
Western Mediterranean anurans. In addition to the commonly studied
hindlimb traits, we also examine the ratio between tibiofibula and femur
length. Body size shows no signs of an evolutionary association to
locomotor mode. Instead, hindlimb traits are significantly differentiated
between locomotor groups, both at the individual and species levels.
Specifically, we observe a gradient of tibiofibula to femur ratio values
that matches biomechanical predictions. The analysis of adult static
allometries indicates that these differences arise early in ontogeny. By
comparing the fit of distinct evolutionary models we provide evidence that
the locomotor mode adopted by each species to match the requirements of
the habitat it frequents has shaped the evolution of the hindlimb, but not
body size.

形态特征、运动性能与栖息地利用之间的演化关联，是生态形态学范式的核心组成部分，且已知其支撑着众多动物类群的表型多样性演化。在无尾两栖类（anuran amphibians）中，后肢是主要的推进器官，因此直接关联于跳跃运动性能。本研究结合个体水平与物种水平的分析方法，探究运动模式对西地中海无尾两栖类体型及后肢形态的影响。除了常规研究的后肢性状外，本研究还分析了胫腓骨与股骨的长度比值。体型未表现出与运动模式存在演化关联的迹象。与之相反，在个体与物种两个水平上，不同运动类群的后肢性状均存在显著分化。具体而言，研究团队观测到胫腓骨与股骨长度比值的梯度变化符合生物力学预测结果。对成体静态异速生长的分析表明，这些性状差异在个体发育早期便已形成。通过比较不同演化模型的拟合优度，本研究证实：各物种为适配其栖息生境的需求所采用的运动模式，塑造了其后肢的演化路径，但并未对体型产生显著影响。