The Role Predator Selection On Polymorphic Aposematic Poison-frogs

Main Category: Veterinary
Also Included In: Biology / Biochemistry
Article Date: 21 Nov 2008 - 5:00 PST

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Phenotypic variation between populations of the poison frog Dendrobates tinctorius is extremely high throughout their distribution in northern South America. As the bright colors are assumed to act as a warning signal to potential predators, the evolution of this variation within a species raises some interesting questions.

On pp. xxx-xxx B.P. Noonan & A.A. Comeault report results from an examination of predator selection and phenotypic variation within this species using more than 1200 clay models in the field. Their results demonstrate that predators avoid only model frogs similar to those in their immediate surroundings and frequently attack models representing novel phenotypes.

Though these novel forms truly do exist, local predators are unlikely to have encountered them and do not recognize them as dangerous (despite their bright warning coloration).

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