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Genetic evidence for polyandry in the threatened green and golden bell frog

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Abstract

Identifying which species exhibit polyandry may lead to further insights into evolutionary biology and social behaviour. However, confirming polyandry can be difficult. High-resolution genetics provides a useful means to gain evidence. Although the threatened Pelodryadid frog, the green and golden bell frog Litoria aurea, has been subject to numerous ecological studies, there is uncertainty surrounding its reproductive ecology. Polyandry has not been formally identified in L. aurea or any species within the Pelodryadidae family. We aimed to identify if there was genetic evidence of polyandry in a population occurring in a wetland complex on Kooragang Island, New South Wales. To accomplish this, we collected genetic samples of tadpoles within the same size cohort about 20–30 days after explosive breeding events. Genotypes of 14 females, nine males and 70 tadpoles were analysed with COLONY (1988 single nucleotide polymorphisms after filtering) to identify parentage, full-siblings and half-siblings. We found support for the hypothesis that L. aurea is polyandrous. Based on previous observations of multi-male matings and the narrow time periods that breeding occurred in, it is likely this species exhibits simultaneous polyandry. We discuss these results in regards to behavioural adaptive processes and avenues for further research.

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Fig. 1

Data availability

Summary of genotype specimens are included in the supplementary material. Data is accessible via Mendeley Data, including raw DArTseq data, R code for filtering and data used in COLONY. https://doi.org/10.17632/26j3gtbkgn.1.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Earthwatch for organising teams of students to assist field work (see S3 for list of students involved in field research). We thank summer scholarship recipients Robbie Fay, Giorginna Xu, John Hembra, Kathleen Bushell, Lachlan McCrae, Max Manion, Kate Schmal and Alexandra Cottle for their assistance in fieldwork. We also thank many others for fieldwork assistance, namely Rennay Baldwin, Hayden Bond, Lachlan Burgess, Lucille Courthaudon, Rachel Ivory, Ebony James, Dean Lenga, Stephen Mahony, Kim McGloury, Jessica McGreggor, Lily Mickaill, Heidi Pritchard, Ben Rochester, Samantha Sanders, Josh Smart, and Bonni Yare. Fieldwork was conducted under approval of the University of Newcastle Work Health and Safety policy. We thank Steven Donnellan for initial advice on population genetics analysis procedures. We also thank Ray Marten and Dale Roberts for review of the manuscript. We are grateful to Jesse Campbell and Marion Anstis for sharing their photos (bell frog adult and bell frog tadpole respectively) for Fig. 1.

Funding

Provided by BHP and Earthwatch.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Environmental and Life Sciences, Biology Building, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW, 2308, Australia

    Chad T. Beranek, John Clulow & Michael Mahony

  2. FAUNA Research Alliance, PO Box 5092, Kahibah, NSW, 2290, Australia

    Chad T. Beranek & John Clulow

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  1. Chad T. Beranek
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  2. John Clulow
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Correspondence to Chad T. Beranek.

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Ethical approval

Field work and genetic specimen collection was conducted under approval from the University of Newcastle Animal Care and Ethics Committee (license number: ARA 2010-154) and a National Parks and Wildlife Services New South Wales scientific license (license number: SL100529).

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Beranek, C.T., Clulow, J. & Mahony, M. Genetic evidence for polyandry in the threatened green and golden bell frog. Genetica 149, 327–333 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10709-021-00137-3

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