Variação no tamanho corporal e dimorfismo sexual em onze espécies de anuros da Venezuela
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v25i1p3-27Palavras-chave:
Anuros, Cordilheira de la Costa, Índice corporal, Morfometria, Tamanho do corpoResumo
Este estudo analisa a variação intraespecífica em características morfométricas lineares—comprimento rostro–cloacal (SVL) e largura abdominal (AW)—e o dimorfismo sexual em tamanho (SSD) de 11 espécies de anuros venezuelanos, proporcionando novos insights sobre suas dinâmicas ecológica e evolutiva. Sete espécies (Atelopus cruciger, Boana xerophylla, Dendropsophus luteoocellatus, D. microcephalus, Engystomops pustulosus, Phyllomedusa trinitatis e Scarthyla vigilans) apresentaram um SSD significativo a favor das fêmeas, com diferenças percentuais no SVL que variaram entre 6,01% e 25,71%. Esse padrão foi evidente em A. cruciger, que apresentou uma diferença absoluta de SVL de 9,95 mm entre os sexos, e em P. trinitatis, com uma diferença de 12,55 mm. Por outro lado, Boana punctata, Leptodactylus fuscus, Rhinella marina e Scinax rostratus não apresentaram SSD significativo, com valores dentro de ± 5% ou resultados não significativos no teste-t (por exemplo, L. fuscus: t = 0,844, p = 0,595). Esses resultados concordam com o padrão comum de predominância nas fêmeas no SSD dos anuros, em que o maior tamanho das fêmeas favorece uma maior fecundidade, revelando simultaneamente variações dependentes do contexto, influenciadas por pressões ecológicas e características do ciclo de vida. O novo indicador AW apresentou valores mais elevados em espécies com predominância das fêmeas, sugerindo uma morfologia adaptada ao investimento reprodutivo, particularmente em A. cruciger. A variação geográfica no SVL foi evidente quando comparada com estudos anteriores, sublinhando a necessidade de uma amostragem mais abrangente. Os padrões de atividade influenciaram significativamente o SSD (F3,40 = 6,301, p = 0,001), com as espécies noturnas apresentando um viés mais acentuado nas fêmeas, possivelmente devido ao risco reduzido de predação. As medições em espécimes preservados garantiram a consistência, embora as amostras de pequena dimensão (por exemplo, N = 3 para as fêmeas de D. luteoocellatus) exijam cautela. Este estudo sublinha a complexidade do SSD, influenciado por fatores ecológicos, comportamentais e geográficos. Os índices morfométricos aqui validados oferecem ferramentas práticas para estudos futuros, exigindo uma aplicação cuidadosa entre espécies, populações e fases de desenvolvimento. Os resultados enfatizam a importância ecológica e evolutiva da variação do tamanho corporal e fornecem dados críticos para os esforços de conservação dos anuros venezuelanos.
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