Tadpole distribution within montane meadow streams at the Serra do Cipó, southeastern Brazil: ecological or phylogenetic constraints?

Abstract

Features of microhabitats used by tadpoles of 17 anuran species were recorded in 16 streams in the montane meadows of the Serra do Cipó, southeastern Brazil. Month of occurrence of tadpoles, from November 1998 to February 2000 (16 months) was also recorded. The most important ecological features in differentiating tadpole species were position in the water column, time of occurrence and water depth. Tadpole species were then compared based on their microhabitat preferences, and it was tested whether phylogenetically closer species use microhabitats in a more similar way. In hylids, microhabitat use patterns were not influenced by proposed phylogenetic relationships, and many convergences in ecomorphological types may exist. On the other hand, leptodactylids may have undergone a conservative evolutionary history, as they formed a relatively homogeneous group concerning ecomorphological types and microhabitat preferences.