Developments in the study of poison frog evolutionary ecology I: social interactions, life history and habitat use across space and ontogeny

Abstract

Poison frogs of the superfamily Dendrobatoidea have fascinated researchers since the 19th century, which is reflected in multiple studies on their natural history, taxonomy, toxicity, colour pattern diversity, and elaborate territorial, reproductive and parental care behaviours. Broadly speaking, however, the term “poison frogs” may apply as well to other taxa which also possess skin toxins. Hereon, we refer to poison frogs as this extended group involving, besides Dendrobatoidea (Dendrobatidae + Aromobatidae), a few genera in families such as Bufonidae and Mantellidae (among others). Most studies on poison frogs have focused on species considered charismatic due to their bright and flashy colours, limiting possible generalisations of patterns and mechanisms explaining the high morphological, ecological, and behavioural differentiation, but also convergence, among these groups. Furthering our understanding of the evolutionary ecology of poison frogs requires increasing not only the scope and depth of our own questions, but also the number and diversity of study systems. Inspired by the special issue on dendrobatid and aromobatid poison frogs published ten years ago in this same journal, we have put together the present special issue aiming to broaden both the topics and the coverage of poison frog clades. This first part consists of 15 manuscripts covering topics ranging from larval behavioural ecology and parental care to space use and its environmental determinants, along with conservation implications.