A histological analysis of coloration in the Peruvian mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator).

ABSTRACT: Aposematism continues to be a phenomenon of central interest in evolutionary biology. The life history of the mimic poison frog, Ranitomeya imitator, relies heavily on aposematism. In order for aposematic signals to be effective, predators must be able to learn to avoid the associated phenotype. However, in R. imitator, aposematism is associated with four different color phenotypes that mimic a complex of congeneric species occurring across the mimic frog's geographic range. Investigations of the underlying mechanics of color production in these frogs can provide insights into how and why these different morphs evolved. We used histological samples to examine divergence in the color production mechanisms used by R. imitator to produce effective aposematic signals acros

SUBMITTER: de Araujo Miles M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10317021 | biostudies-literature | 2023

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature