Multiple paternity in a viviparous toad with internal fertilisation

Sandberger-Loua, L; Feldhaar, H; Jehle, R; Roedel, MO

Abstract

Anurans are renowned for a high diversity of reproductive modes, but less than 1% of species exhibit internal fertilisation followed by viviparity. In the live bearing West African Nimba toad (Nimbaphrynoides occidentalis), females produce yolk-poor eggs and internally nourish their young after fertilisation. Birth of fully developed juveniles takes place after nine months. In the present study, we used genetic markers (eight microsatellite loci) to assign the paternity of litters of 12 females comprising on average 9.7 juveniles. In nine out of twelve families (75%) a single sire was sufficient; in three families (25%) more than one sire was necessary to explain the observed genotypes in each family. These findings are backed up with field observations of male resource defence (underground cavities in which mating takes place) as well as coercive mating attempts, suggesting that the observed moderate level of multiple paternity in a species without distinct sperm storage organs is governed by a balance of female mate choice and male reproductive strategies.

Citation

Sandberger-Loua, L., Feldhaar, H., Jehle, R., & Roedel, M. (2016). Multiple paternity in a viviparous toad with internal fertilisation. Naturwissenschaften, 103(7-8), 51. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1377-9

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 25, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Jun 4, 2016
• Publication Date: Jun 4, 2016
• Deposit Date: May 25, 2016
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 4, 2017
• Journal: Naturwissenschaften
• Print ISSN: 0028-1042
• Electronic ISSN: 1432-1904
• Publisher: Springer Verlag
• Volume: 103
• Issue: 7-8
• Pages: 51
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1377-9
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00114-016-1377-9
• Related Public URLs: http://link.springer.com/journal/114