Arthroleptidae are an ecologically diverse group of sub-Saharan frogs. Arthroleptid tadpoles predominately occur in slow flowing to torrent waters. Their musculoskeletal system and the relationship between tadpole morphology and lifestyle are poorly understood. Here, we investigated the cranial morphology of four arthroleptid tadpoles occurring in different microhabitats: Leptopelis parkeri, Astylosternus occidentalis, Trichobatrachus robustus, and Nyctibates corrugatus. The crania of the tadpoles of A. occidentalis, N. corrugatus, and T. robustus are highly modified relative to L. parkeri, with wide and partly or completely fused cornua trabeculae, a fused cartilago labialis superior, as well as several modifications of the palatoquadrate, such as a broad commissura quadratocranialis and a processus ventralis which expands the surface for the origin of the large m. orbitohyoideus. The processus hyoquadratis is an evolutionary novelty, forming a functional unit together with the ceratohyale in the cranium of N. corrugatus. Finally, we compared the cranial morphology of these arthroleptids to other lotic and non-lotic species. Although the processus ventralis is not a generalized feature of the cranium in lotic species, it is not present in lentic species.

中文翻译：

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不要随波逐流：Afrobatrachian 科 Arthroleptidae 中溪流蝌蚪的颅骨适应


Arthroleptidae 是生态多样的撒哈拉以南青蛙类群。关节蝌蚪主要出现在缓慢流向激流的水域中。人们对它们的肌肉骨骼系统以及蝌蚪形态与生活方式之间的关系知之甚少。在这里，我们研究了发生在不同微生境中的四种关节蝌蚪的颅骨形态：Leptopelis parkeri、Astylosternus occidentalis、Trichobatrachus robustus 和 Nyctibates corrugatus。A. occidentalis、N. corrugatus 和 T. robustus 的蝌蚪的颅骨相对于 L. parkeri 进行了高度改造，具有宽且部分或完全融合的角质小梁、融合的唇软骨上部，以及腭四方体的几种修改，例如宽的 commissura quadratocialis 和腹侧突，它扩大了大 M. orbitohyoideus 起源的表面。猪舌突是一种进化上的新奇事物，它与 Ceratohyale 一起在 N. corrugatus 的颅骨中形成一个功能单元。最后，我们将这些关节类动物的颅骨形态与其他 lotic 和非 lotic 物种进行了比较。虽然腹侧突不是 lotic 物种颅骨的普遍特征，但它在 lentic 物种中不存在。