Bite force in the horned frog (Ceratophrys cranwelli) with implications for extinct giant frogs.
Sci Rep
; 7(1): 11963, 2017 09 20.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28931936
ABSTRACT
Of the nearly 6,800 extant frog species, most have weak jaws that play only a minor role in prey capture. South American horned frogs (Ceratophrys) are a notable exception. Aggressive and able to consume vertebrates their own size, these "hopping heads" use a vice-like grip of their jaws to restrain and immobilize prey. Using a longitudinal experimental design, we quantified the ontogenetic profile of bite-force performance in post-metamorphic Ceratophrys cranwelli. Regression slopes indicate positive allometric scaling of bite force with reference to head and body size, results that concur with scaling patterns across a diversity of taxa, including fish and amniotes (lizards, tuatara, turtles, crocodylians, rodents). Our recovered scaling relationship suggests that exceptionally large individuals of a congener (C. aurita) and extinct giant frogs (Beelzebufo ampinga, Late Cretaceous of Madagascar) probably could bite with forces of 500 to 2200 N, comparable to medium to large-sized mammalian carnivores.
Texto completo:
1
Banco de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Anuros
/
Fuerza de la Mordida
Límite:
Animals
País como asunto:
Africa
Idioma:
En
Año:
2017
Tipo del documento:
Article