碩士 / 東海大學 / 生命科學系 / 102 / The aim of this study was to know how Rana latouhii, Rana swinhoana, and Rana sauteri change their body size patterns through different altitudes, and also the possible mechanism causing the differences. This study was conducted from October 2009 to October 2011. We sampled six districts from sea level to 3000 m (500 m per district). Within each district, we tried to collect 30 individuals for both males and females. Upon catching the animals, we measured the body length and clipped the longest toe of its right hind foot, using skeletochronology technique, we acquired their life-history traits including metamorphic size, the growth rate before sexual maturity, the age of sexual maturity, and age. Our results showed that there was no significant difference between body size and life-history traits among different altitudes in R. latouhii. However, the body size of R. swinhoana increased with altitude, which fits the Bergmann’s pattern. In the species, the age of sexual maturity and age were the main factors affecting body size. Different from R. swinhoana, the male and the female R. sauteri showed different body size patterns. The body size of male R. sauteri fitted counter Bergmann’s pattern in that body size decreases with altitude, while the female’s body size showed no difference among different altitudes. In males, metamorphic size and the growth rate before sexual maturation decreased with altitudes were the main factors for explaining body size pattern. However, in females, the age of sexual maturity and age played more important roles. Older but lower smaller growth rate of sexual maturity along with altitude attributes to the indifference of body size in female R. sauteri. Overall, my results showed that three species from the same class within the same area, because of different altitude distribution, have emerged different life-history traits, and therefore, different patterns of body size variations among altitude. My results indicate that the effect of altitude on body size is a multi-factors processes, which cannot be explained alone by phylogenetic constraint, localized isolation, or the quality of food source.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TW/102THU00112001 |
| Date | January 2014 |
| Creators | Kuan-Ta Feng, 馮冠達 |
| Contributors | Yeong-Choy Kam, 關永才 |
| Source Sets | National Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations in Taiwan |
| Language | zh-TW |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | 學位論文 ; thesis |
| Format | 82 |
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