The neural basis of tadpole transport in poison frogs

Parental care has evolved repeatedly and independently across animals. While the ecological and evolutionary significance of parental behavior is well recognized, underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood. We took advantage of behavioral diversity across closely related species of South American poison frogs (Family Dendrobatidae) to identify neural correlates of parental behavior shared across sexes and species. We characterized differences in neural induction, gene expression in active neurons, and activity of specific neuronal types in three species with distinct parental care patterns: male uniparental, female uniparental, and biparental. We identified the medial pallium and preoptic area as core brain regions associated with parental care, independent of sex and species. Identification of neurons active during parental care confirms a role for neuropeptides associated with parental care in other vertebrates as well as identifying novel candidates. Our work highlights the potential for comparative, mechanistic studies to build a more complete understanding of how shared principles and species-specific diversity govern parental care and other social behavior.