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Vassilieva AB. Tadpole of the Vietnamese jelly-nest tree frog, Feihyla palpebralis (Anura: Rhacophoridae): external morphology and chondrocranium. Zootaxa 2023; 5351:293-300. [PMID: 38221487 DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5351.2.7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 01/16/2024]
Abstract
The genus Feihyla Frost, Grant, Faivovich, Bain, Haas, Haddad, de S, Channing, Wilkinson, Donnellan, Raxworthy, Campbell, Blotto, Moler, Drewes, Nussbaum, Lynch, Green & Wheeler was established relatively recently (Frost et al. 2006), but to date its composition has changed several times due to the extremely confusing and labile systematics of small rhacophorids (e.g., Grosjean et al. 2008; Hertwig et al. 2013; Biju et al. 2020). It embeds rather miniature, delicate tree frogs and currently comprises six species (Frost 2023). The type species, Feihyla palpebralis (Smith 1924), was described from Mount Langbian in the southern part of the Truong Son Range (Annamite Mountains) and was long considered endemic to Vietnam; recent reports that it is also distributed in China can be based on misidentification and need reliable confirmation (Biju et al. 2020).
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna B Vassilieva
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences; 33; Leninsky prospect; Moscow 117071; Russia. Joint Vietnam-Russian Tropical Science and Technology Research Center; Southern Branch; 3; 3/2 Street; 10 District; Ho Chi Minh City; Vietnam.
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2
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Vassilieva AB, Smirnov SV. Increasing Hormonal Control of Skeletal Development: An Evolutionary Trend in Amphibians. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.733947] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The biphasic life history of amphibians includes metamorphosis, a complex developmental event that involves drastic changes in the morphology, physiology and biochemistry accompanying the transition from the larval to adult stage of development. Thyroid hormones (THs) are widely known to orchestrate this remodeling and, in particular, to mediate the development of the bony skeleton, which is a model system in evolutionary morphological studies of amphibians. Detailed experimental studies of the role of THs in the craniogenesis of diverse urodelan amphibians revealed that (i) these hormones affect both the timing and sequence of bone formation, (ii) TH involvement increases in parallel with the increase in divergence between larval and adult skull morphology, and (iii) among urodelans, TH-involvement in skull development changes from a minimum in basal salamanders (Hynobiidae) to the most pronounced in derived ones (Salamandridae and Plethodontidae). Given the increasing regulatory function of THs in urodelan evolution, we hypothesized a stronger involvement of THs in the control of skeletogenesis in anurans with their most complex and dramatic metamorphosis among all amphibians. Our experimental study of skeletal development in the hypo- and hyperthyroid yellow-bellied toad (Bombina variegata: Bombinatoridae) supports the greater involvement of THs in the mediation of all stages of anuran cranial and postcranial bones formation. Similar to urodelans, B. variegata displays enhancing TH involvement in the development of cranial bones that arise during larval ontogeny: while the hormonal impact on early larval ossifications is minimal, the skull bones forming during metamorphosis are strictly TH-inducible. However, in contrast to urodelans, all cranial bones, including the earliest to form, are TH-dependent in B. variegata; moreover, the development of all elements of the axial and limb skeleton is affected by THs. The more accentuated hormonal control of skeletogenesis in B. variegata demonstrates the advanced regulatory and inductive function of THs in the orchestration of anuran metamorphosis. Based on these findings, we discuss (i) changes in THs function in amphibian evolution and (ii) the role of THs in the evolution of life histories in amphibians.
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Paluh DJ, Dillard WA, Stanley EL, Fraser GJ, Blackburn DC. Re-evaluating the morphological evidence for the re-evolution of lost mandibular teeth in frogs. Evolution 2021; 75:3203-3213. [PMID: 34674263 PMCID: PMC9299036 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Revised: 09/29/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Dollo's law of irreversibility states that once a complex structure is lost, it cannot be regained in the same form. Several putative exceptions to Dollo's law have been identified using phylogenetic comparative methods, but the anatomy and development of these traits are often poorly understood. Gastrotheca guentheri is renowned as the only frog with teeth on the lower jaw. Mandibular teeth were lost in the ancestor of frogs more than 200 million years ago and subsequently regained in G. guentheri. Little is known about the teeth in this species despite being a frequent example of trait “re‐evolution,” leaving open the possibility that it may have mandibular pseudoteeth. We assessed the dental anatomy of G. guentheri using micro‐computed tomography and histology and confirmed the longstanding assumption that true mandibular teeth are present. Remarkably, the mandibular teeth of G. guentheri are nearly identical in gross morphology and development to upper jaw teeth in closely related species. The developmental genetics of tooth formation are unknown in this possibly extinct species. Our results suggest that an ancestral odontogenic pathway has been conserved but suppressed in the lower jaw since the origin of frogs, providing a possible mechanism underlying the re‐evolution of lost mandibular teeth.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel J Paluh
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611.,Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611
| | - Wesley A Dillard
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611
| | - Edward L Stanley
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611
| | - Gareth J Fraser
- Department of Biology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611
| | - David C Blackburn
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, 32611
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4
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Bardua C, Fabre AC, Clavel J, Bon M, Das K, Stanley EL, Blackburn DC, Goswami A. Size, microhabitat, and loss of larval feeding drive cranial diversification in frogs. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2503. [PMID: 33947859 PMCID: PMC8096824 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22792-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Habitat is one of the most important factors shaping organismal morphology, but it may vary across life history stages. Ontogenetic shifts in ecology may introduce antagonistic selection that constrains adult phenotype, particularly with ecologically distinct developmental phases such as the free-living, feeding larval stage of many frogs (Lissamphibia: Anura). We test the relative influences of developmental and ecological factors on the diversification of adult skull morphology with a detailed analysis of 15 individual cranial regions across 173 anuran species, representing every extant family. Skull size, adult microhabitat, larval feeding, and ossification timing are all significant factors shaping aspects of cranial evolution in frogs, with late-ossifying elements showing the greatest disparity and fastest evolutionary rates. Size and microhabitat show the strongest effects on cranial shape, and we identify a "large size-wide skull" pattern of anuran, and possibly amphibian, evolutionary allometry. Fossorial and aquatic microhabitats occupy distinct regions of morphospace and display fast evolution and high disparity. Taxa with and without feeding larvae do not notably differ in cranial morphology. However, loss of an actively feeding larval stage is associated with higher evolutionary rates and disparity, suggesting that functional pressures experienced earlier in ontogeny significantly impact adult morphological evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bardua
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Department of Genetics, Evolution & Environment, University College London, London, UK
| | - Anne-Claire Fabre
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Paläontologisches Institut und Museum, Universität Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Julien Clavel
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
- Univ Lyon, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1, CNRS, ENTPE, UMR 5023 LEHNA, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Margot Bon
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK
| | - Kalpana Das
- Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institut für Evolutions und Biodiversitätsforschung, Berlin, Germany
| | - Edward L Stanley
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - David C Blackburn
- Department of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, London, UK.
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5
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Vera Candioti F, Dos Santos Dias PH, Rowley JJL, Hertwig S, Haas A, Altig R. Anatomical features of the phytotelma dwelling, egg-eating, fanged tadpoles of Rhacophorus vampyrus (Anura: Rhacophoridae). J Morphol 2021; 282:769-778. [PMID: 33713040 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2020] [Revised: 03/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Tadpoles of the Vampire tree frog Rhacophorus vampyrus differ substantially from other rhacophorid tadpoles, by having profound modifications in external morphology. The morphological peculiarities of this species likely correlate with their arboreal microhabitat and strict oophagous diet. In this work, we examine buccal and musculoskeletal anatomy and compare them to other rhacophorid and egg-eating larvae. The shape and arrangement of cartilages of the lower jaw are unique among tadpoles, and the lack of a palatoquadrate suspensorium is only known in the distantly related macrophagous tadpoles of the dicroglossid Occidozyga baluensis. The cranial musculature is massive, and the morphology of several mandibular, hyoid, and abdominal muscles could be related to the ingestion and transit of large eggs. In the buccal cavity, conspicuous aspects are the absence of ridges and papillae, and the development of a unique glandular zone in the buccal floor. Finally, observations of the skeletal support of keratinized mouthparts allow us to present a topography-based hypothesis of homology of the conspicuous fangs of these tadpoles.
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Affiliation(s)
- Florencia Vera Candioti
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo (Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Fundación Miguel Lillo), Tucumán, Argentina
| | - Pedro Henrique Dos Santos Dias
- Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Jodi J L Rowley
- Australian Museum Research Institute, Australian Museum, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.,Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Stefan Hertwig
- Naturhistorisches Museum der Burgergemeinde Bern, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alexander Haas
- Center of Natural History (CeNak), Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Ronald Altig
- Department of Biological Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, Mississippi, USA
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6
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Naumann B, Schweiger S, Hammel JU, Müller H. Parallel evolution of direct development in frogs - Skin and thyroid gland development in African Squeaker Frogs (Anura: Arthroleptidae: Arthroleptis). Dev Dyn 2021; 250:584-600. [PMID: 33354814 DOI: 10.1002/dvdy.275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 12/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cases of parallel evolution offer the possibility to identify adaptive traits and to uncover developmental constraints on the evolutionary trajectories of these traits. The independent evolution of direct development from the ancestral biphasic life history in frogs is such a case of parallel evolution. In frogs, aquatic larvae (tadpoles) differ profoundly from their adult forms and exhibit a stunning diversity regarding their habitats, morphology and feeding behaviors. The transition from the tadpole to the adult is a climactic, thyroid hormone (TH)-dependent process of profound and fast morphological rearrangement called metamorphosis. One of the organ systems that experiences the most comprehensive metamorphic rearrangements is the skin. Direct-developing frogs lack a free-swimming tadpole and hatch from terrestrial eggs as fully formed froglets. In the few species examined, development is characterized by the condensed and transient formation of some tadpole-specific features and the early formation of adult-specific features during a "cryptic" metamorphosis. RESULTS We show that skin in direct-developing African squeaker frogs (Arthroleptis) is also repatterned from a tadpole-like to an adult-like histology during a cryptic metamorphosis. This repatterning correlates with histological thyroid gland maturation. A comparison with data from the Puerto Rican coqui (Eleutherodactylus coqui) reveals that the evolution of direct development in these frogs is associated with a comparable heterochronic shift of thyroid gland maturation. CONCLUSION This suggests that the development of many adult features is still dependent on, and possibly constrained by, the ancestral dependency on thyroid hormone signaling.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Susan Schweiger
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Jena, Germany
| | - Jörg U Hammel
- Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, Zentrum für Material- und Küstenforschung, Außenstelle am DESY, Hamburg, Germany
| | - Hendrik Müller
- Institut für Zoologie und Evolutionsforschung, Jena, Germany.,Zentralmagazin Naturwissenschaftlicher Sammlungen, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle-Wittenberg, Halle (Saale), Germany.,Department of Life Sciences, The Natural History Museum, London, UK
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7
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Vera Candioti F, Goldberg J, Akmentins MS, Nogueira Costa P, Goulart Taucce PP, Pombal J. Skeleton in the closet: hidden diversity in patterns of cranial and postcranial ontogeny in Neotropical direct-developing frogs (Anura: Brachycephaloidea). ORG DIVERS EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-020-00467-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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8
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Bardua C, Fabre A, Bon M, Das K, Stanley EL, Blackburn DC, Goswami A. Evolutionary integration of the frog cranium. Evolution 2020; 74:1200-1215. [DOI: 10.1111/evo.13984] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2019] [Revised: 04/09/2020] [Accepted: 04/17/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Carla Bardua
- Department of Genetics, Evolution, and EnvironmentUniversity College London London WC1E 6BT United Kingdom
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History Museum London SW7 5BD United Kingdom
| | - Anne‐Claire Fabre
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History Museum London SW7 5BD United Kingdom
| | - Margot Bon
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History Museum London SW7 5BD United Kingdom
| | - Kalpana Das
- Museum für NaturkundeLeibniz‐Institut für Evolutions‐ und Biodiversitätsforschung Berlin 10115 Germany
| | - Edward L. Stanley
- Department of HerpetologyFlorida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32610
| | - David C. Blackburn
- Department of Natural HistoryFlorida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida Gainesville Florida 32611
| | - Anjali Goswami
- Department of Life SciencesNatural History Museum London SW7 5BD United Kingdom
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9
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Womack MC, Fiero TS, Hoke KL. Trait independence primes convergent trait loss. Evolution 2018; 72:679-687. [PMID: 29383712 DOI: 10.1111/evo.13442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2017] [Accepted: 01/21/2018] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
The repeated, independent evolution of traits (convergent evolution) is often attributed to shared environmental selection pressures. However, developmental dependencies among traits can limit the phenotypic variation available to selection and bias evolutionary outcomes. Here, we determine how changes in developmentally correlated traits may impact convergent loss of the tympanic middle ear, a highly labile trait within toads that currently lack adaptive explanation. The middle ear's lability could reflect evolutionary trade-offs with other skull features under selection, or the middle ear may evolve independently of the rest of the skull, allowing it to be modified by active or passive processes without pleiotropic trade-offs with other skull features. We compare the skulls of 55 species (39 eared, 16 earless) within the family Bufonidae, spanning six hypothesized independent middle ear transitions. We test whether shared or lineage-specific changes in skull shape distinguish earless species from eared species and whether earless skulls lack other late-forming skull bones. We find no evidence for pleiotropic trade-offs between the middle ear and other skull structures. Instead, middle ear loss in anurans may provide a rare example of developmental independence contributing to evolutionary lability of a sensory system.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly C Womack
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, District of Columbia 20560
| | - Tyler S Fiero
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
| | - Kim L Hoke
- Department of Biology, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado 80523
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Tokita M, Hasegawa Y, Yano W, Tsuji H. Characterization of the Adaptive Morphology of Japanese Stream Toad (Bufo torrenticola) Using Geometric Morphometrics. Zoolog Sci 2018; 35:99-108. [DOI: 10.2108/zs170099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masayoshi Tokita
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Yuya Hasegawa
- Department of Biology, Faculty of Science, Toho University, 2-2-1 Miyama, Funabashi, Chiba 274-8510, Japan
| | - Wataru Yano
- Department of Oral Anatomy, Asahi University School of Dentistry, 1851 Hozumi, Mizuho, Gifu 501-0296, Japan
| | - Hiroshi Tsuji
- Department of Preschool Education, Nagoya College, 48 Takeji, Toyoake, Aichi 470-1193, Japan
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11
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Direct development in African squeaker frogs (Anura: Arthroleptidae: Arthroleptis) reveals a mosaic of derived and plesiomorphic characters. ORG DIVERS EVOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s13127-017-0335-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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12
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Araújo O, Pugener L, Haddad C, Da Silva H. Morphology and development of the hyolaryngeal apparatus of Pipa arrabali (Anura: Pipidae). ZOOL ANZ 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2017.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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13
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Vassilieva AB. Heterochronies in the cranial development of Asian tree frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae) with different life histories. DOKLADY BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES : PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE USSR, BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES SECTIONS 2017; 473:50-52. [PMID: 28508201 DOI: 10.1134/s001249661702003x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2016] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
The development of bony skull was studied in four species of Asian tree frogs (Rhacophoridae) with different life histories: biphasic development with free larval stage and direct development. In biphasic rhacophorids the sequence of the appearance of cranial bones generally followed the generalized pattern of craniogenesis, which was described for most studied anurans. In contrast, direct-developing species displayed some heterochronies in the formation of skull bones, namely, the accelerated formation of the anlagen of jaw and suspensorium bones. The obtained results support that the embryonization in amphibians is regularly accompanied by a heterochronic repatterning of craniogenesis, rather similar in different phyletic groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- A B Vassilieva
- Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, 119991, Russia.
- Joint Russian-Vietnamese Tropical Research and Technology Center, Nguyen Van Huyen, Nghia Do, Cau Giay, Hanoi, Vietnam.
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14
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Senevirathne G, Kerney R, Meegaskumbura M. Comparative Postembryonic Skeletal Ontogeny in Two Sister Lineages of Old World Tree Frogs (Rhacophoridae: Taruga, Polypedates). PLoS One 2017; 12:e0167939. [PMID: 28060923 PMCID: PMC5218391 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0167939] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/05/2016] [Accepted: 11/22/2016] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Rhacophoridae, a family of morphologically cryptic frogs, with many genetically distinct evolutionary lineages, is understudied with respect to skeletal morphology, life history traits and skeletal ontogeny. Here we analyze two species each from two sister lineages, Taruga and Polypedates, and compare their postembryonic skeletal ontogeny, larval chondrocrania and adult osteology in the context of a well-resolved phylogeny. We further compare these ontogenetic traits with the direct-developing Pseudophilautus silus. For each species, we differentially stained a nearly complete developmental series of tadpoles from early postembryonic stages through metamorphosis to determine the intraspecific and interspecific differences of cranial and postcranial bones. Chondrocrania of the four species differ in 1) size; 2) presence/absence of anterolateral and posterior process; and 3) shape of the suprarostral cartilages. Interspecific variation of ossification sequences is limited during early stages, but conspicuous during later development. Early cranial ossification is typical of other anuran larvae, where the frontoparietal, exoccipital and parasphenoid ossify first. The ossification sequences of the cranial bones vary considerably within the four species. Both species of Taruga show a faster cranial ossification rate than Polypedates. Seven cranial bones form when larvae near metamorphic climax. Ossification of all 18 cranial bones is initiated by larval Gosner stage 46 in T. eques. However, some cranial bone formation is not initiated until after metamorphosis in the other three species. Postcranial sequence does not vary significantly. The comparison of adult osteology highlights two characters, which have not been previously recorded: presence/absence of the parieto-squamosal plates and bifurcated base of the omosternum. This study will provide a starting point for comparative analyses of rhacophorid skeletal ontogeny and facilitate the study of the evolution of ontogenetic repatterning associated with the life history variation in the family.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayani Senevirathne
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Postgraduate Institute of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Ryan Kerney
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Department of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- Postgraduate Institute of Science, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
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15
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Araújo OGS, Haddad CFB, Silva HRDA, Pugener LA. A simplified table for staging embryos of the pipid frog Pipa arrabali. AN ACAD BRAS CIENC 2016; 88:1875-1887. [PMID: 27683762 DOI: 10.1590/0001-3765201620150593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2015] [Accepted: 03/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Pipa is a Neotropical genus of frogs that dwell in freshwater environments. It includes four species that lack free-swimming larvae (P. aspera, P. arrabali, P. pipa, and P. snethlageae) and three with tadpoles (P. carvalhoi, P. myersi, and P. parva). Developmental tables such as the one proposed by Nieuwkoop and Faber might be useful for Pipa species with tadpoles. However, for the other Pipa species, to determine stages by this table or by any of the tables already prepared for frogs without tadpoles (e.g., Crinia nimbus, Eleutherodactylus coqui, and Oreobates barituensis) is impossible. By using embryonic, juvenile, and subadult specimens, we generated a staging table for P. arrabali, from the moment limb buds were first observed until birth, based on diagnostic features such as snout-vent length; growth, morphology, and reabsorption of the external tail; growth and differentiation of fore and hind limbs; development of intestine and vent tube; position of the angle of the mouth relative to nostrils and eyes; and color of preserved individuals. Based on these observations, we discuss some noteworthy traits (e.g., posture of hands and feet). We also compare the pattern of development of P. arrabali with that of other anuran species (with and without tadpoles).
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Affiliation(s)
- Olívia G S Araújo
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Caixa Postal 199, 13506-970 Rio Claro, SP, Brasil
| | - Célio F B Haddad
- Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Caixa Postal 199, 13506-970 Rio Claro, SP, Brasil
| | - Hélio R DA Silva
- Departamento de Biologia Animal, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro, Caixa Postal 74524, 23851-970 Seropédica, RJ, Brasil
| | - Lourdes A Pugener
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de La Pampa, CP 6300 Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina
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Yildirim E, Kaya U. Patterns of Cranial Development in Larval Rana macrocnemis: Chondrocranial Size and Shape Relationship With Pelophylax bedriagae (Anura: Ranidae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2016; 299:711-21. [PMID: 26950267 DOI: 10.1002/ar.23341] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2015] [Revised: 02/01/2016] [Accepted: 02/10/2016] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Notwithstanding the abundance of amphibians, there are few descriptions about ranid cranial development. Herein, larval chondrocranial development of Uludağ frog, Rana macrocnemis (Boulenger, 1885), is described on cleared and double-stained specimens. Descriptions are related with the ontogeny of the chondrocranium and osteogenesis of the cranial skeleton. The larval chondrocranial development of R. macrocnemis is compared to those of Rana and Pelophylax larvae (Pelophylax bedriagae, Rana pipiens, R. palustris, R. sphenocephala, R. catesbeiana, R. clamitans and R. sylvatica). In R. macrocnemis, the first bones to ossify are the parasphenoid and exoccipital (Stage 33), followed by the frontoparietal and prootic (stages 35 and 40, respectively). The major reconstruction of the chondrocranium begins at Stage 41. The ossification sequence of R. macrocnemis is distinguished from other ranids. Adult cranial osteology of R. macrocnemis is compared to that of P. bedriagae. Osteologically, R. macrocnemis is different from P. bedriagae by the shape and size of the vomer and number of teeth. Additionally, geometric morphometric methods are used to analyze chondrocranial size and shape changes of ranid larva of R. macrocnemis and P. bedriagae. Anat Rec, 299:711-721, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elıf Yildirim
- Department of Zoology, Section of Biology, Ege University Faculty of Science, Bornova İzmir, 35100, Turkey
| | - Uğur Kaya
- Department of Zoology, Section of Biology, Ege University Faculty of Science, Bornova İzmir, 35100, Turkey
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Senevirathne G, Garg S, Kerney R, Meegaskumbura M, Biju SD. Unearthing the Fossorial Tadpoles of the Indian Dancing Frog Family Micrixalidae. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0151781. [PMID: 27027870 PMCID: PMC4814069 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0151781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/03/2016] [Accepted: 03/03/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Tadpoles of the monotypic Indian dancing frog family Micrixalidae have remained obscure for over 125 years. Here we report the discovery of the elusive tadpoles of Micrixalus herrei from the sand beds of a forested stream in southern Western Ghats, and confirm their identity through DNA barcoding. These actively burrowing tadpoles lead an entirely fossorial life from eggs to late metamorphic stages. We describe their internal and external morphological characters while highlighting the following features: eel-like appearance, extensively muscularized body and tail, reduced tail fins, skin-covered eyes, delayed development of eye pigmentation in early pre-metamorphic stages (Gosner stages 25-29), prominent tubular sinistral spiracle, large transverse processes on vertebrae II and III, ankylosed ribs on transverse processes of vertebra II, notochord terminating before the atlantal cotyle-occipital condyle junction, absence of keratodonts, serrated well-formed jaw sheaths, and extensive calcified endolymphatic sacs reaching sacrum posteriorly. The tadpole gut contains mostly fine sediments and sand. We discuss the eel-like morphology and feeding habits of M. herrei in the context of convergence with other well-known fossorial tadpoles. This discovery builds the knowledge base for further comparative analyses and conservation of Micrixalus, an ancient and endemic lineage of Indian frogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gayani Senevirathne
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
| | - Sonali Garg
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
| | - Ryan Kerney
- Department of Biology, Gettysburg College, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, United States of America
| | - Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology, Faculty of Science, University of Peradeniya, Peradeniya, Sri Lanka
- * E-mail: (SDB); (MM)
| | - S. D. Biju
- Systematics Lab, Department of Environmental Studies, University of Delhi, Delhi, India
- * E-mail: (SDB); (MM)
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Meegaskumbura M, Senevirathne G, Biju SD, Garg S, Meegaskumbura S, Pethiyagoda R, Hanken J, Schneider CJ. Patterns of reproductive-mode evolution in Old World tree frogs (Anura, Rhacophoridae). ZOOL SCR 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/zsc.12121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Madhava Meegaskumbura
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology; Faculty of Science; University of Peradeniya; Peradeniya KY 20400 Sri Lanka
| | - Gayani Senevirathne
- Department of Molecular Biology & Biotechnology; Faculty of Science; University of Peradeniya; Peradeniya KY 20400 Sri Lanka
| | - S. D. Biju
- Department of Environmental Studies; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
| | - Sonali Garg
- Department of Environmental Studies; University of Delhi; Delhi 110 007 India
| | - Suyama Meegaskumbura
- Department of Zoology Faculty of Science; University of Peradeniya; Peradeniya KY 20400 Sri Lanka
| | | | - James Hanken
- Museum of Comparative Zoology; Harvard University; Cambridge MA 02138 USA
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Sheil CA, Jorgensen M, Tulenko F, Harrington S. Variation in timing of ossification affects inferred heterochrony of cranial bones in Lissamphibia. Evol Dev 2014; 16:292-305. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12092] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Michael Jorgensen
- Department of Biology; John Carroll University; University Heights OH 44118
- M172 Medical Sciences Building, Department of Pathology and Anatomical Sciences; University of Missouri School of Medicine; Columbia MO 65212
| | - Frank Tulenko
- Department of Biology; John Carroll University; University Heights OH 44118
- Kennesaw State University; Kennesaw GA 30144
| | - Sean Harrington
- Department of Biology; John Carroll University; University Heights OH 44118
- Department of Biology; San Diego State University; San Diego CA 92182
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20
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Ziermann JM, Diogo R. Cranial muscle development in frogs with different developmental modes: direct development versus biphasic development. J Morphol 2014; 275:398-413. [PMID: 24877162 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.20223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Normal development in anurans includes a free swimming larva that goes through metamorphosis to develop into the adult frog. We have investigated cranial muscle development and adult cranial muscle morphology in three different anuran species. Xenopus laevis is obligate aquatic throughout lifetime, Rana(Lithobates) pipiens has an aquatic larvae and a terrestrial adult form, and Eleutherodactylus coqui has direct developing juveniles that hatch from eggs deposited on leaves (terrestrial). The adult morphology shows hardly any differences between the investigated species. Cranial muscle development of E. coqui shows many similarities and only few differences to the development of Rana (Lithobates) and Xenopus. The differences are missing muscles of the branchial arches (which disappear during metamorphosis of biphasic anurans) and a few heterochronic changes. The development of the mandibular arch (adductor mandibulae) and hyoid arch (depressor mandibulae) muscles is similar to that observed in Xenopus and Rana (Lithobates), although the first appearance of these muscles displays a midmetamorphic pattern in E. coqui. We show that the mix of characters observed in E. coqui indicates that the larval stage is not completely lost even without a free swimming larval stage. Cryptic metamorphosis is the process in which morphological changes in the larva/embryo take place that are not as obvious as in normal metamorphosing anurans with a clear biphasic lifestyle. During cryptic metamorphosis, a normal adult frog develops, indicating that the majority of developmental mechanisms towards the functional adult cranial muscles are preserved.
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Harrington SM, Harrison LB, Sheil CA. Ossification sequence heterochrony among amphibians. Evol Dev 2013; 15:344-64. [DOI: 10.1111/ede.12043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sean M. Harrington
- Department of Biology; John Carroll University, University Heights; Ohio 44118 USA
| | - Luke B. Harrison
- Redpath Museum; McGill University; 859 Sherbrooke Street West Montreal QC, Canada H3A 2K6
| | - Christopher A. Sheil
- Department of Biology; John Carroll University, University Heights; Ohio 44118 USA
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22
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Abstract
The evolutionary removal of the tadpole from the frog life history is a very successful strategy, particularly in the tropics. These direct developers form limbs and a frog-like head early in embryogenesis, and they have reduced or lost tadpole-specific structures, like gills, a long, coiled intestine, and tadpole teeth and jaws. Despite the apparently continuous development to the frog morphology, the direct developer, Eleutherodactylus coqui, undergoes a cryptic metamorphosis requiring thyroid hormone. As in Xenopus laevis, there is a stimulation by corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) and an upregulation of thyroid hormone receptor β (thrb). In addition to changes in skin and muscle, thyroid hormone stimulates yolk utilization for froglet growth from a novel tissue, the nutritional endoderm. The activities of CRF and corticosterone (CORT) in metamorphosis may provide the basis for the multiple evolutionary origins of direct development in anuran amphibians. Potential roles for maternally supplied thyroid hormone and its receptor and for deiodinases in regulating tissue sensitivity to thyroid hormone should be the subjects of future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Elinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
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23
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Alcalde L, Basso NG. Old and new hypotheses about the homology of the compound bones from the cheek and otico-occipital regions of the anuran skull. ZOOLOGY 2013; 116:232-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2013.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2012] [Revised: 02/01/2013] [Accepted: 03/20/2013] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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24
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Elinson RP, del Pino EM. Developmental diversity of amphibians. WILEY INTERDISCIPLINARY REVIEWS. DEVELOPMENTAL BIOLOGY 2012; 1:345-69. [PMID: 22662314 PMCID: PMC3364608 DOI: 10.1002/wdev.23] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
The current model amphibian, Xenopus laevis, develops rapidly in water to a tadpole which metamorphoses into a frog. Many amphibians deviate from the X. laevis developmental pattern. Among other adaptations, their embryos develop in foam nests on land or in pouches on their mother's back or on a leaf guarded by a parent. The diversity of developmental patterns includes multinucleated oogenesis, lack of RNA localization, huge non-pigmented eggs, and asynchronous, irregular early cleavages. Variations in patterns of gastrulation highlight the modularity of this critical developmental period. Many species have eliminated the larva or tadpole and directly develop to the adult. The wealth of developmental diversity among amphibians coupled with the wealth of mechanistic information from X. laevis permit comparisons that provide deeper insights into developmental processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard P Elinson
- Department of Biological Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, PA, USA.
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Rittmeyer EN, Allison A, Gründler MC, Thompson DK, Austin CC. Ecological guild evolution and the discovery of the world's smallest vertebrate. PLoS One 2012; 7:e29797. [PMID: 22253785 PMCID: PMC3256195 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0029797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2011] [Accepted: 12/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Living vertebrates vary drastically in body size, yet few taxa reach the extremely minute size of some frogs and teleost fish. Here we describe two new species of diminutive terrestrial frogs from the megadiverse hotspot island of New Guinea, one of which represents the smallest known vertebrate species, attaining an average body size of only 7.7 mm. Both new species are members of the recently described genus Paedophryne, the four species of which are all among the ten smallest known frog species, making Paedophryne the most diminutive genus of anurans. This discovery highlights intriguing ecological similarities among the numerous independent origins of diminutive anurans, suggesting that minute frogs are not mere oddities, but represent a previously unrecognized ecological guild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric N. Rittmeyer
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
| | - Allen Allison
- Bishop Museum, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States of America
| | - Michael C. Gründler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Derrick K. Thompson
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York, United States of America
| | - Christopher C. Austin
- Department of Biological Sciences and Museum of Natural Science, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, United States of America
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Kerney R. Embryonic Staging Table for a Direct-Developing Salamander, Plethodon cinereus (Plethodontidae). Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2011; 294:1796-808. [DOI: 10.1002/ar.21480] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2011] [Accepted: 08/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
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27
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Kerney RR, Blackburn DC, Müller H, Hanken J. DO LARVAL TRAITS RE-EVOLVE? EVIDENCE FROM THE EMBRYOGENESIS OF A DIRECT-DEVELOPING SALAMANDER, PLETHODON CINEREUS. Evolution 2011; 66:252-62. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01426.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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28
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Vera Candioti MF, Nuñez JJ, Úbeda C. Development of the nidicolous tadpoles of Eupsophus emiliopugini (Anura: Cycloramphidae) until metamorphosis, with comments on systematic relationships of the species and its endotrophic developmental mode. ACTA ZOOL-STOCKHOLM 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1463-6395.2010.00448.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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29
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Kerney R, Gross JB, Hanken J. Early cranial patterning in the direct-developing frog Eleutherodactylus coqui revealed through gene expression. Evol Dev 2010; 12:373-82. [PMID: 20618433 DOI: 10.1111/j.1525-142x.2010.00424.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Genetic and developmental alterations associated with the evolution of amphibian direct development remain largely unexplored. Specifically, little is known of the underlying expression of skeletal regulatory genes, which may reveal early modifications to cranial ontogeny in direct-developing species. We describe expression patterns of three key skeletal regulators (runx2, sox9, and bmp4) along with the cartilage-dominant collagen 2alpha1 gene (col2a1) during cranial development in the direct-developing anuran, Eleutherodactylus coqui. Expression patterns of these regulators reveal transient skeletogenic anlagen that correspond to larval cartilages, but which never fully form in E. coqui. Suprarostral anlagen in the frontonasal processes are detected through runx2, sox9, and bmp4 expression. Previous studies have described these cartilages as missing from Eleutherodactylus cranial ontogeny. These transcriptionally active suprarostral anlagen fuse to the more posterior cranial trabeculae before they are detectable with col2a1 staining or with the staining techniques used in earlier studies. Additionally, expression of sox9 fails to reveal an early anterior connection between the palatoquadrate and the neurocranium, which is detectable through sox9 staining in Xenopus laevis embryos (a metamorphosing species). Absence of this connection validates an instance of developmental repatterning, where the larval quadratocranial commissure cartilage is lost in E. coqui. Expression of runx2 reveals dermal-bone precursors several developmental stages before their detection with alizarin red. This early expression of runx2 correlates with the accelerated embryonic onset of bone formation characteristic of E. coqui and other direct-developing anurans, but which differs from the postembryonic bone formation of most metamorphosing species. Together these results provide an earlier depiction of cranial patterning in E. coqui by using earlier markers of skeletogenic cell differentiation. These data both validate and modify previously reported instances of larval recapitulation and developmental repatterning associated with the evolution of anuran direct development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan Kerney
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, 1355 Oxford St., Halifax, NS, Canada B3H 4J1.
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30
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Weisbecker V, Mitgutsch C. A large-scale survey of heterochrony in anuran cranial ossification patterns. J ZOOL SYST EVOL RES 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2010.00570.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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