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Essner RL, Pereira REE, Blackburn DC, Singh AL, Stanley EL, Moura MO, Confetti AE, Pie MR. Semicircular canal size constrains vestibular function in miniaturized frogs. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2022; 8:eabn1104. [PMID: 35704574 PMCID: PMC9200278 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.abn1104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/03/2021] [Accepted: 05/04/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Miniaturization has evolved repeatedly in frogs in the moist leaf litter environments of rainforests worldwide. Miniaturized frogs are among the world's smallest vertebrates and exhibit an array of enigmatic features. One area where miniaturization has predictable consequences is the vestibular system, which acts as a gyroscope, providing sensory information about movement and orientation. We investigated the vestibular system of pumpkin toadlets, Brachycephalus (Anura: Brachycephalidae), a clade of miniaturized frogs from Brazil. The semicircular canals of miniaturized frogs are the smallest recorded for adult vertebrates, resulting in low sensitivity to angular acceleration due to insufficient displacement of endolymph. This translates into a lack of postural control during jumping in Brachycephalus and represents a physical constraint resulting from Poiseuille's law, which governs movement of fluids within tubes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard L. Essner
- Department of Biological Sciences, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville , Edwardsville, IL, USA
| | - Rudá E. E. Pereira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - David C. Blackburn
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, , Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Amber L. Singh
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, , Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Edward L. Stanley
- Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, , Gainesville, FL, USA
| | - Mauricio O. Moura
- Departamento de Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- Mater Natura—Instituto de Estudos Ambientais, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - André E. Confetti
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Zoologia, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Marcio R. Pie
- Department of Biology, Edge Hill University, Ormskirk, Lancashire, UK
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Zhang M, Zhu W, Wang B, Wang S, Chang L, Zhao T, Jiang J. Osteological development of a small and fast metamorphic frog, Microhyla fissipes (Anura, Neobatrachia, Microhylidae). J Anat 2021; 239:1318-1335. [PMID: 34268788 PMCID: PMC8602016 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13510] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2020] [Revised: 06/27/2021] [Accepted: 06/28/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Describing osteological development is of great importance for understanding vertebrate phenotypic variations, form-functional transitions and ecological adaptations. Anurans exhibit dramatic changes in their morphology, habitat preferences, diet and behaviour between the tadpole and frog stages. However, the anatomical details of their cranial and postcranial development have not been extensively studied, especially in Microhylidae. In this work, we studied the microhylid Microhyla fissipes, commonly known as the ornamented pygmy frog, a small-sized frog with fast metamorphosis. Its osteological development was comprehensively described based on 120 cleared and stained specimens, including six tadpoles for each stage between 28 and 45, six juveniles and six adults. Additionally, 22 osteological traits of these specimens involved in food acquisition, respiration, audition and locomotion were selected and measured to reflect the changes in tadpole ecological functions during metamorphosis. Our study provides the first detailed qualitative and quantitative developmental information about these structures. Our results have confirmed that skeletal elements (viz., neopalatines, omosternum, clavicles and procoracoids) absent in adults are not detected during development. Our data reveal that morphologically, radical transformations of the cranial structures related to feeding and breathing are completed within stages 42-45 (72 h), but the relative length and width of these skeletons have changed in earlier stages. The postcranial skeletons correlated with locomotion are well developed before stage 42 and approach the adult morphology at stage 45. Indeed, the relative length of the pectoral girdle and forelimb reaches the adult level at stage 42 and stage 45, respectively, whereas that of the vertebral column, pelvic girdle and hind limbs increases from their appearance until reaching adulthood. Based on published accounts of 19 species from Neobatrachia, Mesobatrachia and Archaeobatrachia, cranial elements are among the first ossified skeletons in most studied species, whereas sphenethmoids, neopalatines, quadratojugals, mentomeckelians, carpals and tarsals tend to ossify after metamorphosis. These results will help us to better understand the ecomorphological transformations of anurans from aquatic to terrestrial life. Meanwhile, detailed morphological and quantitative accounts of the osteological development of Microhyla fissipes will provide a foundation for further study.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meihua Zhang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Wei Zhu
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Bin Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Shouhong Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Liming Chang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Tian Zhao
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
| | - Jianping Jiang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan ProvinceChengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of SciencesChengduChina
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Zhao Q, Huang M, Liu Y, Wan Y, Duan R, Wu L. Effects of atrazine short-term exposure on jumping ability and intestinal microbiota diversity in male Pelophylax nigromaculatus adults. ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE AND POLLUTION RESEARCH INTERNATIONAL 2021; 28:36122-36132. [PMID: 33683588 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-021-13234-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2020] [Accepted: 02/26/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Atrazine, a common chemical pesticide, has toxicity to adult and juvenile amphibians in natural ecosystems; however, it is more common to study its effects on larvae instead of adults. This study assessed the impacts of atrazine in water through short-term exposure (7 days) on male black spotted frog (Pelophylax nigromaculatus) adults fed every day. The jumping ability, including jumping height, distance, time, and speed, was measured by 3D motion analysis software, and the intestinal content microbiota was determined by 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing with QIIME software. The results showed that male P. nigromaculatus exposure to 200 and 500 μg/L atrazine significantly increased jumping distance and jumping time compared to control groups. Conversely, 500 μg/L atrazine treatments significantly decreased the diversity and changed the composition and structure of intestinal content microflora in male P. nigromaculatus compared to control groups. At the phylum level, Chlamydiae was only detected in the control group, and Actinobacteria, Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Fusobacteria, and Proteobacteria were the dominant microflora in the atrazine treatment groups. At the genus level, the abundance of Lactobacillus and Weissella significantly increased in atrazine treatment groups compared to control groups. This study can provide a new framework based on movement behavior and intestinal microbiota to evaluate the response of amphibians to short-term exposure to environmental pollution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiang Zhao
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, Hunan, China
| | - Minyi Huang
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, Hunan, China.
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, Hunan, China
| | - Yuyue Wan
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, Hunan, China
| | - Renyan Duan
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Loudi, 417000, Hunan, China.
| | - Lianfu Wu
- Key Laboratory of Biodiversity Research and Ecological Conservation in Southwest Anhui Province, Anqing, 246011, Anhui, China
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Duan R, Huang M, Yi M, Zhao Q, Wan Y, Liu Y. Effect of Lead Exposure on Jumping Ability in Pelophylax nigromaculata. BULLETIN OF ENVIRONMENTAL CONTAMINATION AND TOXICOLOGY 2021; 106:652-657. [PMID: 33599785 DOI: 10.1007/s00128-021-03150-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2020] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Jumping ability determines the likelihood of survival and reproduction of amphibians. To study the toxic effect of lead (Pb) on the jumping ability of amphibians, Pelophylax nigromaculata were treated with 0, 1 and 10 mg/L Pb for 10 days and 20 days each. The results showed that for both treatment time (10 days and 20 days), compared to the control group, the 1 mg/L Pb treatment had no significant effect on jumping parameters. Compared to the control group, the maximum jumping height, distance, speed and acceleration in the 10-day 10 mg/L Pb treatment group increased significantly, but after 20 days the jumping parameters decreased significantly. With an increase in duration and concentration, the correlation coefficient and the correlation between these jumping parameters decreased. Our results indicate that an exposure to 10 mg/L Pb for 20 days has a significant negative effect on the jumping ability of amphibians.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renyan Duan
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China
| | - Minyi Huang
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China.
| | - Minghui Yi
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China
| | - Qiang Zhao
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China
| | - Yuyue Wan
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China
| | - Yang Liu
- College of Agriculture and Biotechnology, Hunan University of Humanities, Science and Technology, Hunan, 417000, Loudi, China
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Buttimer SM, Stepanova N, Womack MC. Evolution of the Unique Anuran Pelvic and Hind limb Skeleton in Relation to Microhabitat, Locomotor Mode, and Jump Performance. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:1330-1345. [PMID: 32437511 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Anurans (frogs and toads) have a unique pelvic and hind limb skeleton among tetrapods. Although their distinct body plan is primarily associated with saltation, anuran species vary in their primary locomotor mode (e.g., walkers, hoppers, jumpers, and swimmers) and are found in a wide array of microhabitats (e.g., burrowing, terrestrial, arboreal, and aquatic) with varying functional demands. Given their largely conserved body plan, morphological adaptation to these diverse niches likely results from more fine-scale morphological change. Our study determines how shape differences in Anura's unique pelvic and hind limb skeletal structures vary with microhabitat, locomotor mode, and jumping ability. Using microCT scans of preserved specimens from museum collections, we added 3D landmarks to the pelvic and hind limb skeleton of 230 anuran species. In addition, we compiled microhabitat and locomotor data from the literature for these species that span 52 of the 55 families of frogs and ∼210 million years of anuran evolution. Using this robust dataset, we examine the relationship between pelvic and hind limb morphology and phylogenetic history, allometry, microhabitat, and locomotor mode. We find pelvic and hind limb changes associated with shifts in microhabitat ("ecomorphs") and locomotor mode ("locomorphs") and directly relate those morphological changes to the jumping ability of individual species. We also reveal how individual bones vary in evolutionary rate and their association with phylogeny, body size, microhabitat, and locomotor mode. Our findings uncover previously undocumented morphological variation related to anuran ecological and locomotor diversification and link that variation to differences in jumping ability among species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shannon M Buttimer
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California at Berkeley, 3101 Valley Life Sciences Building, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA
| | - Natasha Stepanova
- Department of Biology, Villanova University, 800 Lancaster Avenue, Villanova, PA 19085, USA
| | - Molly C Womack
- Department of Biology, Utah State University, Logan, UT, 84322, USA.,Department of Vertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC 20560, USA
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Network architecture associated with the highly specialized hindlimb of frogs. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0177819. [PMID: 28545115 PMCID: PMC5435314 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0177819] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2017] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Network analyses have been increasingly used in the context of comparative vertebrate morphology. The structural units of the vertebrate body are treated as discrete elements (nodes) of a network, whose interactions at their physical contacts (links) determine the phenotypic modules. Here, we use the network approach to study the organization of the locomotor system underlying the hindlimb of frogs. Nodes correspond to fibrous knots, skeletal and muscular units. Edges encode the ligamentous and monoaxial tendinous connections in addition to joints. Our main hypotheses are that: (1) the higher centrality scores (measured as betweenness) are recorded for fibrous elements belonging to the connective system, (2) the organization of the musculoskeletal network belongs to a non-trivial modular architecture and (3) the modules in the hindlimb reflect functional and/or developmental constraints. We confirm all our hypotheses except for the first one, since bones overpass the fibrous knots in terms of centrality. Functionally, there is a correlation between the proximal-to-distal succession of modules and the progressive recruitment of elements involved with the motion of joints during jumping. From a developmental perspective, there is a correspondence between the order of the betweenness scores and the ontogenetic chronology of hindlimbs in tetrapods. Modular architecture seems to be a successful organization, providing of the building blocks on which evolution forges the many different functional specializations that organisms exploit.
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Petrović TG, Vukov TD, Tomašević Kolarov N. Morphometric ratio analyses: Locomotor mode in anurans. C R Biol 2017; 340:250-257. [DOI: 10.1016/j.crvi.2017.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2016] [Revised: 02/10/2017] [Accepted: 02/23/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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