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Bahl MF, Salgado Costa C, Demetrio PM, Mac Loughlin TM, Arruti ME, Brodeur JMC, Natale GS. Integration of a battery of biomarkers to evaluate the health status of field-collected frogs of Leptodactylus luctator living in ecosystems with different anthropogenic disturbances. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2024; 933:173174. [PMID: 38740213 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.173174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/16/2024]
Abstract
Amphibians are the most threatened group of vertebrates because they have certain biological and ecological characteristics that make them sensitive to environmental changes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the health status of field-collected adult frogs of Leptodactylus luctator (Amphibia, Anura) living in sites with different anthropogenic disturbances (florihorticulture, petrochemical industry and sewage discharges) and a reference site without any detectable influence of such activities. To this end, a battery of 21 biomarkers (hematological, biochemical and individual biomarkers) was studied using a multivariate approach that allows us to evaluate the relationship between them and provide information on their usefulness. The frogs at the florihorticulture, petrochemical and sewage discharges sites exhibited several biomarkers far from homeostasis. In addition, we identified 11 of 21 biomarkers that were useful indicators of the health status of the frogs and allowed discrimination between study sites in the following order: lymphocytes (98 %), neutrophils (45 %), hemoglobin (42 %), monocytes (41 %), fat body index (35 %), eosinophils (35 %), hepatosomatic index (33 %), mean corpuscular hemoglobin (32 %), thrombocytes (27 %), catalase in liver (26 %), and GST in liver (26 %). The results suggest that hematological biomarkers contribute the most to site separation, whereas biochemical biomarkers contribute the least. The integral interpretation of the results also allowed us to diagnose the different health status of L. luctator: The frogs from the petrochemical industry were the most negatively affected, followed by the frogs from the sewages discharges and finally the frogs from the florihorticulture and reference sites. This is the first field study with anurans in which so many biomarkers were examined.
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Affiliation(s)
- M F Bahl
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - C Salgado Costa
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - P M Demetrio
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - T M Mac Loughlin
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - M E Arruti
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - J M C Brodeur
- Instituto de Recursos Biológicos, Centro de Investigaciones de Recursos Naturales (CIRN), Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA), Hurlingham, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Argentina
| | - G S Natale
- Centro de Investigaciones del Medio Ambiente (CIM), CONICET-UNLP, Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Xu M, Wang G, Liu P, He Z, He K, Cheng Z, Wang Z, Chen W, Li Z, Zhang L. Age structure and body size of two Tibetan toad ( Bufo tibetanus) populations from different elevations in China. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e11559. [PMID: 38863720 PMCID: PMC11165260 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.11559] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2023] [Revised: 05/21/2024] [Accepted: 05/28/2024] [Indexed: 06/13/2024] Open
Abstract
Understanding how age and body size vary across elevations can provide insights into the evolution of life-history traits in animals. In the present study, we compared the demographic (using skeletochronology) and morphological traits of the Tibetan toad (Bufo tibetanus) between two populations from different elevational habitats (2650 vs. 3930 m). We found that (1) the mean age and body size of females were significantly greater than those of males in both populations; (2) both sexes of toads from the higher elevation tended to be significantly older in age and larger in body size; (3) there was a significant positive relationship between age and body size within each sex of the toad at both elevations; and (4) growth rates varied between the two populations, with the higher rate observed in the lower-elevation population. Our results suggested that factors other than age, such as elevation-associated temperature, influence the observed differences in body size between the two populations. Future research at a broader range of elevations should focus on these factors and evaluate their influence on animal growth patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengshuang Xu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Gege Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Putong Liu
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Zhuolin He
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Kaiqin He
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Zhiqiang Cheng
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Ziqi Wang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
| | - Wei Chen
- School of Resources and Environmental EngineeringAnhui UniversityHefeiAnhuiChina
| | - Zhibing Li
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, Puyang Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Yellow River Wetland Ecosystem and Research Center for ecological management and protection of the Yellow River BasinHenanChina
| | - Lixia Zhang
- Department of Ecology, College of Life SciencesHenan Normal UniversityXinxiangHenanChina
- The Observation and Research Field Station of Taihang Mountain Forest Ecosystems of Henan Province, Puyang Field Scientific Observation and Research Station for Yellow River Wetland Ecosystem and Research Center for ecological management and protection of the Yellow River BasinHenanChina
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Soliz MC, Abdala V. Musculoskeletal and tendinous details of selected anomalies in the locomotor system of anurans. Anat Rec (Hoboken) 2024. [PMID: 38529857 DOI: 10.1002/ar.25430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 02/25/2024] [Indexed: 03/27/2024]
Abstract
Previous studies on anuran anomalies predominantly examine isolated cases or focus on external and skeletal features. Our study analyzes a comprehensive sample collected from 1991 to 2017, examining the muscle-tendon system in 24 anuran species across adult, juvenile, and metamorphic stages. This extensive sample size allows us to investigate consistent anomaly patterns across different developmental stages and anuran families, exploring potential common developmental or genetic factors. Our detailed anatomical examination, encompassing musculature, tendons, and skeletal structures, revealed that 21% of the specimens displayed anomalies, a noteworthy finding considering the extensive sample size and duration of the studied sample. Of these anomalies, 17% affected the locomotor system, predominantly in the upper limbs. Key anomalies included, forelimbs and hindlimbs brachydactyly, rotation in forelimbs, partial kyphotic lordosis, and scoliosis. Notably, the digit 4 in the forelimbs and digits 4 and 5 in the hindlimbs were particularly susceptible to teratogenic effects, indicating possible prolonged exposure during development. Our study also uncovered combinations of anomalies and identified a phenotype similar to Poland syndrome. The findings validate the "Logic of Monsters" (LoMo theory) by Alberch, although the name itself may not be deemed appropriate, showing that developmental disruptions in tetrapods are not random but follow distinct sequences and patterns. The name, while unfortunate, accurately reflects the unusual nature of these developmental anomalies. This contributes to the evolving "Evo-Devo-Path" framework, highlighting the study's importance in understanding developmental disruptions in tetrapods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mónica C Soliz
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Salta, Salta, Argentina
| | - Virginia Abdala
- Instituto de Biodiversidad Neotropical, Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Cátedra de Biología General, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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Proximate Composition, Predictive Analysis and Allometric Relationships, of the Edible Water Frog (Pelophylax epeiroticus) in Lake Pamvotida (Northwest Greece). SUSTAINABILITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/su14063150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
The edible water frog Pelophylax epeiroticus, distributed mainly in Northwest Greece and utilized commercially as food, was investigated in lake Pamvotida (Ioannina). The objective was to assess aspects of population structure (sex ratio, morphometric characteristics, allometric relationships) and proximate composition of the Epirus water frog (Pelophylax epeiroticus). Commercial samples (31 females and 54 males) were obtained and sex ratio, morphometric characteristics, allometric relationships and proximate composition were assessed. A significantly lower abundance of females was indicated (31 females and 54 males). Body length range was higher in females (females 3.4 mm, males 2.6 mm), whereas total weight range was higher in males (females 45.08 gr, males 48.35 gr). Differences in allometric relationships were indicated between sexes. The high protein (15.93 ± 3.32) and low lipid (0.25 ± 0.13) contents indicated that P. epeiroticus is an excellent food source of high nutritional value. A tree classification algorithm indicated that the principal contributing component for sex classification was dry matter, followed by a proportion of edible flesh and protein content. A predicted future increase in demand for wild-caught individuals requires the use of a suitable management plan, coupled with the development of farming practices aiming to assure the sustainable exploitation of this important resource and alleviate the pressure on its populations.
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