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Amphibian Characteristics & Evolution

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Amphibian Characteristics & Evolution Amphibian Characteristics, Taxonomy, and Evolution Matthew J. Gray, Ph.D. College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources University of Tennessee-Knoxville Goal of the Lecture To familiarize students with characteristics of the Class Amphibia, the diversity of extant amphibians, and the fossil record of amphibians. Reading Assignments: 1) Handouts. 2) Duellman and Trueb: pp. 424-443 Lecture Structure I. Class Amphibia Characteristics II. Extant Amphibia Families III. Amphibian Fossil Record 1 What are Amphibians? Ectothermic tetrapods that have a biphasic life cycle consisting of anamniotic eggs (often aquatic) and a terrestrial adult stage. Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Subphylum: Vertebrata Class: Amphibia (amphibios: “double life”) Subclass: Lissamphibia Orders: •Anura (frogs) •Caudata (salamanders) •Gymnophiona (caecilians) Amphibia Characteristics 1) Cutaneous Respiration •Oxygen and CO2 Transfer (moist) •Family Plethodontidae (lungless salamanders) •Gills (larvae, few adult salamanders), 2 Lungs (adults) Plethodon dorsalis 2) Two Types of Skin Glands •Mucous Glands (cutaneous respiration) •Glanular Glands (toxic secretions) ¾Paratoid Glands 3) Sensory Papillae in Inner Ear and Doubled Transmission Channels in Middle Ear •Colemulla-basilar Papilla •Opercular-amphibian Papilla (<1000 Hz) 4) Green Rods in Retina (excluding caecilians) •Function Unknown •Other Light Receptors: red rods, single and double cones 5) Bicuspid Pedicellate Teeth •Crown (above gum), Pedicel (connected to jawbone) •New Crown Emerges from Pedicel Modern Orders of Amphibia •Gymnophiona (caecilians) 9% 3% 167 species Caudates Caecilians 88% Anurans Ichthyophis kohtaoensis 280 Species in U.S. (86 Species in TN) •Caudata (salamanders) •Anura (frogs) Dendrobates tinctorius 5,420 species Plethodon shermani 559 species 2 Caecus = blind Gymnophiona •Tropical Distribution Characteristics: •Limbless (pectoral & pelvic girdles absent) •Degenerate Eyes (most are fossorial) •Internal Fertilization (phallodeum) •20% Viviparous; 80% Oviparous •Earthworm like (7 cm – 1.5 m) •6 Families Families: 1) Caeciliidae (Common Caecilians) 2) Ichthyophiidae (Fish Caecilians) •95 species (57%) Dermophis mexicanus •38 species (23%) •Primary Annuli •Primary Annuli w/ •Most Fossorial Secondary & Tertiary •True tail •No true tail •Stegokrotaphic Skull •Stegokrotaphic Skull Ichthyophis kohtaoensis Gymnophiona Families: 3) Typhlonectidae (Aquatic Caecilians) 4) Rhinatrematidae (Beaked Caecilians) •14 species (8%) •9 species (5%) •Primary Annuli •Primary Annuli w/ Secondary •No true tail & Tertiary Grooves •Zygokrotaphic Skull •True tail Most Chthonerpeton indistinctum Primitive •Strongly Aquatic •Zygokrotaphic Skull 5) Scolecomorphidae (Tropical Caecilians) 6) Uraeotyphlidae (Indian Caecilians) •6 species (4%) •5 species (3%) •Primary Annuli •Primary Annuli w/ •No true tail Secondary Grooves •Zygokrotaphic Skull •True tail •Vestigial scales in the •Stegokrotaphic Skull Scolecomorphus vittatus most posterior annuli Uraeotyphlus Caudata •Smokeys Diversity (31) Characteristics: •Mostly Temperate Distribution •Tailed Amphibians •Well-developed limbs (except aquatic) •Internal Fertilization (most) •Larval Development External (most) •Lizard like (30 mm – 1.5 m) •Lack Tympanum & Middle Ear (opercular) •10 Families Families: 1) Plethodontidae (Lungless Salamanders) 2) Salamandridae (True Salamanders) •378 species (68%) •74 species (13%) •U.S. & Neo-tropics •U.S., Europe, SE Asia •Cutaneous respiration •Lungs •Nasolabial groove •Skin toxic and brightly (chemoreception) colored •Reduced skull •Free-swimming larvae •Eggs usually guarded Plethodon shermani (most) Salamandra algira 3 Caudata Families: 3) Hynobiidae (Asian Salamanders) 4) Ambystomatidae (Mole Salamanders) •51 species (9%) •32 species (6%) •Asia •North America •Lack of courtship •Highly Terrestrial (most) (males deposit sperm) •Primarily Winter Breeders •Free-swimming larvae •Aquatic courtship •Teeth are in patches Hynobius chinensis •Free-swimming larvae Ambystoma tigrinum 5) Proteidae (Mudpuppies & Waterdogs) 6) Sirenidae (Sirens) •6 species (1%) •4 species (0.7%) •Eastern US & Europe •Southern US •Obligate Paedomorphic •Obligate Paedomorphic •Depressed body, external •External Fertilization gills (likely) •Necturus prefer crawfish •Pre-maxillary beak Necturus maculosus Siren intermedia Caudata Families: 7) Rhyacotritonidae(Torrent Salamanders) 8) Dicamptodontidae (Giant Salamanders) •4 species (0.7%) •4 species (0.7%) •Coastal Pacific NW •Coastal NW and Canada •Semi-aquatic •Large living terrestrial •No operculum salamanders (20 cm SVL) •Reduced Lungs •Vomerine Teeth (M) •Bright yellow abdomen Rhyacotriton kezeri •Larvae develop 2-5 yrs Dicamptodon ensatus 9) Amphiumidae (Amphiumas) 10) Cryptobranchidae (Hellbenders) •3 species (0.5%) •3 species (0.5%) •Eastern U.S. & China •SE United States •Obligate Paedomorphic •Obligate Paedomorphic •No external gills, gill slits •No external gills, gill slits •Excessive skin (respiration) •Spermatophore Directly •External Fertilization Deposited into Spermatheca Amphiuma tridactylum •Largest Salamanders in the Cryptobranchus •Number of Toes World (most primitive) alleganiensis Anura Characteristics: •Shortened Presacral Vertebrate (usually 8) •Global Distribution Saltatorial •Ribs are reduced or absent (2nd or 4th) 2-10X BL •Presacral Vertebrae Firmly Articulated •Large Hind Limbs, No tail (except 1 family) Video •External Fertilization (usually) •Flat heads and Large Mouths (usually) •Vocal Sacs in Males (usually) •29 Families Families: 1) Leptodactylidae (Southern Frogs) 2) Hylidae (Tree Frogs) •1283 species (24%) •835 species (15%) N •Neo-tropics & subtropics •Global Distribution •Male broods eggs •Toes disks •E. jasperi is viviparious •Good climbers, jumpers (all other direct dev) •Free swimming tadpoles •Hawaii Eleutherodactylus coqui (most) Agalychnis callidryas 4 Anura Families: 3) Ranidae (True Frogs) 4) Bufonidae (True Toads) •799 species (14.7%) •493 species (9%) •Global (Bufo most spp.) •Global (Africa, Asia most) •Cutaneous Glands •Well-developed legs & •Teeth nearly absent webbed feet •Bidder’s Organ •Free swimming tadpoles Rudimentary Ovary on Testes (most) Rana catesbeiana Bufo cognatus 5) Microhylidae (Narrow-mouthed Frogs) 6) Rhacophoridae (Asian Tree Frogs) •449 species (8%) •288 species (5%) •Mostly Tropical, Sub- •Africa, India, SE Asia tropical •Hanging Foam Nest •2-3 Palatal Folds •“Flying Frogs” •Breviceps Secretions Stick to Female’s Back Gastrophryne carolinensis Rhacophorus reinwardtii Anura Families: 7) Hyperoliidae (African Tree Frogs) 8) Dendrobatidae (Poison Arrow Frogs) •261 species (4.8%) •252 species (4.7%) •Central & South America •Africa, Madagascar, Seychelles •Brightly colored, toxic skin •Pupil vertically elliptical •Most very small (<1 inch) •Toe disks •Males wrestle for dominance •Reed and Sedge Frogs Leptopelis vermiculatus •Tadpoles ride on males back Dendrobates tinctorius 9) Mantellidae (Mantellas) 10) Centrolenidae (Glass Frogs) •165 species (3%) •143 species (2.6%) •Madagascar only •Central & South America •Brightly colored, toxic skin •Transparent Skin (no ribs) •Most very small (<1 inch) •Most very small (<1 inch) •Converged Evolutionarily with •Eggs guarded Dendrobatidae by males over Mantella madagascariensis stream Centrolene prosoblepon Anura Families: 11) Megophryidae (Cryptic Frogs) 12) Myobatrachidae (Water Frogs) •138 species (2.5%) •126 species (2.3%) M •Asia & Indonesia •New Guinea, Australia, and Tasmania •Leaf-like Appearance •Poor Jumpers •Foam Nests in Water •Paddle Shaped Tongue •Rheobatrachus (extinct) •Tadpoles: Surface Foragers Brachytarsophrys carinensis Limnodynastes dumerilii 13) Arthroleptidae (Squeakers) 14) Pipidae (Tongueless Frogs) •51 species (0.9%) •31 species (0.6%) •Africa and South America •Sub-Saharan Africa •Fully Aquatic Frogs •Previously a part of Ranidae •Webbed feet, long fingers •Most lay eggs in water and with keratinized tips free-swimming tadpoles M •Eyes dorsal and no tongue Cardioglossa aureoli Xenopus laevis 5 Anura Families: 15) Astylosternidae (Astylosternids) 16) Discoglossidae (Disc-tongued frogs) •29 species (0.5%) •12 species (0.2%) A •Sub-Saharan Africa •Northern Africa, SW Europe •Often combined with #13 •Male carries eggs on hind legs •Differ from #13: horizontal •Females vocalize some pupils & toe discs •Toad-like (terrestrial & life •Hairy Frog Trichobatrachus robustus in burrows) Alytes obstetricans 17) Pelobatidae (Spadefoots) 18) Brachycephalidae (Pumpkin Toads) •11 species (0.2%) •11 species (0.2%) •United States, Mexico, •SE Brazil Europe and Eastern Asia •All direct development •Xeric environments •Most bright orange •Explosive breeding M •B. didactylus: smallest tetrapod in southern •Fast developing larvae Scaphiopus couchii Brachycephalus ephippium Hemisphere (3/8”) (cannibalistic phenotype) Anura Families: (Fire-bellied Toads (Shovel-nosed frogs) 19) Bombinatoridae & Barbourulas) 20) Hemisotidae •10 species (0.2%) •9 species (0.17%) A •Europe; Turkey, Russia, •Sub-Saharan Africa China, Korea, Japan •Burrows head first •Toxic Skin (unken reflex) •Lay eggs in burrow •Prehensile tongue •Barbourulas: Rocky streams Bombina orientalis Hemisus marmoratus 21) Heleophrynidae (Ghost Frogs) 22) Sooglossidae (Seychelles Frogs) •6 species (0.1%) •29 species (0.5%) •Southern Africa •Madagascar •Fast-flowing streams •Inguinal amplexus (only Neobatrachid ) •Well-developed toe discs, spines (males), oral disc •Secretive: litter and rocks (tadpoles) •Direct development &
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