The evolution of parental investment in caecilian amphibians: a comparative approach
| Autor: | Erin E. Maxwell, Alexander Kupfer, Susanne Kuehnel, Sandy Reinhard |
|---|---|
| Rok vydání: | 2016 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Avian clutch size Larva biology Ecology 010607 zoology Zoology biology.organism_classification 010603 evolutionary biology 01 natural sciences embryonic structures Reproductive biology Parental investment Oviparity Paternal care Caecilian Ecology Evolution Behavior and Systematics Gymnophiona |
| Zdroj: | Biological Journal of the Linnean Society. 119:4-14 |
| ISSN: | 0024-4066 |
| DOI: | 10.1111/bij.12805 |
| Popis: | Parental care is widespread among vertebrates and the observed patterns of parental care and investment are extremely diverse. Among amphibians, caecilians (Gymnophiona) exhibit considerable variation in reproductive modes, including both oviparity and viviparity, combined with highly unusual investment strategies (e.g. skin-feeding and intrauterine feeding). In the present study, current knowledge on the reproductive modes is integrated into an analysis of the evolutionary scenario of parental investment of caecilians. Phylogenetically basal caecilians possessing a biphasic life cycle that includes an aquatic larval stage invest in macrolecithal eggs directly corresponding to size at hatching. Some phylogenetically derived caecilians (i.e. the Teresomata) have a smaller clutch size and show a reduction to either medium-yolked (mesolecithal) or small-yolked (microlecithal) eggs. Via alternative pathways of parental investment, such as intrauterine feeding in viviparous taxa and maternal dermatotrophy in oviparous taxa, teresomatan caecilians increase both offspring size and quality. However, more data regarding reproductive biology are needed to obtain a fully resolved understanding of the evolution of reproduction in caecilian amphibians. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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