Re-evolution of keratinized mouthparts in the tadpoles of two microhylid frogs

Re-evolution of keratinized mouthparts in the tadpoles of two microhylid frogs

Presenter(s)

Jacob Szafranski

Comments

1:15-2:30, Kennedy Union Ballroom

Description

Within the family Microhylidae, only two genera are reported to have keratinized mouthparts: Scaphiophryne of Madagascar and Otophryne of South America. Based on our current understanding of the frog tree of life, it is possible that these two lineages have independently "re-evolved" keratinized mouthparts after the ancestor of microhylids lost these feeding structures. To evaluate this hypothesis, we are 1) generating histological data for both genera to confirm that the cellular microanatomy of the jaw sheaths is comparable to other tadpoles, typically defined by a stacked column of proliferating cells and 2) using phylogenetic comparative methods to evaluate whether these lineages re-evolved keratinized jaw sheaths in violation of Dollo’s law of irreversibility. This law posits that a complex trait lost over evolutionary time cannot be regained in the same form. This project will provide new insights into the constraints and flexibility of trait evolution in anurans.

Publication Date

4-23-2025

Project Designation

Independent Research

Primary Advisor

Daniel J. Paluh

Primary Advisor's Department

Biology

Keywords

Stander Symposium, College of Arts and Sciences

Institutional Learning Goals

Scholarship

Re-evolution of keratinized mouthparts in the tadpoles of two microhylid frogs

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