scholarly journals Development of a non-amphibious amphibian: views of a coquí

Author(s):  
Richard P. Elinson

Development without a free-living tadpole is common among Ibero American frogs. The most derived condition is direct development where the tadpole has been eliminated, and the most investigated direct developing frog is Eleutherodactylus coqui. To provide a different point-of-view, an imaginary interview with a coqui is conducted. Opinions are offered on invasive species, developmental features that are surprisingly conserved, and novelty in germ layer specification.

Paleobiology ◽  
2006 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 602-627 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nigel C. Hughes ◽  
Alessandro Minelli ◽  
Giuseppe Fusco

Ontogenetic stages of trilobites have traditionally been recognized on the basis of the development of exoskeletal segmentation. The established protaspid, meraspid, and holaspid phases relate specifically to the development of articulated joints between exoskeletal elements. Transitions between these phases were marked by the first and last appearances of new trunk segment articulations. Here we propose an additional and complementary ontogenetic scheme based on the generation of new trunk segments. It includes an anamorphic phase during which new trunk segments appeared, and an epimorphic phase during which the number of segments in the trunk remained constant. In some trilobites an ontogenetic boundary can also be recognized at the first appearance of morphologically distinct posterior trunk segments. Comparison of the phase boundaries of these different aspects of segment ontogeny highlights rich variation in the segmentation process among Trilobita. Cases in which the onset of the holaspid phase preceded onset of the epimorphic phase are here termed protarthrous, synchronous onset of both phases is termed synarthromeric, and onset of the epimorphic phase before onset of the holaspid phase is termed protomeric. Although these conditions varied among close relatives and perhaps even intraspecifically in some cases, particular conditions may have been prevalent within some clades.Trilobites displayed hemianamorphic development that was accomplished over an extended series of juvenile and mature free-living instars. Although developmental schedules varied markedly among species, morphological transitions during trilobite development were generally regular, limited in scope, and extended over a large number of instars when compared with those of many living arthropods. Hemianamorphic, direct development with modest change between instars is also seen among basal members of the Crustacea, basal myriapods, pycnogonids, and in some fossil chelicerates. This mode may represent the ancestral condition of euarthropod development.


2021 ◽  
pp. 17-35
Author(s):  
Veronika Leonteva ◽  
Nadezhda Pokrovskaya ◽  
Sergey Marikhin ◽  
Artem Tyulin

Social isolation during the pandemic has exacerbated the problems of psychological support for families with a child with sensory impairments. The problem of analyzing the role of parents in correcting the development of children with disabilities, in particular, with sensory impairments, is examined from the standpoint of their functional responsibilities, but the actual state of affairs, in particular, the choice of reaction and adaptation strategies of the parents in families with such children, taking into account modern technological possibilities of correcting the health status of the children themselves. The article presents the generalized results of a study of coping behavior of parents in families with children with hearing impairments, conducted in 2018-2021 on the basis of the St. Petersburg State Public Healthcare Institution "Children's City Surdological Center". The problems that parents face when choosing strategies and models of coping behavior are systematized and are presented from the point of view of the psychological analysis of the social attitude toward the role and status of a child within a family.


2018 ◽  
Vol 54 (3) ◽  
pp. 173-178
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Bojanowska ◽  
Anna Bożym ◽  
Olga M. Koper-Lenkiewicz ◽  
Joanna Kamińska ◽  
Halina Kemona ◽  
...  

Protozoa <i>Acanthamoeba</i> castellanii are single-celled, free-living, cosmopolitan amoebae that enter the body mainly through the mucous membrane of the mouth, nasal cavity, cornea, respiratory system, damaged skin and intestinal mucosa. In addition, they can be vectors for microorganisms such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa. In the life cycle A. castellanii may take the form of trophozoites and cyst tenacity to environmental conditions. This amoeba is an etiologic agent of dangerous human diseases: <i>Acanthamoeba</i> keratitis (AK), granulomatous amoebic encephalitis (GAE), pneumonia or changes in other organs, such as the liver, kidneys and skin. The aim of the article is to present current knowledge about laboratory diagnosis of <i>Acanthamoeba</i> spp. infection, which is based on the search for trophozoites and cysts in the material collected from the patient. In the case of suspected GAE, it is also advisable to study cerebrospinal fluid sediment and perform imaging tests such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. In the case of <i>Acanthamoeba</i> keratitis, an amoeba culture (obtained from a biopsy or corneal scrapings) is established in vitro, and then identified by light microscopy. The methods of molecular biology are also useful in detecting, identifying, and determining the potential pathogenic abilities of the amoebas. After the detection of <i>Acanthamoeba</i> spp., it is important to differentiate pathogenic isolates from non-pathogenic ones. From a clinical point of view, to diagnose <i>Acanthamoeba</i> spp. infection it is necessary only to identify the type of organism and to determine the pathogenicity of the isolate.


2020 ◽  
Vol 86 (16) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jocelin Rizo ◽  
Marco A. Rogel ◽  
Daniel Guillén ◽  
Carmen Wacher ◽  
Esperanza Martinez-Romero ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Traditional fermentations have been widely studied from the microbiological point of view, but little is known from the functional perspective. In this work, nitrogen fixation by free-living nitrogen-fixing bacteria was conclusively demonstrated in pozol, a traditional Mayan beverage prepared with nixtamalized and fermented maize dough. Three aspects of nitrogen fixation were investigated to ensure that fixation actually happens in the dough: (i) the detection of acetylene reduction activity directly in the substrate, (ii) the presence of potential diazotrophs, and (iii) an in situ increase in acetylene reduction by inoculation with one of the microorganisms isolated from the dough. Three genera were identified by sequencing the 16S rRNA and nifH genes as Kosakonia, Klebsiella, and Enterobacter, and their ability to fix nitrogen was confirmed. IMPORTANCE Nitrogen-fixing bacteria are found in different niches, as symbionts in plants, in the intestinal microbiome of several insects, and as free-living microorganisms. Their use in agriculture for plant growth promotion via biological nitrogen fixation has been extensively reported. This work demonstrates the ecological and functional importance that these bacteria can have in food fermentations, reevaluating the presence of these genera as an element that enriches the nutritional value of the dough.


2021 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 125-134
Author(s):  
Jozef Oboňa ◽  
Paul L. Th. Beuk ◽  
Kateřina Dvořáková ◽  
Libor Dvořák ◽  
Patrick Grootaert ◽  
...  

Abstract In total 65 Diptera species from 20 families (Anisopodidae (2 spp.), Asilidae (1), Bibionidae (1), Clusiidae (1), Culicidae (8), Dolichopodidae (7), Drosophilidae (4), Dryomyzidae (1), Empididae (2), Heleomyzidae (5), Hybotidae (5), Lauxaniidae (4), Limoniidae (9), Opomyzidae (2), Pallopteridae (2), Psychodidae (6), Rhagionidae (2), Scatopsidae (1), Trichoceridae (1) and Ulidiidae (1)) were recorded. The species Drapetis flavipes Macquart, 1834 (Hybotidae), is recorded for the first time in Slovakia. Ten species belong among uncommon or rare (namely: Atypophthalmus (Atypophthalmus) inustus (Meigen, 1818), Calliopum splendidum Papp, 1978, Dioctria linearis (Fabricius, 1787), Cheilotrichia (Empeda) neglecta (Lackschewitz, 1927), Chrysopilus asiliformis (Preyssler, 1791), Ochlerotatus (Ochlerotatus) nigrinus (Eckstein 1918), Philosepedon (Philosepedon) austriacum Vaillant, 1974, Suillia variegata (Loew, 1862), Toxoneura modesta (Meigen, 1830) and Trichomyia urbica Curtis, 1839). On the other hand, two invasive species are also reported. Drosophila (Sophophora) suzukii (Matsumura, 1931) is an invasive crop pest and Aedes (Finlaya) japonicus japonicus (Theobald, 1901) is an invasive biting pest, a potential vector for various diseases. City parks are also important from the point of view of Diptera biodiversity and more attention needs to be paid to them.


2019 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
Núria Almiron ◽  
Catia Faria

The mainstream discussion regarding climate change in politics, public opinion and the media has focused almost exclusively on preventing the harms humans suffer due to global warming. Yet climate change is already having an impact on free-living nonhumans, which raises unexplored ethical concerns from a nondiscriminatory point of view. This paper discusses the inherent ethical challenge of climate change impacts on nonhuman animals living in nature and argues that the media and communication ethics cannot avoid addressing the issue. The paper further argues that media ethics needs to mirror animal ethics by rejecting moral anthropocentrism.


2007 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 103-123 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Waldau

AbstractThe opening Swahili phrase, meaning "Truly my kin", was uttered by Dian Fossey's guide when both encountered their first free-living gorilla. The theme of kinship, often deemed the ultimate in evolutionary connection and a privileged relationship recognized by all ethical systems, can be used to connect our species not only to primates and mammals, but to all life. But examples abound of religious leaders who have resisted this connection, denying that humans really belong in the categories "mammal" or "primate" or, perish the thought, "ape" or "animal". Less well known is that many religious and cultural traditions have recognized these connections in profound ways, thereby providing a religious horizon for the evolutionary point of view.


2012 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi J.L. Rowley ◽  
Ronald Altig

The Southeast Asian frog Limnonectes limborgi and the closely related L. hascheanus have been considered direct developers for almost 50 years. We report that rather than having direct development, L. limborgi has nidicolous development (= eggs oviposited terrestrially and larvae are free-living but nonfeeding) from large, nonpigmented eggs laid in a terrestrial nest constructed by the male. Thirteen nests were observed at four sites in Cambodia and Vietnam, five of which contained clutches of up to 15 eggs or tadpoles. Calling males were in attendance regardless of the presence of or developmental stage of their progeny. Large yolk reserves present as late as stage 37 and the lack of organic material in the gut indicate that these tadpoles do not feed. It is likely that L. hascheanus also has nidicolous development.


1991 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-80 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Weygoldt ◽  
Sergio Potsch de Carvalho e Silva

AbstractThe oviposition behaviour of the egg brooding hylid frog, Fritziana goeldii, is essentially similar to that seen in the genera Gastrotheca and Flectonotus. At the beginning of oviposition, the female extrudes a mucous secretion which is beaten into a foam surrounding all eggs. This later hardens and forms an egg sac which is firmly glued onto the female's back. If it is removed, the lateral partitions which form between embryos disappear immediately. Intracapsular development on the female's back takes 17 days, larval development takes 21 to 24 days. The larvae hatch at stages 30 to 33 and feed on dead conspecific larvae and undeveloped eggs. The observations are discussed with regard to the hypothesis that direct development is the plesiomorphic reproductive mode in hemiphractine frogs and that development through free living larvae is derived. It is our opinion that, as far as Fritziana and Flectonotus are concerend, the evidence in favour of the above hypothesis is not sufficient.


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