1. The anuran conus arteriosus was studied by direct observation of its structure and function and by observing the effects of artificially induced contraction on the pressure pulse in the arterial arches. 2. The beat of the anuran conus was found to close the outlet to the pulmocutaneous arches. The timing of the beat of the conus in the ventricular cycle is variable; early in the cycle the co...

Low-density residential development, the fastest growing land use in the USA, is increasingly occurring adjacent to protected areas and in areas of high biodiversity. Thus, determining the environmental impacts, including the cumulative impacts, of proposed residential developments is a pressing challenge. The relative abundance and species richness of anurans in 19 ponds surrounded by landscap...

The markedly different mode of mesoderm formation in anuran and urodelan amphibians (which is related to the early double-layered nature of the anuran blastula wall in contrast to its single-layered nature in the urodeles), but particularly the fundamentally different place and mode of origin of the primordial germ cells in the two groups of amphibians, strongly pleads in favour of a very ancie...

The markedly different mode of mesoderm formation in anuran and urodelan amphibians (which is related to the early double-layered nature of the anuran blastula wall in contrast to its single-layered nature in the urodeles), but particularly the fundamentally different place and mode of origin of the primordial germ cells in the two groups of amphibians, strongly pleads in favour of a very ancie...

On the basis of qualitative osteological characters, six anuran taxa are present in the late Pliocene Inglis 1A Local Fauna, an apparent natural trap in karst Eocene limestone. They are Scaphiopus holbrookii, Gastrophryne carolinensis, Hyla cinerea, Rana catesbeiana, Rana capito, and Bufo defensor n. sp. (that appears to be related to Bufo terrestris). The predominance of adults in the size cla...

The fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is among the main causes of declines in amphibian populations. This fungus is considered a generalist pathogen because it infects several species and spreads rapidly in the wild. To date, Bd has been detected in more than 100 anuran species in Brazil, mostly in the southern portion of the Atlantic forest. Here, we report survey data from some poorl...

We explored the impact of forest conversion to agricultural mosaic on anuran, lizard, snake, and turtle assemblages of Neotropical dry forests. Over 2 years, we sampled 6 small watersheds on the west coast of Mexico, 3 conserved and 3 disturbed. The disturbed watersheds were characterized by a mosaic of pastures and cultivated fields (corn, beans, squash) intermingled with patches of different ...

Advertisement calls are often used as essential basic information in studies of animal behaviour, ecology, evolution, conservation, taxonomy or biodiversity inventories. Yet the description of this type of acoustic signals is far to be completed, especially in tropical regions, and is frequently non-standardized or limited in information, restricting the application of bioacoustics in science. ...

Background Cane toads (Rhinella marina) are an iconic invasive species introduced to 4 continents and well utilized for studies of rapid evolution in introduced environments. Despite the long introduction history of this species, its profound ecological impacts, and its utility for demonstrating evolutionary principles, genetic information is sparse. Here we produce a de novo transcriptome span...

Trypanosomes are a diverse group of protozoan parasites of vertebrates transmitted by a variety of hematophagous invertebrate vectors. Anuran trypanosomes and their vectors have received relatively little attention even though these parasites have been reported from frog and toad species worldwide. Blood samples collected from túngara frogs (Engystomops pustulosus), a Neotropical anuran species...