HERMAPHRODITISM IN EURYCEA BISLINEATA

Effects of mercury on behavior and performance of northern two-lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata).

Mercury (Hg) causes a range of deleterious effects in wildlife, but little is known about its effects on amphibians. Our objective was to determine whether Hg affects performance and behavior in two-lined salamanders (Eurycea bislineata). We collected salamanders from Hg-contaminated and reference sites and assessed speed, responsiveness, and prey capture ability. Mercury concentrations were >1...

Effects of metamorphosis on the aquatic escape response of the two-lined salamander (Eurycea bislineata).

Although numerous studies have described the escape kinematics of fishes, little is known about the aquatic escape responses of salamanders. We compare the escape kinematics of larval and adult Eurycea bislineata, the two-lined salamander, to examine the effects of metamorphosis on aquatic escape performance. We hypothesize that shape changes associated with resorption of the larval tail fin at...

The fate of larval chondrocytes during the metamorphosis of the epibranchial in the salamander, Eurycea bislineata.

The metamorphosis of the epibranchial cartilage, a skeletal component of the hyobranchial apparatus, in the salamander Eurycea bislineata entails a combination of the reabsorption of a larval cartilaginous element with the simultaneous genesis of an adult cartilage in the same place. In this study we focus on the fate of the larval chondrocytes. Two hypotheses are considered: one, larval cells ...

Gene lineages and eastern North American palaeodrainage basins: phylogeography and speciation in salamanders of the Eurycea bislineata species complex.

Contemporary North American drainage basins are composites of formerly isolated drainages, suggesting that fragmentation and fusion of palaeodrainage systems may have been an important factor generating current patterns of genetic and species diversity in stream-associated organisms. Here, we combine traditional molecular-phylogenetic, multiple-regression, nested clade, and molecular-demographi...

Hermaphroditism