1 If one advances confidently in the directions of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours HD THOREAU 2 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I am grateful to my advisor, Prof Axel Meyer for giving me the opportunity to work during my Ph.D. on a topic I love and I hope to continue to work on it in the future, conservation genetics of h...

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...

Amphibians are declining worldwide for a variety of reasons, including habitat alteration, introduction of non-native species, disease, climate change, and environmental contaminants. Amphibians often play important roles in structuring ecosystems, and, as a result, amphibian population declines or extinctions are likely to affect other trophic levels (Matthews and others 2002). Avoiding declin...

REPTILES and amphibians are, for many of us, the most fascinating animals on earth, with morphological, physiological, reproductive, behavioural and life style diversity far beyond anything found in mammals and birds, the typical focus of veterinary research and practice. When I started my career in reptile behaviour there was comparatively little interest in reptiles and amphibians in ethology...

Nonlethal indices of contaminant exposure can facilitate research on the accumulation and effects of contaminants in wildlife. Here, we tested the efficacy of using amputated toes ("toe clips"), a common byproduct when marking amphibians in population and genetic studies, to determine mercury (Hg) concentrations in amphibians. We examined total mercury (THg) concentrations in American toads (Bu...

Chytridiomycosis is an emerging disease of amphibians that has led to global population declines and possible extinctions. Vectoring of the pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) by anthropogenic means is thought to be important in its spread. To limit further increase in the distribution of Bd, field biologists and amateur naturalists ought to disinfect their boots and materials. Howeve...