A survey of morphological and heterochronical variations during early ontogeny in six families of Leptodactyliformes (Anura: Hyloides)

BARRASSO, D; NATALE, GS; GROSSO, J; NOGUEIRA COSTA, P; BALDO, D; VERA CANDIOTI, F; BARRIONUEVO, JS

Congreso; 11th International Congress of Vertebrate Morphology; 2016

The early ontogeny in anurans includes the occurrence of transient, exclusively embryonic structures, plusthe initial stages of development of larval features. We compared developmental series of 13 species belonging to sixfamilies of the clade Leptodactyliformes, in order to record morphological and heterochronical changes among them.Tailbud embryos of Telmatobius oxycephalus (Telmatobiidae), Limnomedusa macroglossa (Alsodidae), andceratophryid Ceratophrys cranwelli, C. ornata, and Chacophrys pierotti are well-pigmented and have no dorsalcurvature. Conversely, Batrachyla leptopus (Batrachylidae) and six species of Odontophrynidae have pigmented butkyphotic embryos. Embryos of Cycloramphus brasiliensis (Cycloramphidae) lack pigmentation completely. Threedifferent adhesive gland types occur: type A in Ceratophryidae and L. macroglossa, type C in Odontophrynidaeand B. leptopus, and type B in T. oxycephalus, this latter being typical of unrelated bufonids. The adhesive glands areabsent in C. brasiliensis. Regarding gills, two pairs occur in Odontophrynidae, L. macroglossa, and C. brasiliensis¸and a third pair develops in Ceratophryidae, T. Oxycephalus, and B. leptopus, in this latter case poorly developed.Ontogeny of the oral disc is similar in all species with labial tooth row formula 2/3, whereas Ceratophrys spp. differ indevelopment of supernumerary tooth rows. Some patterns will likely be proven diagnostic of some clades (e.g., typeB adhesive glands in Telmatobius, three gill pairs in ceratophryids). On the other hand, the unusual set of features ofthe exotrophic, semiterrestrial C. brasiliensis specimens (large yolk provision, and lack of pigmentation and ofadhesive glands) are typical of endotrophic embryos, and possibly conserved within the genus.