Plasticity in Metamorphic Traits of Rice Field Frog(Rana limnocharis) Tadpoles:The Interactive Effects of Rearing Temperature and Food Level

In organisms with complex life cycles, such as amphibians, morphological variation is strongly influenced by environmental factors(e.g. temperature) and maternal effects(e.g. diet). Although temperature and food level exert a strong influence on larval growth, little is known about the interacting effects of these factors on age and size at metamorphosis. In this study, plasticity in growth rates, survival, larval period, and size at metamorphosis were examined in Rice field Frog(Rana limnocharis) under different combinations of rearing temperature and food level. Rearing temperature did not affect age at metamorphosis, but a significant interaction between temperature and food level revealed that of tadpoles feeding at a high food level, those reared at 32°C had a shorter length of larval period than those reared at 29°C or 26°C. Similarly, our results also showed high food level produced a larger growth rate and mass at metamorphosis at 32°C, but not at 29 and 26°C. Therefore, our results revealed that the effects of food level on larval growth and metamorphosis were highly dependent on developmental temperature.     

牛蛙胃肠胰系统内分泌细胞的免疫组织化学鉴定与定位

应用过氧化物酶标记的链霉卵白素(S-P)免疫组织化学方法对牛蛙(Rana catesbeiana)胃肠胰系统5种内分泌细胞进行了鉴定与定位.在消化道中检测到了5-羟色胺(5-HT)、生长抑素(SS)、胃泌素(Gas)和胰高血糖素(Glu)细胞.5-HT细胞主要分布于胃幽门部和空肠,食道中偶见.SS细胞主要分布于胃,幽门部较密集,小肠各段少量,直肠和食道偶见.Gas细胞主要分布于小肠各段,胃和直肠中偶见,食道中未检测到.Glu细胞主要分布于胃和直肠,小肠各段偶见,食道中未检测到.在胰腺中检测出了5-HT、SS、Gas、Glu和胰多肽(PP)细胞.SS、Glu和PP细胞数量较多,成簇分布于胰岛中,5-HT和Gas细胞少量,散在分布于胰腺腺泡之间.胃腺部和胰腺内分泌细胞多呈圆形、椭圆形或形态不规则,有的可见明显胞突伸向邻近细胞,胃肠道上皮中的内分泌细胞多呈梭形、楔形或锥形,有的可见明显胞突伸向消化腔.与其它两栖动物相比,牛蛙胃肠胰系统内分泌细胞的存在与分布有一些共性,也存在着种间差异.     

上海农田泽蛙蛰眠状况初步调查

于2004～2005年冬季对上海农田泽蛙的蛰眠状况进行了初步调查。结果表明,农田中的路径、田埂和沟渠岸边地下洞穴是泽蛙的主要越冬场所。蛰眠洞穴共用率高达34.0%,超过62.2%的泽蛙与其它个体共用洞穴蛰眠,各共用洞穴内的泽蛙只数为2～6只不等。泽蛙主要利用已有的地下洞穴蛰眠。86.6%蛰眠期的泽蛙为1龄个体。     

Immunohistochemical Study of Adenohypophysial Cells During Embryonic Development in the Reptile Chalcides chalcides (Squamata, Scincidae)

The immunohistochemical avidin-biotin complex method was used to study hormone-producing cells in the adenohypophysis of the skink Chalcides chalcides during embryonic development. In Chalcides, the formation of Rathke's pouch was evident between stages 28 and 30 of embryonic development. The adenohypophysial cells begin to differentiate before the morphological development of the gland was complete. At stage 29, few corticotropic cells were present only in the dorsal face of Rathke's pouch. No other immunoreactive cell type was revealed at this stage. At stage 32, the hypophysis had developed to a great extent though it was not yet elongated in a cephalic-caudal direction. At this stage, the corticotropic cells appeared more numerous and well differentiated in the rostral pars distalis and in the pars intermedia. Melanotropic, somatotropic and gonadotropic cells appeared simultaneously, with the same distributions as in the adult skink. At stage 34, the first thyrotropic cells appeared in the pars distalis but also in the pars intermedia, whereas rare prolactin cells were observed only at stage 35 in the medial pars distalis. Between stages 36 and 38, the gland was developed in the cephalic-caudal direction and all the cell types were completely differentiated with an evident increase in the number of prolactin cells. In embryos close to birth (stages 39-40), the hypophysis and the adenohypophysial cells were already similar to those of the adult animal.     

日本林蛙胃肠道内分泌细胞的免疫组织化学

应用7种胃肠激素抗血清对日本林蛙胃肠道内分泌细胞的形态和分布进行了免疫组织化学研究。5-羟色胺(5-HT)免疫活性(-IR)细胞分布于胃肠道各段,其在胃肠道中的分布密度为：十二指肠、空肠处最高,胃中各段居中,回肠和直肠处最低。生长抑素(sS)-IR细胞分布于胃贲门至空肠的胃肠道段,其分布密度自前向后呈递减趋势。胃泌素(Gas)-IR细胞在十二指肠和空肠处有少量分布。高血糖素(Glu)-IR细胞仅见胃体部位较少分布。P_物质(SP)-IR细胞在回肠和直肠中有分布。胃肠道各段均未检出胰多肽(PP)-IR细胞和胰岛素(Ins)-IR细胞。与其它动物相比较,对日本林蛙胃肠道内分泌细胞的分布型进行了讨论。     

抚州市泽蛙的食性

对抚州市泽蛙进行了食性分析,结果表明,其捕食昆虫等动物种类达4门7纲16目33科以上,且以膜翅目,鞘翅目,鳞翅目的昆虫和蜘蛛为主,有益系数达60．14％。     

云南南部3产地泽蛙核型比较研究

对采自云南个旧、绿春、江城3地的泽蛙进行染色体核型分析。结果表明,3地的泽蛙核型均为2n=26（5L＋0M＋8S）,NF=52,染色体次缢痕均出现在6p上。个旧大屯泽蛙的No．3为SM染色体,其余染色体均为M染色体;绿春大黑山的泽蛙No．2、6、7为SM染色体,其余均为M染色体;江城康平的泽蛙No．2、9均为SM染色体,其余为M染色体,显示出不同地区泽蛙核型的差异性。比较了滇南3地和国内外不同地区泽蛙染色体核型变化,结果显示,染色体核型模式及其大型染色体组比较稳定,但次缢痕位置不稳定,小型染色体组变异较大。根据泽蛙次缢痕的地理演化趋势,推测次缢痕位于7p上是一种原始类型,位于6p上是一种较为进化的类型,位于9p上是一种特化的类型。泽蛙的分布及核型分化与第三纪欧亚大陆边缘断裂形成日本海有关,也与第四纪冰期气候变化和随之产生的泽蛙南迁北移有关。     

浙江庆元发现长肢林蛙

2022年10月在浙江省庆元县贤良镇采集到5只林蛙属(Rana)雌性个体,经形态和分子系统发育分析鉴定为长肢林蛙(R. longicrus),是浙江省两栖动物分布新记录种。所采集的5只长肢林蛙个体体长40.4 ~ 55.2 mm,头长大于头宽,肩部上方由数个疣粒隐约组成“八”字形黑斑;背侧褶明显,与胯部相连;四肢背面具黑褐色横纹,后肢前伸贴体时胫跗关节超过吻端,形态特征与地模标本基本一致。基于线粒体16S rRNA基因片段进行系统发育分析表明,该蛙与模式产地中国台湾的长肢林蛙序列聚成单系支,且遗传距离小于0.005%。此前记录的长肢林蛙仅分布于我国台湾、广东、福建、江西等地,长肢林蛙在浙江省庆元县的分布为浙江首次记录,这提示该蛙有更广的分布范围。     

上海农田泽蛙年龄组划分方法的初步研究

对2005年4～10月在上海农田随机捕获的369只泽蛙的体长、体重指标进行测量,通过聚类分析将其划分为4个年龄组.在此基础上结合不同月份的年龄结构特征,以及以往的研究作对照,推断出泽蛙4个年龄组对应的个体年龄以及相应的生长指标特征.结果为体长15～31 mm可鉴定为1龄个体和小于8月龄的2龄个体,32～39 mm个体可鉴定为2龄个体,40～45 mm为3龄个体,48～51 mm为4龄个体,认为该方法可用于泽蛙的年龄鉴别.     

Interspecific Social Interactions and Breeding Success of the Frog Rana latastei: A Field Study

Interspecific reproductive interference can affect fitness‐related breeding performance, thus influencing fitness and distribution of populations. Laboratory studies demonstrated the social interference of Rana dalmatina males on R. latastei breeding females: the presence of heterospecific males reduced the percentage of viable embryos in R. latastei eggs. Here, we tested if the negative effects of R. dalmatina males on R. latastei reproductive success occur in field conditions. We compared the percentage of viable embryos of eggs laid in field conditions from populations where R. latastei breeds alone with the percentage of viable embryos of populations where R. latastei cohabits with R. dalmatina. We did not find any significant difference in percentage of viable embryos between R. latastei populations syntopic and allotopic with R. dalmatina, nor a relationship between the relative abundance of heterospecifics and reproductive success. In natural conditions, the presence of heterospecific males does not seem to interfere with the reproductive success of R. latastei. The experimental procedure may influence the interaction among individuals. Therefore, we suggest to validate on natural populations the results of experiments dealing with complex interactions.     

桂林地区克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食

克氏原螯虾（Procambarus clarkii）已入侵我国江苏、湖北、江西、安徽等多个省（市）。为研究克氏原螯虾对其生境中主要两栖动物泽蛙（Rana limnocharis）的影响,我们于2006年5-6月对广西桂林地区自然生境中克氏原螯虾和泽蛙蝌蚪的数量和密度进行了调查,7月在室内进行了克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪和饰纹姬蛙（Microhyla ornata）蝌蚪的捕食实验。野外调查结果表明克氏原螯虾的密度与泽蛙蝌蚪的密度呈显著负相关。室内实验结果表明克氏原螯虾对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食强度与克氏原螯虾体长呈显著正相关,且对泽蛙蝌蚪的捕食强度高于饰纹姬蛙蝌蚪。表明克氏原螯虾对两栖类幼体有比较严重的危害,应加强监测,采取相应措施预防和控制其危害。     

江西永丰发现长肢林蛙

正2018年6至8月在江西省永丰县、福建省明溪县和武夷山市开展两栖动物调查时采集到5个蛙类标本,经鉴定为长肢林蛙(Rana longicrus),其隶属无尾目蛙科(Ranidae)蛙属。该种最初仅发现于台湾地区(费梁等2009)。2011年10月,胡诗佳等(2012)在广东省惠东县发现该蛙;2012年3月,杨军校在福建省拍到该蛙照片(中国     

Ultrastructural Observations on the Origin and Differentiation of Somatic Cells during Gonadal Development in the Frog Rana nigromaculata

The process of gonad development in the frog Rana nigromaculata was observed using the electron microscope. The gonadal medulla was formed by the proliferation and displacement of the epithelial cells within the primordial gonad, and a distinct continuity was observed between the cortical and medullary cells. Sex differentiation of the gonad occurred directly from the sexually indifferent primordial gonads. In the rudimentary testes, the continuity between the cortical and medullary regions increased closer, and the intermingling of cortical and medullary cells was evident. The inner region of the cortex developed into a cord-like structure and subsequently differentiated into rudimentary seminiferous tubules. The medulla differentiated into the testicular rete and efferent duct. In the rudimentary ovaries, the cortex and medulla were separated and the ovarian cavity was formed in the medullary region. In the cortex, the cortical cells surrounding oocytes which had reached the diplotene stage, differentiated into follicular cells. The intrusion of mesenchymal or blastemal cells derived from extragonadal regions into the cortex or medulla was never observed. These findings do not support Witschi's cortico-medullary antagonistic theory of sex differentiation.     

Covariation in Insular Life-history Traits of the Rice Frog(Fejervarya limnocharis)in Eastern China

Although shifts in life-history traits of insular vertebrates, as compared with mainland populations, have been observed in many taxa, few studies have examined the relationships among individual life-history traits on islands. Lifehistory theory also predicts that there is a trade-off between body size and reproductive effort, and between egg size and clutch size. We surveyed the rice frog, Fejervarya limnocharis, on 20 islands within the Zhoushan Archipelago and two nearby sites on the mainland of China to compare differences in life-history traits and to explore relationships among those traits. Rice frog females reached a greater body size on half of the smaller islands among the total 20 surveyed islands, and larger egg size, decreased clutch size and reduced reproductive effort on most of the islands when compared to the two mainland sites. Insular body size was negatively correlated with reproductive effort. There was a negative correlation between egg size and clutch size. Results suggest that life-history theory provides a good explanation for co-variation between body size and reproductive effort, and between egg size and clutch size in rice frogs on the islands.     

Ultrastructural Aspects of the Endolymphatic Organ in the Frog Rana esculenta

Morphological evidence indicates that the endolymphatic sac of anuran amphibians is involved in the morphogenesis of most statoconia (aragonite crystals). The cells frequently show the aspect of an intense secretory activity, their cytoplasm being totally occupied by a number of vesicles the contents of which might be expelled into the lumen forming the organic—or at times mineral—components of statoconia. Moreover, evidence is presented that another function of the endolymphatic sac might be involvement in a resorptive mechanism for endolymph and for CaCO₃ mobilization from aragonite crystals. In fact, these show clear signs of erosion, consistent with a role as a labile calcium deposit played by the calcareous formations of the endolymphatic sac.     

Local Adaptation and Genetics of Acid-Stress Tolerance in the Moor Frog, Rana arvalis

As potential to adapt to environmental stress can be essential for population persistence, knowledge on the genetic architecture of local adaptation is important for conservation genetics. We investigated the relative importance of additive genetic, dominance and maternal effects contributions to acid stress tolerance in two moor frog (Rana arvalis) populations originating from low and neutral pH habitats. Experiments with crosses obtained from artificial matings revealed that embryos from the acid origin population were more tolerant to low pH than embryos from the neutral origin population in embryonic survival rates, but not in terms of developmental stability, developmental and growth rates. Strong maternal effect and small additive genetic contributions to variation were detected in all traits in both populations. In general, dominance contributions to variance in different traits were of similar magnitude to the additive genetic effects, but dominance effects outweighed the additive genetic and maternal effects contributions to early growth in both populations. Furthermore, the expression of additive genetic variance was independent of pH treatment, suggesting little additive genetic variation in acid stress tolerance. The results suggest that although local genetic adaptation to acid stress has taken place, the current variation in acid stress tolerance in acidified populations may owe largely to non-genetic effects. However, low but significant heritabilities (h ² 0.07–0.22) in all traits – including viability itself – under a wide range of pH conditions suggests that environmental stress created by low pH is unlikely to lower moor frog populations' ability to respond to selection in the traits studied. Nevertheless, acid conditions could lower populations' ability to respond to selection in the long run through reduction in effective population size.     

Adenohypophysial cell types in an Indian freshwater major carp, Catla catla (Hamilton)

The different adenocytes in an Indian freshwater major carp, Catla catla (Hamilton) have been studied by employing various modern staining techniques. Altogether, 8 different cell types have been reported in the adenohypophysis of the aforesaid fish. Variations in the staining intensities of the cell types with the different techniques adopted have been detailed.     

Heterogeneity of Mechanisms of Olfactory Transduction in the Frog Rana temporaria

In experiments on the isolated olfactory lining of the frog Rana temporaria, using the method of supravital fluorescent microscopy and pharmacological analysis, it has been shown that olfactory reception of camphor, unlike that of amyl alcohol, is provided not by one, but by two intracellular signaling systems: the tyrosine kinase and phosphoinositide ones. Heterogeneity of the mechanisms of olfactory reception seems to be due to their evolution associated with the appearance of novel odorants in environment.     

泽蛙的性腺分化及温度对性别决定的影响

通过组织学方法观察了泽蛙(Rana limnocharis)原始生殖细胞(PGCs)的迁移、原始性腺的形成和性腺分化,并且探讨在不同的培育温度条件下性腺分化的差异。泽蛙的性腺分化有其特殊性:生殖嵴形成时,其中既有体细胞,又有原生殖细胞;无论原始性腺是分化成为精巢还是卵巢,其中都出现一个初生性腔。蝌蚪孵化后的17-34d(Gosner 26-38期)为性腺分化的敏感时期。在蝌蚪孵化后的第2d(Gosner 25期),分别用不同水温18℃±1℃、30℃±1℃、32℃±1℃、34℃±1℃培育蝌蚪,直至完成变态幼蛙(Gosner 46期)形成。自然水温23℃-25℃为对照。对照组的雌、雄性比接近1∶1(1∶1.06);18℃±1℃实验组的雌、雄比例为1.83∶1,雄性率仅35.1%(P<0.01);从30℃±1℃实验组起,雄性率提高,34℃±1℃实验组的雄性率达74.0%(P<0.01)。较高的培育温度可使泽蛙蝌蚪性别分化趋向雄性,而较低的培育温度则使蝌蚪雌性化。泽蛙的性别分化属于温度依赖型性决定(TSD)。当前全球性气候变暖对两栖类性比的稳定存在着威胁。     

The Visual Acuity of the Frog (Rana pipiens )

The frog's visual acuity for gratings was tested with a two-choice prey-dummy setup. The two dummies had a constant position in the visual field, but in one of them a striped pattern was constantly drifting, while the other was a potentially less attention arousing dummy with non-moving stripes. The acuity was tested in bright white light and with different brightness levels of green light (500 nm). The highest acuity 2.8 cycles per degree was achieved with the maximum level of green light. When the brightness was lowered by six orders of magnitude the acuity fell to 0.7 cycles per degree. These behavioural acuities are compared with a theoretically calculated resolving power of the retinal ganglion cell array.