Morphology of the spermatozoa of the Microhylidae (Anura, Amphibia) |
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Authors: | David M. Scheltinga,Barrie G. M. Jamieson,David P. Bickford,Adrian A. Garda,Sô nia N. Bá o, Keith R. McDonald |
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Affiliation: | Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Qld, 4072, Australia;;Tropical Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124–0421, USA;;Departamento de Biologia Celular, Universidade de Brazilia, Brasília, DF, 70910–900, Brazil;Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, PO Box 834, Atherton, Qld, 4883, Australia |
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Abstract: | Microhylid spermatozoa show the autapomorphic condition of possessing a thin post-mitochondrial cytoplasmic collar. Their spermatozoa are apomorphic in several respects. They have lost the distinct nuclear shoulder, endonuclear canal and axial perforatorium observed in urodeles, caecilians and primitive frogs, possess a conical perforatorium and apomorphically lack any fibres associated with the axoneme. The spermatozoa of Cophixalus , however, differ in several respects from those of the other microhylids examined. Cophixalus spermatozoa are longer in almost all measurements, the acrosome vesicle is cylindrical and does not completely cover the putative perforatorium, the perforatorium is asymmetrical and composed of fine fibres, the nucleus is strongly attenuated and narrower, and the mitochondria are elongate. The absence of fibres associated with the axoneme is an apomorphic condition shared with the Ranidae, Rhacophoridae and Pipidae. |
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Keywords: | spermatozoa ultrastructure microhylid frog phylogeny reproduction |
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