BIOL 3114 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Cane Toad, Lungless Salamander, Aquatic Feeding Mechanisms
20 Oct 2016
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Chapter 10 the amphibians: life in water and on land. Extant amphibians form a monophyletic (maybe) group called lissamphibia. Earliest lissamphibian fossils from early mesozoic (triassic) Better known from jurassic representative of all 3 modern orders. 3 orders: order caudata (urodela) salamanders, newts. Least specialized body plan basic tetrapod form: order anura frogs and toads. Distinctive morphology specialized for jumping (saltation) or swimming with hind limbs for thrust: order gympnophiona caecilians. Often line in burrows, crevices, under leaf debris. ~590 species, check out table 10. 2 (families of salamanders) Mostly in northern hemisphere (north america, eurasia, south america) Most diverse in se united states (appalachian mountains, ozark plateau, california, Make up 9 families, but 2. 3 of species belong to the family plethodontidae, lungless salamanders: rely on gas exchange through skin, live in clean, fast running water. Largest, japanese and chinese giant salamanders, andrias, >1 meter, 140 lbs, 55 year lifetime. Smallest salamander: discovered in georgia, 2009.
