Structure and evolution of the sexually dimorphic integumentary swelling on the hands of dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatoidea).

ABSTRACT: The hands of adult males of many dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives possess swelling formed by glandular tissue hypothesized to secrete courtship pheromones delivered to the female during cephalic amplexus. Variation in the occurrence and external morphology of the swelling of finger IV has provided important evidence for dendrobatoid systematics for decades, but its underlying structure has not been investigated. We undertook a detailed comparative analysis of the integument of the hand, including both external morphology and histology, of 36 species representing the diversity of dendrobatoid frogs and several close relatives. The swelling is caused by four densely packed, hypertrophic, morpho-histochemical types of specialized mucous glands (SMGs). We observed type I SMGs on fi

SUBMITTER: Cavalcanti IRS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8819055 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature