01616nas a2200157   4500008004100000245009400041210006900135300001400204490000800218520108700226100001801313700002801331700002101359700002401380856005401404       1997                        eng d00aJaw muscle development as evidence from embryonic repatterning in direct-developing frogs0 aJaw muscle development as evidence from embryonic repatterning i  a1349-13540 v2643 aThe Puerto Rican direct-developing frog Eleutherodactylus coqui (Leptodactylidae) displays a novel mode of jaw muscle development for anuran amphibians. Unlike metamorphosing species, several larval-specific features never form in E. coqui; embryonic muscle primordia initially assume an abbreviated, mid-metamorphic configuration that is soon remodelled to form the adult morphology before hatching. Also lacking are both the distinct population of larval myofibres and the conspicuous, larval-to-adult myofibre turnover that are characteristic of muscle development in metamorphosing species. These modifications are part of a comprehensive alteration in embryonic cranial patterning that has accompanied life history evolution in this highly speciose lineage. Embryonic ’repatterning’ in Eleutherodactylus may reflect underlying developmental mechanisms that mediate the integrated evolution of complex structures. Such mechanisms may also facilitate, in organisms with a primitively complex life cycle, the evolutionary dissociation of embryonic, larval, and adult features.1 aHanken, James1 aKlymkowsky, Michael, W.1 aAlley, Keith, E.1 aJennings, David, H.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/46202313nas a2200205   4500008004100000245004600041210004600087260001500133300001400148490000800162520172000170100001901890700002301909700001601932700002201948700002001970700001901990700001602009856008202025       2003                        eng d00aMultiple overseas dispersal in amphibians0 aMultiple overseas dispersal in amphibians  c7 December  a2435-24420 v2703 aAmphibians are thought to be unable to disperse over ocean barriers because they do not tolerate the osmotic stress of salt water. Their distribution patterns have therefore generally been explained by vicariance biogeography. Here, we present compelling evidence for overseas dispersal of frogs in the Indian Ocean region based on the discovery of two endemic species on Mayotte. This island belongs to the Comoro archipelago, which is entirely volcanic and surrounded by sea depths of more than 3500 m. This constitutes the first observation of endemic amphibians on oceanic islands that did not have any past physical contact to other land masses. The two species of frogs had previously been thought to be non-endemic and introduced from Madagascar, but clearly represent new species based on their morphological and genetic differentiation. They belong to the genera Mantidactylus and Boophis in the family Mantellidae that is otherwise restricted to Madagascar, and are distinguished by morphology and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from mantellid species occurring in Madagascar. This discovery permits us to update and test molecular clocks for frogs distributed in this region. The new calibrations are in agreement with previous rate estimates and indicate two further Cenozoic transmarine dispersal events that had previously been interpreted as vicariance: hyperoliid frogs from Africa to Madagascar (Heterixalus) and from Madagascar to the Seychelles islands (Tachycnemis). Our results provide the strongest evidence so far that overseas dispersal of amphibians exists and is no rare exception, although vicariance certainly retains much of its importance in explaining amphibian biogeography.1 aVences, Miguel1 aVieites, David, R.1 aGlaw, Frank1 aBrinkmann, Henner1 aKosuch, Joachim1 aVeith, Michael1 aMeyer, Axel  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/V/Vences%20et%20al%202003.pdf01918nas a2200157   4500008004100000245014700041210006900188260001300257300001400270490000800284520130200292100002601594700001901620700001601639856010501655       2004                        eng d00aNovel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic brevicipitine and scaphiophrynine toads as revealed by sequences from the nuclear Rag-1 gene0 aNovel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic brevicipitine   cAugust 7  aS378-S3810 v2713 aOwing to a general paucity of characters and an apparently high level of homoplasy, the systematics of frogs have remained disputed. A phylogeny based on the single-copy nuclear Rag-1 gene revealed unexpected placements of scaphiophrynine and brevicipitine toads. The former have usually been considered as sister group to all other extant microhylids or are even classified as a separate family. Their basal position among microhylids was weakly indicated in our analysis; but they clearly are part of a strongly supported clade composed of representatives from five other microhylid subfamilies. By contrast, the brevicipitines, a group that hitherto was unanimously considered to belong to the Microhylidae, were highly divergent and placed as a sister group to the arthroleptoid clade. These novel phylogenetic placements are best reflected by a classificatory status of the Scaphiophryninae as a subfamily of the Microhylidae, whereas the brevicipitines may merit recognition as a distinct family. Our findings seem to corroborate a high degree of morphological homoplasy in frogs and suggest that even highly derived morphological states, such as the hydrostatic tongue of microhylids, hemisotids and brevicipitines, may be subject to convergent evolution, parallelism or character reversal.1 avan der Meijden, Arie1 aVences, Miguel1 aMeyer, Axel  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/V/van%20der%20Meijden%20et%20al%202004.pdf