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A Scanning Electron Microscopic Study of Adhesive Pad Development in the Frog

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 July 2020

T.A. Ba-Omar  and
J.R. Downie
T.A. Ba-Omar
Affiliation:
Biology Department, College of Science, Sultan Qaboos University, POBox 36 Al- Khod 123 Muscat, Sultanate of Oman.
J.R. Downie
Affiliation:
Division of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK
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Extract

We have been investigating the development of the toe-pads of the frog Phyllomedusa irinhuiis. Several families of frog appear to have evolved rather similar digits with expanded terminal pads where ventral surfaces are specialised for adhesion. Although toe-pad structure has been extensively studied, development - which may gives clues to evolution - has not.

Adult and eggs of P. Iriniialis were collected from Trinidad, West Indies. Tadpoles were grown in our aquarium in Glasgow. We fixed front and hind digits of tadpoles at Gosner (1960) stages 37-42, froglets at stage 43-46, and adults. Pads were then processed for SEM.

Adult toe pads have a specialised epidermis with a surface layer of hexagonallyshaped cells, separated by deep clefts into which mucus glands open. Each pad is separated from the rest of the digit by a circumferal groove (Fig. 1).

Type
Developmental Biology
Information
Microscopy and Microanalysis , Volume 4 , Issue S2: Proceedings: Microscopy & Microanalysis '98, Microscopy Society of America 56th Annual Meeting, Microbeam Analysis Society 32nd Annual Meeting, Atlanta, Georgia July 12-16, 1998 , July 1998 , pp. 1172 - 1173
Copyright
Copyright © Microscopy Society of America

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References

1.K.L. Gosner, . Herpetologica 16(1960): 183–190.Google Scholar