Evolution salamanders

The delivery of male courtship pheromones is widespread among plethodontid salamanders (Houck and Arnold 2003), and other courtship pheromones are being discovered for this group (Houck, Palmer, Watts, Arnold, Feldhoff and Feldhoff 2007). The mode by which these pheromones are transferred to the female apparently has been modified from delivery via diffusion into the circulatory system to delivery that directly stimulates vomeronasal receptors (Fig. 20.1 Houck and Sever 1994 Watts et al. 2004 Palmer et al. 2005 Palmer et al. 2007). The behavior patterns and morphologies associated with these two delivery modes often remain static for millions of years. In contrast, evolution at the level of pheromone signals is apparently an incessant process that continuously alters the protein sequence and composition of pheromones both within and among species (Watts et al. 2004 Palmer et al. 2005 Palmer et al. 2007). 

Chippindale, P.R., Bonett, R.M., Baldwin, A.S. and Wiens, J.J. (2004) Phylogenetic evidence for a major reversal of life-history evolution in plethodontid salamanders. Evol. 58, 2809-2822. 

Houck, L.D. 1986. The evolution of salamander courtship pheromones. In D. Duvall, D. MiHler-Schwarze and R.M. Silverstein. (Eds.) Chemical Signals in Vertebrates, Vol. IV Ecology, Evolution, and Comparative Biology. Plenum Press, New York. Pp. 173-190. 

Palmer, C., Watts, R.A., Houck, L.D., Picard, A.L. and Arnold, SJ. (2007) Evolutionary replacement of pheromone components in a salamander signaling complex more evidence for phenotypic-molecular decoupling. Evolution 61, 202-215. 

Dawley EM (1985) Evolution of chemical signals as a premafing isolation mechanism in a complex of terrestrial salamanders. In Duvall D, MuUer-Schwarze D, Silverstein RM (eds) Chemical signals in vertebrates, vol. IV. Plenum, New York, NY, p 221... 

Reagan, N. L., 1992, Evolution of sexual isolation in salamanders of Ihe genus Plethodon. Doctoral Thesis,... 

Arnold, S.J. 1977. The evolution of courtship behavior in New World salamanders with some comments on Old World salamanders. In The Reproductive Biology of Amphibians (Ed. by D.H. Taylor S.I. Guttman), pp. 141—183. New York Plenum Press. 

Arnold, S.J. 1972. The evolution of courtship behavior in salamanders. Ph.D. thesis, University of Michigan. 

Houck, L.D., Arnold, S.J. Thisted, R.A. 1985. A statistical study of mate choice sexual selection in a plethodontid salamander Desmognathus ochrophaeus. Evolution, 39, 370—386. 

Maxson LR, Highton R, Wake DB (1979) Albumin evolution and its phylogenetic implications in the plethodontid salamander genera Plethadon and Ensatina. Copeia 1979 502-508... 

Larson A, Wilson A (1989) Patterns of ribosomal RNA evolution in salamanders. Mol Biol Evol 6 131-154... 

Noble, G. K., 1927, The plethodontid salamanders some aspects of their evolution. Am. Mus. Novit., 249 1. 

Jaeger, R. G, 1970, Potential extinction through competition between two species of terrestrial salamanders. Evolution, 24 632. 

Jaeger, R. G., 1980b, Density-dependent and density-independent causes of extinction of a salamander population. Evolution, 34 617. 

EVOLUTION OF CHEMICAL SIGNALS AS A PREMATING ISOLATING MECHANISM IN A COMPLEX OF TERRESTRIAL SALAMANDERS... 

Before delving into the evolution of various kinds of mimicry, we should explore a facet of mimicry barely touched upon above sympatry, or the idea that all models, mimics, and predators must co-exist (at least figuratively within the memory span of the predator) if successful learning is to be feasible. Most often attention has been focused on geographic sympatry. This subject has been examined extensively by Sheppard (1959), Ford (1975), and Turner (1975) and will not be discussed here beyond calling attention to two vertebrate examples of accurate sympatry coral snakes (Greene and McDiarmid, 1981) and salamanders (Huheey and Brandon, 1974). 

Wake, D.B. and Hanken, J. (1996) Direct development in the lungless salamanders what are the consequences for developmental biology, evolution and phylogenesis . International Journal of Developmental Biology, 40, 859-69. 

In his book The Ancestor s Tale, biologist Richard Dawkins (2004) tells of salamanders that inhabit the mountains that ring California s Central Valley. The salamanders, it is believed, migrated (over time) south from the northern end of the valley, following the two mountain chains that line its east and west sides - the valley itself is inhospitable to the creatures. By the time the salamanders arrived at the southern end of the valley, where the mountains rejoin, the east-west divergence had resulted in the evolution of two separate species that do not recognize each other and will not... 

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