Dental morphology and diet in anuran amphibians from south India

Das, Indraneil and Coe, M. (1994) Dental morphology and diet in anuran amphibians from south India. Journal of Zoology, 233 (3). pp. 417-427. ISSN 1469-7998

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Abstract

The morphology of the jaw and palatine surfaces of eight species of metamorphosed anuran amphibians (Microhyla ornata, M. rubra, Uperodon systoma, Tomopterna rolandae, Polypedates maculatus, Rana cyanophlycris, R. crassa and R. hexadactyla) from a locality in south India, were examined by scanning electron microscopy. A relationship was observed between dentition (or its absence) and diet. In large prey feeders, there is a strong tendency towards the development of large secondary (or even tertiary) cusps, while myrmecophagous and termitophagous species lack teeth. In the largely folivorous adults of Rana hexadactyla, secondary cusps are reduced to faint ridges and the tooth is cylindro-conical (as opposed to the recurved teeth with apices oriented lingually or distally in the insectivorous species). Although the phylogenetic relationships within members of the community are largely unknown, the oral armature is reflective of diet, and may represent adaptive suites.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: anuran amphibians, south India, Dental morphology, unimas, university, universiti, Borneo, Malaysia, Sarawak, Kuching, Samarahan, ipta, education, research, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak.
Subjects: Q Science > Q Science (General)
Q Science > QL Zoology
Divisions: Academic Faculties, Institutes and Centres > Faculty of Resource Science and Technology
Faculties, Institutes, Centres > Faculty of Resource Science and Technology
Depositing User: Gani
Date Deposited: 14 Mar 2019 01:21
Last Modified: 14 Mar 2019 01:21
URI: http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/24020

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