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Morphology of the spermatozoa of the Microhylidae (Anura, Amphibia)
Author(s) -
Scheltinga David M.,
Jamieson Barrie G. M.,
Bickford David P.,
Garda Adrian A.,
Báo Sônia N.,
McDonald Keith R.
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
acta zoologica
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.414
H-Index - 37
eISSN - 1463-6395
pISSN - 0001-7272
DOI - 10.1046/j.1463-6395.2002.00066.x
Subject(s) - axoneme , biology , acrosome , anatomy , flagellum , semen , genetics , gene
Microhylid spermatozoa show the autapomorphic condition of possessing a thin post‐mitochondrial cytoplasmic collar. Their spermatozoa are apomorphic in several respects. They have lost the distinct nuclear shoulder, endonuclear canal and axial perforatorium observed in urodeles, caecilians and primitive frogs, possess a conical perforatorium and apomorphically lack any fibres associated with the axoneme. The spermatozoa of Cophixalus , however, differ in several respects from those of the other microhylids examined. Cophixalus spermatozoa are longer in almost all measurements, the acrosome vesicle is cylindrical and does not completely cover the putative perforatorium, the perforatorium is asymmetrical and composed of fine fibres, the nucleus is strongly attenuated and narrower, and the mitochondria are elongate. The absence of fibres associated with the axoneme is an apomorphic condition shared with the Ranidae, Rhacophoridae and Pipidae.