1. Sperm morphology of five species of Colostethus (Anura, Dendrobatidae) from Brazil, with phylogenetic comments.
- Author
-
Veiga‐Menoncello, Ana Cristina P., Lima, Albertina P., and Recco‐Pimentel, Shirlei M.
- Subjects
- *
SPERMATOZOA , *MITOCHONDRIA , *MORPHOLOGY , *PHYSICAL sciences - Abstract
We describe the sperm ultrastructure of five species of Colostethus from Brazil. The general structures of the spermatozoa (acrosomal complex and flagellar apparatus) were similar to species within the Bufonoidea. Colostethus brunneus, Colostethus sp. (aff. trilineatus), Colostethus nidicola and Colostethus sp. had biflagellated spermatozoa, whereas the spermatozoa of Colostethus stepheni had a single flagellum, a characteristic previously unknown for this genus. In addition, the spermatozoa of this species showed some mitochondria within the thick, undulating membrane. These characteristics are apparently common to dendrobatid species that have a single flagellum. Based on these findings, we tentatively consider biflagellarity to be an apomorphic condition in the Dendrobatidae. In addition, the results described here do not support the proposed regrouping of the ‘ brunneus’ and ‘ alagoanus’ groups in a monophyletic ‘ trilineatus’ group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF