Fish introduction is one of the main causes of amphibian decline worldwide. It affects particularly rare aquatic phenotypes such as paedomorphs, which retain gills during the adult stage. In this context, we determine...Fish introduction is one of the main causes of amphibian decline worldwide. It affects particularly rare aquatic phenotypes such as paedomorphs, which retain gills during the adult stage. In this context, we determined whether small wetlands, such as pools surrounding fished and fishless lakes, could sustain paedomorphic and metamorphic newts. To this end, we surveyed lakes known historically to sustain Alpine newts Ichthyosaura alpestris as well as 35 nearby pools. On the basis of the published records, the only known population exhibiting paedomorphosis in the Swiss AIps was found to be extirpated by salmonid introductions. However, the metamorphs persisted in per- ipheral pools, paedomorphosis was discovered at a new locality, and overwintering larvae were still present in one of the lakes. These results show the importance of conserving varied aquatic habitats such as pools in mountainous environments where the main resources can become un- suitable for amphibians because of fish introductions. Pools may also function as reservoirs in maintaining newt populations until programs to remove fish from lakes can be carried out. It is not known if paedomorphs could reappear after fish removal. However, the combined resilience of am- phibians after fish removal and the genetic basis for paedomorphosis highlighted in other taxa by previous studies suggest that there is the potential to maintain this intraspecific case of diversity even after its disappearance.展开更多
Paedomorphosis is an alternative process to metamorphosis in which adults retain larval traits at the adult stage. It is frequent in newts and salamanders, where larvae reach sexual maturity with- out losing their gil...Paedomorphosis is an alternative process to metamorphosis in which adults retain larval traits at the adult stage. It is frequent in newts and salamanders, where larvae reach sexual maturity with- out losing their gills. However, in some populations, larvae overwinter in water, while remaining immature. These alternative ontogenetic processes are of particular interest in various research fields, but have different causes and consequences, as only paedomorphosis allows metamor- phosis to be bypassed before maturity. It is thus relevant to efficiently identify paedomorphs ver- sus overwintering larvae. In this context, the aim of this article was 3-fold： firstly, to perform a meta-analysis of the identification procedures carried out in the literature; secondly, to determine the effectiveness of body size to make inferences about adulthood by surveying natural newt popu- lations of Lissotriton helveticus and Ichthyosaura alpestris, and thirdly, to propose easy guidelines for an accurate distinction between large larvae and paedomorphs based on an external sexual trait, which is essential for reproduction--the cloaca. More than half of the studies in the literature do not mention the diagnostic criteria used for determining adulthood. The criteria mentioned were the presence of mature gonads （10%）, eggs laid （4%）, courtship behavior （10%）, and external morphological sexual traits （39%） including the cloaca （24%）. Body-size thresholds should not be used as a proxy for paedomorphosis, because overwintering larvae can reach a larger size than paedomorphs within the same populations. In contrast, diagnosis based on cloacal external morphology is recommended, as it can be processed by the rapid visual assessment of all caught specimens, thus providing straightforward data at the individual level for both sexes.展开更多
文摘Fish introduction is one of the main causes of amphibian decline worldwide. It affects particularly rare aquatic phenotypes such as paedomorphs, which retain gills during the adult stage. In this context, we determined whether small wetlands, such as pools surrounding fished and fishless lakes, could sustain paedomorphic and metamorphic newts. To this end, we surveyed lakes known historically to sustain Alpine newts Ichthyosaura alpestris as well as 35 nearby pools. On the basis of the published records, the only known population exhibiting paedomorphosis in the Swiss AIps was found to be extirpated by salmonid introductions. However, the metamorphs persisted in per- ipheral pools, paedomorphosis was discovered at a new locality, and overwintering larvae were still present in one of the lakes. These results show the importance of conserving varied aquatic habitats such as pools in mountainous environments where the main resources can become un- suitable for amphibians because of fish introductions. Pools may also function as reservoirs in maintaining newt populations until programs to remove fish from lakes can be carried out. It is not known if paedomorphs could reappear after fish removal. However, the combined resilience of am- phibians after fish removal and the genetic basis for paedomorphosis highlighted in other taxa by previous studies suggest that there is the potential to maintain this intraspecific case of diversity even after its disappearance.
文摘Paedomorphosis is an alternative process to metamorphosis in which adults retain larval traits at the adult stage. It is frequent in newts and salamanders, where larvae reach sexual maturity with- out losing their gills. However, in some populations, larvae overwinter in water, while remaining immature. These alternative ontogenetic processes are of particular interest in various research fields, but have different causes and consequences, as only paedomorphosis allows metamor- phosis to be bypassed before maturity. It is thus relevant to efficiently identify paedomorphs ver- sus overwintering larvae. In this context, the aim of this article was 3-fold： firstly, to perform a meta-analysis of the identification procedures carried out in the literature; secondly, to determine the effectiveness of body size to make inferences about adulthood by surveying natural newt popu- lations of Lissotriton helveticus and Ichthyosaura alpestris, and thirdly, to propose easy guidelines for an accurate distinction between large larvae and paedomorphs based on an external sexual trait, which is essential for reproduction--the cloaca. More than half of the studies in the literature do not mention the diagnostic criteria used for determining adulthood. The criteria mentioned were the presence of mature gonads （10%）, eggs laid （4%）, courtship behavior （10%）, and external morphological sexual traits （39%） including the cloaca （24%）. Body-size thresholds should not be used as a proxy for paedomorphosis, because overwintering larvae can reach a larger size than paedomorphs within the same populations. In contrast, diagnosis based on cloacal external morphology is recommended, as it can be processed by the rapid visual assessment of all caught specimens, thus providing straightforward data at the individual level for both sexes.
