| ocular development and involution in the european cave salamander, proteus anguinus laurenti. | the anatomy and development of the eye of proteus anguinus are described. the relationships between organogenesis of the eye in embryos and larva and its involution in the young and the adult are discussed. the availability (in breeding cultures) of a significant number of proteus embryos (which are normally rare) allowed experimental analysis of the effects of light, xenoplastic differentiation and thyroid hormones on the development of the eye. the results of this study suggest that developmen ... | 1976 | 1016662 |
| [an atrial hematopoietic locus in the heart of the cave salamander (urodele amphibian)]. | lungless salamanders of the family plethodontidae have a reduced interatrial septum. the pulmonary vein is lacking. in these species, the septum as a membranous thin sheet attaches near the dorsal lip of the sino-atrial valve where a connective and muscular column, supporting the valve, extends its branches over the upper wall of the undivided atrial cavity where a sponge-like structure is formed. the meshes of this structure are the site of a erythropoietic activity as shown in the plates. earl ... | 1990 | 2102069 |
| behavioral evidence and supporting electrophysiological observations for electroreception in the blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus (urodela). | conditioning experiments revealed that proteus perceives a back-and-forth moving (approximately 1 hz) direct-current field and its polarity. minimum behavioral thresholds occurred at a current density of 0.15 microa/cm2, corresponding to a voltage gradient of 0.5 mv/cm. recordings from afferent nerve fibers showed that ampullary electroreceptors in proteus respond as do other nonteleost receptors, i.e. with an increase in discharge rate to cathodal current and a decrease to anodal current (thres ... | 1988 | 3233487 |
| persistence of retinal dopamine cells in the degenerated eye of the cave salamander, proteus anguinus l. | the proteus anguinus l. is a blind cave perennibranch amphibian whose visual system undergoes an important morphogenetic degeneration in adulthood. the eyeball becomes atrophied and disappears under the fat tissue of the head. however, a retina can still be identified and a photophobic behavior of the animal indicates a remaining photosensitivity. in the oldest animal observed, some photoreceptor cells are still present as well as other types of retinal neurons. characteristic synapses are obser ... | 1987 | 3441352 |
| some evidence for the ampullary organs in the european cave salamander proteus anguinus (urodela, amphibia). | the multicellular epithelial organs in proteus anguinus, which bugnion (1873) assumed to be developing neuromasts, have been analyzed by light- and electron-microscopy. their fundamental structure consists of single ampullae with sensory and accessory cells with apical parts that extend into the pit of the ampulla, and of a short jelly-filled canal connecting the ampulla pit with the surface of the skin. the organs are located intra-epithelially and are supported by a tiny dermal papilla. the ce ... | 1984 | 6705040 |
| behavioral sensitivity of the european blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus, and a pyrenean newt, euproctus asper, to electrical fields in water. | in the urodeles proteus anguinus and euproctus asper, thresholds of an overt avoidance response to weak electrical field stimuli (continuous sine-waves) were measured as a function of frequency. thresholds down to 0.1 mv/cm (30 na/cm2) were found in p. anguinus and 2 mv/cm (600 na/cm2) in e. asper at 'best frequencies' (b.f.) of 20-30 hz, but sensitivity covered a total frequency range of below 0.1 hz to 1-2 khz, with up to 70 db higher thresholds. average thresholds of 1 mv/cm in p. anguinus an ... | 1997 | 9063590 |
| tuning of electroreceptors in the blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus l. | the blind cave salamander's (proteus anguinus l.) sensitivity for electrical fields was determined by recordings from afferent fibers coming from ampullary electroreceptors. the animals were stimulated with single rectangular or continuous sinusoidal electrical signals passed through the cave water in the experimental tank. best threshold sensitivities of the fibers for both kinds of signals were in the same range (0.1-0.5 mv/cm = 30-150 na/cm2). the fibers showed phase-locked responses to rostr ... | 1997 | 9063591 |
| population-specific behavioral electrosensitivity of the european blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus. | in nine salamanders from different slovenian populations of the urodele proteus anguinus, including three specimens of its 'black' variety, p anguinus parkelj, thresholds of an overt avoidance response to electrical field stimuli were estimated as a function of frequency (continuous sine-waves in water). thresholds down to 0.3v/cm (ca 100 na/cm2) and up to 2 mv/cm (670 na/cm2), at 'best frequencies' of around 30 hz were found. sensitivity covered a total frequency range of below 1 hz, excluding ... | 1997 | 9326735 |
| functional morphology of the inner ear and underwater audiograms of proteus anguinus (amphibia, urodela). | octavolateral sensory organs (auditory and lateral line organs) of cave salamander proteus anguinus are highly differentiated. in the saccular macula of the inner ear the complex pattern of hair cell orientation and the large otoconial mass enable particle displacement direction detection. additionally, the same organ, through air cavities within the body, enables detection of underwater sound pressure changes thus acting as a hearing organ. the cavities in the lungs and mouth of proteus are a r ... | 2000 | 10653179 |
| the ultrastructure of photoreceptor cells in the pineal organ of the blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus (amphibia, urodela). | we studied ultrastructure of the photoreceptor cells in the pineal organ of blind, depigmented, neotenic cave salamander, proteus anguinus. unlike in epigean vertebrates the outer segments of most photoreceptor cells consists of concentrically arranged lamellae, however; in few cells, the outer segments contain 7-9 plasma membrane disks. in both types of photoreceptor cells the outer segments enclose lumps of vesicles of different sizes. the photoreceptor cells of proteus anguinus are similar to ... | 2000 | 10653183 |
| immunocytochemical demonstration of visual pigments in the degenerate retinal and pineal photoreceptors of the blind cave salamander (proteus anguinus). | visual pigments in the regressed eye and pineal of the depigmented neotenic urodele, the blind cave salamander (proteus anguinus anguinus), were studied by immunocytochemistry with anti-opsin antibodies. the study included light- and electron-microscopic investigations of both the eye and the pineal organ. a comparison was made with the black pigmented subspecies proteus anguinus parkelj (black proteus), which has a normal eye structure. in the retina of the black proteus, we found principal rod ... | 2001 | 11236001 |
| immunohistochemical localization of atrial natriuretic factor and autoradiographic distribution of atrial natriuretic factor-binding sites in the brain of the cave salamander hydromantes genei (amphibia, plethodontidae). | the distribution of atrial natriuretic factor (anf)-like immunoreactivity in the central nervous system of the cave salamander hydromantes genei (amphibia, plethodontidae) was investigated by using antisera raised against rat and human anf(1-28). concurrently, the location of anf-binding sites was determined by autoradiography, using radioiodinated human anf(1-28) as a tracer. in several regions of the brain, including the olfactory bulb, the preoptic area, the ventral thalamus, the tectum of th ... | 2001 | 11494254 |
| biogenesis of melanosomes in kupffer cells of proteus anguinus (urodela, amphibia). | the ultrastructural characteristics of melanosomes and premelanosomes observed during the biogenesis of melanosomes in liver pigment cells of the neotenic cave salamander proteus anguinus (proteidae) are described. it is well known that amphibian liver pigment cells, also known as kupffer cells (kc), contain melanosomes and are able to synthesize melanin. liver pigment cells of p. anguinus contain numerous siderosomes and melanosomes. the melanosomes are grouped together within single-membrane-b ... | 2003 | 12859617 |
| histology and ultrastructure of the gut epithelium of the neotenic cave salamander, proteus anguinus (amphibia, caudata). | histological, histochemical, and ultrastructural features of the gut of the european endemic cave salamander proteus anguinus were studied. the gut is a relatively undifferentiated muscular tube lined with a simple columnar epithelium containing numerous goblet cells. the mucosa and underlying lamina propria/submucosa are elevated into a number of high longitudinal folds projecting into the lumen. the enterocytes are covered apically with uniform microvilli. irregularity in the arrangement of mi ... | 2004 | 14666527 |
| structure and evolution of the mitochondrial control region and flanking sequences in the european cave salamander proteus anguinus. | the european cave salamander proteus anguinus laurenti 1768 is one of the best-known subterranean animals, yet its evolutionary history and systematic relationships remain enigmatic. this is the first comprehensive study on molecular evolution within the taxon, using an mtdna segment containing the control region (cr) and adjacent sequences. two to seven tandem repeats of 24-32 bp were found in the intergenic spacer region (vntr1), and three, four or six repeats, 59-77 bp each, in the 3' end of ... | 2006 | 16764998 |
| ultrastructure of previtellogene oocytes in the neotenic cave salamander proteus anguinus anguinus (amphibia, urodela, proteidae). | oogenesis in the neotenic, cave dwelling salamander proteus anguinus anguinus has not been studied yet, and this study provides a detailed description of the early growth of the oocytes. early previtellogene oocytes ranging from 100 to 600 µm in diameter were examined by light and transmission electron microscopy. the oocytes were divided into two stages based on size, color, and histology. stage i oocytes can be identified by their transparent cytoplasm and a homogenous juxtanuclear mass, compo ... | 2010 | 20177720 |
| extreme lifespan of the human fish (proteus anguinus): a challenge for ageing mechanisms. | theories of extreme lifespan evolution in vertebrates commonly implicate large size and predator-free environments together with physiological characteristics like low metabolism and high protection against oxidative damages. here, we show that the 'human fish' (olm, proteus anguinus), a small cave salamander (weighing 15-20 g), has evolved an extreme life-history strategy with a predicted maximum lifespan of over 100 years, an adult average lifespan of 68.5 years, an age at sexual maturity of 1 ... | 2011 | 20659920 |
| the free-radical damage theory: accumulating evidence against a simple link of oxidative stress to ageing and lifespan. | recent work on a small european cave salamander (proteus anguinus) has revealed that it has exceptional longevity, yet it appears to have unexceptional defences against oxidative damage. this paper comes at the end of a string of other studies that are calling into question the free-radical damage theory of ageing. this theory rose to prominence in the 1990s as the dominant theory for why we age and die. despite substantial correlative evidence to support it, studies in the last five years have ... | 2011 | 21290398 |
| pcb accumulation and tissue distribution in cave salamander (proteus anguinus anguinus, amphibia, urodela) in the polluted karstic hinterland of the krupa river, slovenia. | for over two decades, a manufacturer of electrical capacitors disposed of its waste within the karstic hinterland of the krupa river (slovenia) resulting in the surroundings becomming heavily polluted with pcb. albeit the extent of the contamination has been known since 1983 and the krupa river has become one of the most pcb polluted river in europe, the effects on the cave fauna of the region remain unknown. the most famous cave dweller of the krupa hinterland is the endemic cave salamander pro ... | 2011 | 21658741 |
| isotopic evidence for methane-based chemosynthesis in the upper floridan aquifer food web. | anecdotal observations of the dougherty plain cave crayfish (cambarus cryptodytes), the georgia blind cave salamander (haideotriton wallacei), and albinistic isopods (caecidotea sp.) at great depths below the land surface and distant from river corridors suggest that obligate aquifer-dwelling (troglobitic) organisms are widely distributed throughout the limestone upper floridan aquifer (ufa). one mechanism by which subterranean life can proliferate in an environment void of plant productivity is ... | 2006 | 16862438 |
| [oswaldocruzia bonai n. sp. (nematoda, trichostrongylina, molineoidea),a parasite of a sardinian cave salamander]. | the oswaldocruzia parasites of amphibians in europe are closely related. contrary to this, the new species oswaldocruzia bonai discovered in the cave salamander from sardinia shows particular and archaic characters: dorsal ray of the caudal bursa well developed and tips of the rays 4 equidistant from those of the 3 and 5; female with few eggs of large size. the lack of ridges in front of each lateral cord is a character shared with ethiopian species but which differentiated the sardinian species ... | 1995 | 8778666 |
| predation in caves: the effects of prey immobility and darkness on the foraging behaviour of two salamanders, euproctus asper and proteus anguinus. | the behavioural responses of the blind cave salamander proteus anguinus and the pyrenean salamander euproctus asper (a facultative cave dweller) to living and dead chironomids offered in light or in darkness were studied experimentally. both species were able to detect and locate single prey items positioned at distances of 30 cm. proteus responded to dead prey in light faster and captured live prey in darkness earlier than e. asper. e. asper captured live prey in light earlier than in darkness. ... | 1992 | 24924789 |
| pedigree analysis for the genetic management of group-living species. | captive breeding programs are an important tool for the conservation of endangered species. these programs are commonly managed using pedigrees containing information about the history of each individual's family, such as breeding pairs and parentage. however, there are some species that are kept in groups where it is hard to distinguish between particular individuals within the group, making it very difficult to record any information at an individual level. currently, software and methods comm ... | 2016 | 27092236 |
| the structure and visual function of the eye of larval and adult cave salamanders typhlotriton spelaeus. | | 1964 | 14193846 |
| recent divergence with gene flow in tennessee cave salamanders (plethodontidae: gyrinophilus) inferred from gene genealogies. | cave organisms occupy a special place in evolutionary biology because convergent morphologies of many species demonstrate repeatability in evolution even as they obscure phylogenetic relationships. the origin of specialized cave-dwelling species also raises the issue of the relative importance of isolation vs. natural selection in speciation. two alternative hypotheses describe the origin of subterranean species. the 'climate-relict' model proposes allopatric speciation after populations of cold ... | 2008 | 18410292 |
| immunoreactive endocrine cells and nerve elements in the gut of the italian cave salamander. | the presence and distribution of eleven different types of immunoreactive endocrine cells and nine types of immunoreactive nerve elements were immunohistochemically identified in the gut and pancreas of the italian cave salamander, hydromantes ambrosii. the majority of gastrointestinal endocrine cells were of open-type, often presenting basal cytoplasmic processes. gastrin- and substance p-immunoreactive cells in the fundus and bombesin-immunoreactive cells in the intestinal portion were instead ... | 1993 | 8334380 |
| phylogeography of sardinian cave salamanders (genus hydromantes) is mainly determined by geomorphology. | detecting the factors that determine the interruption of gene flow between populations is key to understanding how speciation occurs. in this context, caves are an excellent system for studying processes of colonization, differentiation and speciation, since they represent discrete geographical units often with known geological histories. here, we asked whether discontinuous calcareous areas and cave systems represent major barriers to gene flow within and among the five species of sardinian cav ... | 2012 | 22427830 |
| phylogenetic relationships of sardinian cave salamanders, genus hydromantes, based on mitochondrial and nuclear dna sequence data. | | 2009 | 19136065 |
| somatostatin in the brain of the cave salamander, hydromantes genei (amphibia, plethodontidae): immunohistochemical localization and biochemical characterization. | the distribution of somatostatin-like immunoreactivity in the brain of the cave salamander hydromantes genei (amphibia, plethodontidae) was investigated by using two distinct antisera raised against somatostatin-14. most somatostatin-positive cells were detected in the ependymal cell layer surrounding the ventricles. these cells possessed the typical morphological characteristics of tanycytes or radial glial cells. double-labeling with an antiserum against somatostatin and a monoclonal antibody ... | 2004 | 15211458 |
| seasonal variation in microhabitat of salamanders: environmental variation or shift of habitat selection? | relationships between species and their habitats are not always constant. different processes may determine changes in species-habitat association: individuals may prefer different habitat typologies in different periods, or they may be forced to occupy a different habitat in order to follow the changing environment. the aim of our study was to assess whether cave salamanders change their habitat association pattern through the year, and to test whether such changes are determined by environment ... | 2015 | 26290788 |
| comparative study of the rheotaxis in the cave salamander proteus anguinus and his epigean relative necturus maculosus (proteidae, urodela). | the reaction to different water currents of the cave salamander proteus anguinus and his epigean relative necturus maculosus has been tested in a choice chamber. both species showed a positive reaction which started in p. anguinus with a current of 35 cm/min and in n. maculosus 60 cm/min. these thresholds are within the range measured for different species of fish in the absence of visual stimuli. in addition, the rheotactic behaviour is less steady in n. maculosus . it seems that the difference ... | 1987 | 24925659 |
| long-term starvation in cave salamander effects on liver ultrastructure and energy reserve mobilization. | the morphological alterations of hepatocytes of cave-dwelling salamander proteus anguinus anguinus after food deprivation periods of one and 18 months were investigated and the concentrations of glycogen, lipids, and proteins in the liver were determined. quantitative analyses of the hepatocyte size, the lipid droplets, the number of mitochondria, and volume densities of m and p in the hepatocytes were completed. after one month of food deprivation, the cytological changes in the hepatocytes are ... | 2013 | 23625365 |
| the ultrastructure of photoreceptor cells in the pineal organ of the blind cave salamander, proteus anguinus (amphibia, urodela). | we studied ultrastructure of the photoreceptor cells in the pineal organ of blind, depigmented, neotenic cave salamander, proteus anguinus. unlike in epigean vertebrates the outer segments of most photoreceptor cells consists of concentrically arranged lamellae, however; in few cells, the outer segments contain 7-9 plasma membrane disks. in both types of photoreceptor cells the outer segments enclose lumps of vesicles of different sizes. the photoreceptor cells of proteus anguinus are similar to ... | 2000 | 28176114 |
| functional morphology of the inner ear and underwater audiograms of proteus anguinus (amphibia, urodela). | octavolateral sensory organs (auditory and lateral line organs) of cave salamander proteus anguinus are highly differentiated. in the saccular macula of the inner ear the complex pattern of hair cell orientation and the large otoconial mass enable particle displacement direction detection. additionally, the same organ, through air cavities within the body, enables detection of underwater sound pressure changes thus acting as a hearing organ. the cavities in the lungs and mouth of proteus are a r ... | 2000 | 28176110 |
| [not available]. | do the blind cave salamander proteus and its epigean relative necturus use the chemical sense in searching for prey? proteus shows a significant, and necturus only a weak, preference for water which passes living prey before entering a choice chamber. prey which was frozen before the test also gave the same result in both species. however, with this immobilized prey the time for a decision in the test was much longer. the results of ten series of tests demonstrate the importance of chemoreceptio ... | 1982 | 24895961 |
| safe caves and dangerous forests? predation risk may contribute to salamander colonization of subterranean habitats. | recent studies suggest that many organisms actively colonize the subterranean environment to avoid climatic stress, exploit new ecological opportunities and reduce competition and predation. terrestrial salamanders are known to colonize the more stable subterranean habitats mainly to escape external climatic extremes, while the role of predation avoidance remains untested. to better understand the importance of predation, we used clay models of the cave salamander speleomantes strinatii to compa ... | 2017 | 28251304 |
| cyto-nuclear discordance suggests complex evolutionary history in the cave-dwelling salamander, eurycea lucifuga. | our understanding of the evolutionary history and ecology of cave-associated species has been driven historically by studies of morphologically adapted cave-restricted species. our understanding of the evolutionary history and ecology of nonrestricted cave species, troglophiles, is limited to a few studies, which present differing accounts of troglophiles' relationship with the cave habitat, and its impact on population dynamics. here, we used phylogenetics, demographic statistics, and populatio ... | 2016 | 27648230 |
| blind cave salamanders age very slowly: a new member of methuselah's bestiary. | | 2011 | 21031431 |
| ontogenetic convergence and evolution of foot morphology in european cave salamanders (family: plethodontidae). | a major goal in evolutionary biology is to understand the evolution of phenotypic diversity. both natural and sexual selection play a large role in generating phenotypic adaptations, with biomechanical requirements and developmental mechanisms mediating patterns of phenotypic evolution. for many traits, the relative importance of selective and developmental components remains understudied. | 2010 | 20637087 |
| population dynamics and regulation in the cave salamander speleomantes strinatii. | time series analysis has been used to evaluate the mechanisms regulating population dynamics of mammals and insects, but has been rarely applied to amphibian populations. in this study, the influence of endogenous (density-dependent) and exogenous (density-independent) factors regulating population dynamics of the terrestrial plethodontid salamander speleomantes strinatii was analysed by means of time series and multiple regression analyses. during the period 1993-2005, s. strinatii population a ... | 2007 | 17216185 |
| activation patterns of the tongue-projector muscle during feeding in the imperial cave salamander hydromantes imperialis. | salamanders of the genus hydromantes project their tongues the greatest distance of any amphibian to capture prey, up to 80% of body length or approximately 6 cm in an adult individual. during tongue projection on distant prey, the tongue is shot ballistically and the tongue skeleton leaves the body of the salamander entirely. we investigated an aspect of the motor control of this remarkable behavior by examining electromyographic patterns within different regions of the tongue-projector muscle, ... | 2004 | 15143141 |
| when are phylogenetic analyses misled by convergence? a case study in texas cave salamanders. | convergence, i.e., similarity between organisms that is not the direct result of shared phylogenetic history (and that may instead result from independent adaptations to similar environments), is a fundamental issue that lies at the interface of systematics and evolutionary biology. although convergence is often cited as an important problem in morphological phylogenetics, there have been few well-documented examples of strongly supported and misleading phylogenetic estimates that result from ad ... | 2003 | 12857641 |
| ultrastructural changes during degeneration of photoreceptors and pigment epithelium in the ozark cave salamander. | | 1977 | 850299 |
| renewal of normal and degenerating photoreceptor outer segments in the ozark cave salamander. | to determine whether photoreceptor degeneration in the ozark cave salamander is associated with cessation or changes in the kinetics of outer segment (os) renewal, an autoradiographic study of 3h-leucine incorporation in photoreceptors was carried out. six days after isotope injection rods and cones showed labeling in both inner and outer segments. cone os were diffusely labeled whereas rods contained a band of radioactivity at the base of the os. at 13 and 21 days the radioactive band in rods w ... | 1976 | 1003144 |
| return of vision in larval eyes exchanged between amblystoma punctatum and the cave salamander, tryphlotriton spelaeus. | | 1964 | 14238868 |
| return of vision in transplanted larval eyes of cave salamanders. | | 1964 | 14193847 |
| n-mixture models reliably estimate the abundance of small vertebrates. | accurate measures of species abundance are essential to identify conservation strategies. n-mixture models are increasingly used to estimate abundance on the basis of species counts. in this study we tested whether abundance estimates obtained using n-mixture models provide consistent results with more traditional approaches requiring capture (capture-mark recapture and removal sampling). we focused on endemic, threatened species of amphibians and reptiles in italy, for which accurate abundance ... | 2018 | 29985399 |
| vitellogenin in the european cave salamander, proteus anguinus: its characterization and dynamics in a captive female as a basis for non-destructive sex identification. | vitellogenin (vtg) is a precursor protein of egg yolk proteins in oviparous and ovoviviparous vertebrates. except in a case of exposure to estrogenic endocrine disruptors, vtg is a female-specific protein and could be used as a molecular marker for sex identification. this would be especially useful in the case of the endangered european cave salamander proteus anguinus in which sexes are indistinguishable according to external morphology, which hinders the establishment of a successful captive ... | 2019 | 31170475 |
| composition of the cutaneous bacterial community of a cave amphibian, proteus anguinus. | the european cave salamander proteus anguinus is a charismatic amphibian endemic to the concealed and inaccessible subterranean waters of the dinaric karst. despite its exceptional conservation importance not much is known about its ecology and interactions with the groundwater microbiome. the cutaneous microbiota of amphibians is an important driver of metabolic capabilities and immunity, and thus a key factor in their wellbeing and survival. we used high-throughput 16s rrna gene sequencing bas ... | 2019 | 30649314 |
| opportunistic fungal pathogens isolated from a captive individual of the european blind cave salamander proteus anguinus. | proteus anguinus is a neotenic cave amphibian endemic to the dinaric karst and represents a symbol of slovenian natural heritage. it is classified as 'vulnerable' by the international union for conservation of nature (iucn) and is one of the eu priority species in need of strict protection. due to inaccessibility of its natural underground habitat, scientific studies have been primarily conducted on proteus in captivity where amphibians may be particularly susceptible to opportunistic microbial ... | 2018 | 29916389 |
| photographic database of the european cave salamanders, genus hydromantes. | european hydromantes are a group of eight salamander species often occurring in subterranean habitats, which are a difficult environment to explore. all hydromantes are strictly protected species and thus, low-impact methodologies to study these salamanders are strongly needed. here we used a photographic technique to produce a large dataset of european hydromantes, providing standardised pictures of 1,052 individuals belonging to the eight species, including hybrids as well. with our methodolog ... | 2020 | 32504009 |
| interspecific and interpopulation variation in individual diet specialization: do environmental factors have a role? | individual diet specialization (is) has important community- and population-level implications and its ecological drivers are actively investigated. here, to test the hypothesis that local environmental conditions may influence is in wild populations, we analyzed the stomach contents of 395 individuals from eight populations of five allopatric species of european cave salamanders (genus hydromantes). we assessed whether their degree of individual diet specialization (1) scaled positively with th ... | 2020 | 32320485 |
| extreme adaptation in caves. | cave adaptation leads to unique anatomical specializations in many taxonomic groups. as the role of vision is reduced or disappears in a subterranean environment, other specializations arise to allow the organism to successfully detect and interact with their environment. a suite of unique, convergent phenotypes associated with subterranean adaptation has emerged (termed troglomorphy), with reduction or loss of pigmentation and eyes being the most conspicuous. two vertebrate groups that have suc ... | 2020 | 30537183 |
| what shapes the trophic niche of european plethodontid salamanders? | the trophic niche is a life trait that identifies the consumer's position in a local food web. several factors, such as ontogeny, competitive ability and resource availability contribute in shaping species trophic niches. to date, information on the diet of european hydromantes salamanders are only available for a limited number of species, no dietary studies have involved more than one species of the genus at a time, and there are limited evidences on how multiple factors interact in determinin ... | 2018 | 30335776 |
| field-recorded data on the diet of six species of european hydromantes cave salamanders. | the availability of data on the feeding habits of species of conservation value may be of great importance to develop analyses for both scientific and management purposes. stomach flushing is a harmless technique that allowed us to collect extensive data on the feeding habits of six hydromantes species. here, we present two datasets originating from a three-year study performed in multiple seasons (spring and autumn) on 19 different populations of cave salamanders. the first dataset contains dat ... | 2018 | 29762556 |