Journals / Turkish Journal of Zoology / 2014 / Cilt: 38 - Sayı: 1

Facultative paedomorphosis in a population of Lissotriton vulgaris (Amphibia: Salamandridae) from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania)

Pages
114–117
DOI
—

Abstract

Facultative paedomorphosis refers to the simultaneous expression of 2 different phenotypes (i.e. paedomorphic and metamorphic) within the same population. Over the last 6 decades, this phenomenon was reported from only 5 populations of smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) in Romania. In the spring of 2011, we found a new facultative paedomorphic population. The sample was female-biased, thus suggesting a sex-dependent expression of the paedomorphic phenotype. Most of the populations recorded in Romania were found in permanent water bodies with abundant vegetation.

Özet

Facultative paedomorphosis refers to the simultaneous expression of 2 different phenotypes (i.e. paedomorphic and metamorphic) within the same population. Over the last 6 decades, this phenomenon was reported from only 5 populations of smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris (Linnaeus, 1758) in Romania. In the spring of 2011, we found a new facultative paedomorphic population. The sample was female-biased, thus suggesting a sex-dependent expression of the paedomorphic phenotype. Most of the populations recorded in Romania were found in permanent water bodies with abundant vegetation.

Keywords: Key words: Phenotype, larval traits, newts, sex ratio, trade-off, wetland