Summary
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1.
A method for accurately aging circum-metamorphic Northern leopard frogs (Rana pipiens pipiens), using the first appearance of pulmonary respiration as the zero reference point, was developed (Fig. 1).
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2.
Adult-like, neural correlates of mating calling could be electrically-evoked and recorded from the isolated brainstem of juveniles as early as 14 days following the transition from gill respiration to pulmonary respiration (i.e. about 4 days following the completion of metamorphosis) (Fig. 2, Table 1).
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3.
Such early activation of the mating calling circuits could be detected only in animals that had received a series of testosterone propionate injections. In the absence of any controlled data, however, it remains to be determined whether this activation was due to the hormone.
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4.
Release calling movements of the sides were detected in intact, hormone-injected (again, no controls) animals as early as 7 days following the appearance of pulmonary respiration (i.e. several days before the completion of metamorphosis).
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5.
Therefore, physiological, anatomical, and chemical changes associated with the development of the calling circuits might be sought most appropriately, under the conditions of this study, during the first two weeks after the appearance of pulmonary respiration.
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Abbreviations
- PRA:
-
pulmonary respiration age
- TP:
-
testosterone propionate
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This work was supported fay NINCDS grant NS-06673. The electronic equipment was set up and maintained by Mr. Wayne R. Hudson.
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Schmidt, R.S. Neural correlates of frog calling: Circum-metamorphic “Calling” in leopard frog. J. Comp. Physiol. 126, 49–56 (1978). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01342650
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01342650