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The Reproductive Biology of Caecilians: An Evolutionary Perspective

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The Reproductive Biology of Amphibians

Abstract

Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona) are elongate, limbless, burrowing or swimming animals. They are pan-tropical in distribution and, until recently, infrequently seen by collectors. The relationships of caecilians to other amphibians are enigmatic (Carroll and Currie 1975), and relationships among caecilian genera and species are poorly understood. The acquisition of the attenuate habitus has been accompanied by changes of suites of morphological features, including those of the reproductive system. Concomitantly, a number of aspects of the physiology and ecology of the group have adapted, so that features of the reproductive biology and life histories of caecilians provide considerable information of use in analyzing patterns of evolution.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Zoology and Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, California, 94720, USA

    Marvalee H. Wake

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  1. Marvalee H. Wake
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  1. Miami University, Oxford, Ohio, USA

    Douglas H. Taylor  & Sheldon I. Guttman  & 

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Wake, M.H. (1977). The Reproductive Biology of Caecilians: An Evolutionary Perspective. In: Taylor, D.H., Guttman, S.I. (eds) The Reproductive Biology of Amphibians. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6781-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4757-6781-0_3

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