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Time To Metamorphosis As A Function Of Larval Size In A Population Of Ambystoma Tigrinum Salamanders Consisting Of Cannibal And Typical Morph Phenotypes, Michael J. Lannoo, Michael P. Sweet, Nancy M. Ladehoff, Edmund S. Fangman, William B. Collins
Time To Metamorphosis As A Function Of Larval Size In A Population Of Ambystoma Tigrinum Salamanders Consisting Of Cannibal And Typical Morph Phenotypes, Michael J. Lannoo, Michael P. Sweet, Nancy M. Ladehoff, Edmund S. Fangman, William B. Collins
Journal of the Iowa Academy of Science: JIAS
Salamander larvae of the species Ambystoma tigrinum are dimorphic in northwestern Iowa. In addition to common typical morphs, there exist rare, specialized cannibal morphs, which are induced environmentally by crowding. Cannibal morph phenotypes are characterized morphologically by their large size, proportionately large heads and hypertrophied vomerine teeth, and behaviorally by facultative cannibalism. During metamorphosis amphibians are particularly sensitive to predation. To help understand why cannibal morphs are uncommon, we have raised cannibal and typical morphs in isolation and under crowded conditions to compare the timing and duration of metamorphosis between these morphs. Results show that larger larvae, most of which …