New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

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cbernz
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by cbernz »

So awesome. Who knows how many new aquatic salamanders might be hiding in the Appalachians?
Msteffen
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Msteffen »

Here are a few more images of Eurycea subfluvicola.

Image

Image
Left is your standard E. multiplicata larvae, right is an adult female E. subfluvicola.

Image
Top is E. multi. Bottom is E. subfluvicola.

Mike
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Mike VanValen
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Mike VanValen »

The head morphology is really different, but I still would have probably dismissed it as another larvae. Good job.
Msteffen
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Msteffen »

Mike VanValen wrote:The head morphology is really different, but I still would have probably dismissed it as another larvae. Good job.
Yeah, and thats exactly what I did when I first found it. It wasn't till i sequenced it did I discover I had something significant.

Mike
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Carl Brune
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Carl Brune »

Very interesting.
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Brian Willey
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Brian Willey »

Very cool!
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jonathan
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by jonathan »

Msteffen wrote:
Mike VanValen wrote:The head morphology is really different, but I still would have probably dismissed it as another larvae. Good job.
Yeah, and thats exactly what I did when I first found it. It wasn't till i sequenced it did I discover I had something significant.

Mike
Chalk up a win for the DNA guys. :beer:
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BDSkinner
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by BDSkinner »

Wow that's exciting! I'm with cbernz, I wonder. I also wonder who would pay to find that out... Regardless, awesome work! Reminds me of finding a hybrid Ambystoma in north Jersey as a kid, had no idea until my neighbor took it to friends and had it analyzed.

PS: How is that last adult male? Still alive? Also, how did you get the embryo? Maybe I just skimmed that part...

-Brad
Msteffen
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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by Msteffen »

BDSkinner wrote:
PS: How is that last adult male? Still alive? Also, how did you get the embryo? Maybe I just skimmed that part...

-Brad
He actually seems to be doing ok. Another one of our smaller males also started to show the strange partially metamorphosed morphology. I really don't know what the deal is with these guys.

I am not sure we say in the article, but we cheated a little to get the females to lay eggs. Once their eggs got large enough, we injected them with hormones to induce them to lay. Its hard to say if they would lay on their own in captivity. Eventually we should find out.

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Re: New paedomorphic Eurycea described from the Ouachitas

Post by tacticalveterinarian »

Amazing! Thank you for sharing.
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