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

Authors

FLORINA STANESCU
ELENA BUHACIUC
PAUL SZEKELY
DIANA SZEKELY
DAN COGALNICEANU

DOI

10.3906/zoo-1212-36

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.

Keywords

Phenotype, larval traits, newts, sex ratio, trade-off, wetland

First Page

114

Last Page

117

Recommended Citation

STANESCU, FLORINA; BUHACIUC, ELENA; SZEKELY, PAUL; SZEKELY, DIANA; and COGALNICEANU, DAN (2014) "Facultative paedomorphosis in a population of Lissotriton vulgaris (Amphibia: Salamandridae) from the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve (Romania)," Turkish Journal of Zoology: Vol. 38: No. 1, Article 17. https://doi.org/10.3906/zoo-1212-36
Available at: https://journals.tubitak.gov.tr/zoology/vol38/iss1/17