Reduced Courtship Success between Parapatric Populations of the Plethodontid Salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

Beachy, Christopher K.

doi:10.2307/1446958

Cited by 15 publications

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“…After an analysis of courtship behavior of Gyrinophilus porphyriticus , Beachy (1997) proposed a different hypothesis regarding the phylogeny of mental glands. Males of G. porphyriticus lack mental glands, and the taxon is considered to have a morphology and life history similar to ancestral plethodontids (Wake, 1966).…”

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“…Males of G. porphyriticus lack mental glands, and the taxon is considered to have a morphology and life history similar to ancestral plethodontids (Wake, 1966). This species and its sister taxon that also lacks a mental gland, Pseudotriton ruber , exhibit a behavior called “head-sliding” (Arnold, 1976), during which the male rubs his head over the snout and other body parts of the female (Organ and Organ, 1968; Beachy, 1997). Beachy (1997) proposed that the ancestral condition in the Plethodontidae was absence of a mental gland and possession of head-sliding.…”

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“…This species and its sister taxon that also lacks a mental gland, Pseudotriton ruber , exhibit a behavior called “head-sliding” (Arnold, 1976), during which the male rubs his head over the snout and other body parts of the female (Organ and Organ, 1968; Beachy, 1997). Beachy (1997) proposed that the ancestral condition in the Plethodontidae was absence of a mental gland and possession of head-sliding. The term “head-sliding” has been superseded by “head rubbing” (Dyal, 2006).…”

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Phylogeny of Mental Glands, Revisited

Sever

Siegel

Taylor

et al. 2016

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Mental glands and their associated delivery behaviors during courtship are unique to the plethodontid salamanders. Because previous interpretations of the evolution of these features were conducted using older phylogenetic hypotheses, we reanalyzed these traits with newer courtship descriptions and contemporary phylogenetic methods. Using Bayesian ancestral state reconstruction methods that have been developed since the first phylogenetic analyses were conducted in the mid-1990s, we reconstructed mental gland and courtship behavior evolution on a Bayesian phylogeny of the nuclear gene Rag1. The most probable ancestral condition for plethodontids was resolved as presence of a mental gland. Loss of a mental gland occurred in each subfamily and was recovered as the most probable ancestral condition for the Spelerpinae. In contrast, parsimony reconstruction recovered the presence of a mental gland in the ancestor to Spelerpinae with multiple secondary losses. We hypothesize that that absence of a mental gland is possibly ancestral in some clades (i.e., Spelerpinae) and secondary in others (e.g., paedomorphic Eurycea). The most probable ancestral form of the mental gland is likely to be the large pad-type distributed extensively in Plethodontinae and Bolitoglossinae. Desmognathans have the most unique mental glands, occurring in an anterior protrusion or bifurcated form (in Desmognathus wrighti). Fan-shaped mental glands evolved independently in Eurycea and Oedipina. Small pads arose independently in Bolitoglossinae, Plethodontinae, and Spelerpinae. Head-rubbing behavior for mental gland delivery mode was recovered as the most probable and parsimonious ancestral state for the Plethodontidae, with independent losses of this behavior in Plethodontinae and Spelerpinae. Because head-rubbing was observed in outgroups, we hypothesize that head-rubbing behavior predated mental gland evolution. Pulling, snapping, slapping, and biting behaviors evolved independently in the Plethodontinae and Spelerpinae and are not homologous with head-rubbing. All hypotheses of mental gland and courtship evolution invoke homoplasy.

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Phylogeny of Mental Glands, Revisited

Sever

Siegel

Taylor

et al. 2016

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“…Both behaviour patterns are present in plethodontid salamanders outside of the Desmognathinae, but only in taxa in which males possess mental glands (Houck & Sever, 1994). Such glands are absent in G. porphyriticus, and so the observed absence of pull and snap in this hemidactyliine is expected (Beachy, 1997). Mental glands and associated behaviour patterns are present in E. bislineata (Arnold, 1972).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 86%

Sexual behaviour of the Black Mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus welteri), and the evolutionary history of courtship in the Desmognathinae

Verrell

Mabry

2003

Journal of Zoology

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Plethodontid salamanders of the North American subfamily Desmognathinae offer excellent opportunities for an integrative understanding of the form, functions and phylogeny of sexual behaviour patterns. The first description of courtship in the Black Mountain dusky salamander Desmognathus welteri is presented. Once oriented toward their partners, males produce multiple tactile, visual and chemical stimuli that probably function to stimulate, or 'persuade', females to mate. Persuasion is accomplished by behaviour patterns that include head rubbing, butterfly, pulling and snapping, and perhaps nudging and tail undulation. Sperm transfer is indirect by a spermatophore that is deposited on the substrate during a sequence of behaviour patterns involving both sexes known as tail-straddling walk. Fine-scale synchronization and orientation of partners at this time is crucial for successful insemination. The evolutionary histories of eight sexual behaviour patterns for 19 taxa of desmognathine salamanders are then reconstructed. Our phyloethological analyses suggest that the courtship of desmognathines consists of a mosaic of ancestral (plesiomorphic) and derived (apomorphic) behavioural traits. The greatest variation among taxa involves behaviour patterns that are exhibited early in sexual encounters as, or shortly after, males orient toward females. Behaviour patterns that occur at closer range and most obviously are persuasive in function show less variation among taxa, and those that lead to sperm transfer (tail-straddling walk) are invariant. While our phyloethological analyses reveal aspects of the evolutionary history of behavioural form in the Desmognathinae, further work is needed before thorough analyses of behavioural functions can be conducted.

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“…Its absence most likely represents secondary loss. Following Beachy (1997), I also consider absence of a mental gland to be ancestral for desmognathines. Beachy's hypothesis that head rubbing may be a precursor to pheromone-delivery behaviour patterns deserves further consideration.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Bracketing the extremes: courtship behaviour of the smallest‐ and largest‐bodied species in the salamander genusDesmognathus(Plethodontidae: Desmognathinae)

Verrell

1999

Journal of Zoology

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With both a`manageable' number of taxa and moderate levels of behavioural diversity, plethodontid salamanders of the North American subfamily Desmognathinae offer exciting opportunities for a phyloethological study of courtship. In moving toward this goal, the present paper reports courtship descriptions for two taxa with very different biologies: the pygmy salamander Desmognathus wrighti and the blackbelly salamander D. quadramaculatus. Despite similarities in behaviour patterns used to accomplish indirect sperm transfer by means of the deposition of spermatophores on the substrate (tailstraddle walk), these two taxa greatly differ in the ways by which males stimulate, or`persuade', females to mate. Male D. wrighti bite and seize their partners in order to provide them with tactile and chemical stimuli. In contrast, male D. quadramaculatus provide these same stimuli, but by head rubbing and snapping. I end with a comparative survey of courtship in the Desmognathinae, and a ®rst attempt to interpret behavioural evolution in the subfamily using a phyloethological analysis.

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Reduced Courtship Success between Parapatric Populations of the Plethodontid Salamander Gyrinophilus porphyriticus

Cited by 15 publications

References 0 publications

Phylogeny of Mental Glands, Revisited

Phylogeny of Mental Glands, Revisited

Sexual behaviour of the Black Mountain dusky salamander (Desmognathus welteri), and the evolutionary history of courtship in the Desmognathinae

Bracketing the extremes: courtship behaviour of the smallest‐ and largest‐bodied species in the salamander genusDesmognathus(Plethodontidae: Desmognathinae)

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