Bionomics and Morphometrics of the Tanzanian Muller's Clawed Frog Xenopus muelleri Peters (Anura: Pipidae) Corroborates Holotype with Monophyletic Oversized Lungs

Simple item page
dc.contributor.authorMatojo, Nicodemus D.
dc.date.accessioned2017-10-13T12:21:34Z
dc.date.available2017-10-13T12:21:34Z
dc.date.issued2015-02-20
dc.description.abstractThe pipoid frogs belonging to the super family Pipoidea of the order Anura are mostly represented in fossil forms with only limited data from the extant materials. Pipidae is a pipoid family of the clawed, tongueless and toothless aquatic frogs with pertinent morphological characters that include the lateral line system. They bridge an evolutionary gap between fish species and the semi-aquatic amphibians, the latest precursors of the terrestrial vertebrates. The bionomics and morphometrics of a less described Tanzanian type material of the Muller's clawed frog Xenopus muelleri (Peters, 1844) are here characterised, elucidating its taxonomic status and habitat sustenance. The species corroborates a holotype material with notable affinity to the African Clawed Frog, X. laevis. Its vulnerability to dry habitats alarms for deliberate intervention to rescuing it from massive mortality and deterioration in that period. However, X. muelleri demonstrates great tolerance to hypoxia mainly due to its high respiratory efficiency, indicating pronounced flexibility to inhabiting a wide range of aquatic environments hence cosmopolitan. This is largely attributed to its monophyletic oversized saclike lungs here reported for the first time. Effective husbandry of the species as a domestic pet or laboratory animal is highly encouraged alongside strategic conservation of freshwater habitats for supporting its sustainability.en_US
dc.identifier.citationJournal of Applied Life Sciences Internationalen_US
dc.identifier.issn2394-1103
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11810/4583
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherSCIENCEDOMAIN internationalen_US
dc.relation.ispartofseries2(3): 113-118, 2015;JALSI.2015.012
dc.subjectAnura; muller's clawed frog; oversized lungs; Pipidae; Pipoidea; Xenopus muelleri.en_US
dc.titleBionomics and Morphometrics of the Tanzanian Muller's Clawed Frog Xenopus muelleri Peters (Anura: Pipidae) Corroborates Holotype with Monophyletic Oversized Lungsen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
JALSI 2015.012.pdf
Size:
589.59 KB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description:
Xenopus muelleri paper_Matojo
Download
License bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
No Thumbnail Available
Name:
license.txt
Size:
1.71 KB
Format:
Item-specific license agreed upon to submission
Description:
Download
Collections
Department of Chemistry and Life Sciences