Pes Composition

lichenatushidamontanusnigrescens

X-ray photographs showing the composition of the standard pedes (left, dorsal view) of (A) Hynobius lichenatus, (B) H. hidamontanus, and (C) H. nigrescens (Hasumi and Iwasawa, 1993); I = 1st toe, II = 2nd toe, III = 3rd toe, IV = 4th toe, V = 5th toe, c = centrale, fi = fibula, fib = fibulare, i = intermedium, m = metatarsal, o = outline, p = phalanges, t = tarsale, ti = tibia, tib = tibiale. Scale bar represents 5 mm.

Although the composition of the pes of H. lichenatus fundamentally is the same as that of H. nigrescens, it varies highly in a geographic range (each having 10 tarsal elements). In H. hidamontanus, the fifth toe, consisting of the fifth two phalanges and the fifth metatarsal, and the fifth tarsale are lacking, and the second and third centralia are fused into one centrale (having eight tarsal elements).


Copyright 2002 Masato Hasumi, Dr. Sci. All rights reserved.
| Top Page | | Japanese |