Albumin Evolution in Frogs: A Test of the Evolutionary Clock Hypothesis
AUTOR(ES)
Wallace, Donald G.
RESUMO
Frogs are an ancient group compared to placental mammals. Yet, although there are about as many species of frogs as there are of mammals, zoologists consider that frogs have undergone only limited morphological divergence, while placental mammals have diversified greatly in morphology and way of life. The serum albumins of numerous frog species were compared by the quantitative microcomplement fixation technique. Frogs that are morphologically similar enough to merit taxonomic distinction at only the species level often exhibit differences in the serological properties of their albumins larger than those usually seen between mammals placed in distinct families or suborders. Thus, there seems to be a contrast between albumin evolution and evolution at the organismal level. The large differences between albumins among frogs can be explained by the hypothesis that albumin evolution has proceeded at the same rate in frogs as in mammals.
ACESSO AO ARTIGO
http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=389605Documentos Relacionados
- Simple Methods for Testing the Molecular Evolutionary Clock Hypothesis
- Morphology and function of the forelimb in arboreal frogs: specializations for grasping ability?
- Directional introgression of mitochondrial DNA in a hybrid population of tree frogs: The influence of mating behavior
- Learning about cancer from frogs: analysis of mitotic spindles in Xenopus egg extracts
- Molecular phylogeny analysis of fiddler crabs: test of the hypothesis of increasing behavioral complexity in evolution.
