The document discusses the evolution of amphibian feeding habits and anatomy. It notes that early amphibians likely had some ability to modulate their feeding movements, and their descendants evolved along trajectories of either increasing or decreasing modulation. It also describes how the branching of aortic arches changed as amphibians transitioned from aquatic to land habitats. Finally, it discusses a conservation program that prioritizes amphibian and mammal species based on their evolutionary distinctiveness and endangerment.

1. Submitted by: Rean Paul A. Baldoza
December 10, 2013
Course & Year: BS Biology 3B
Animal Morphology and Anatomy
Submitted to: Prof. Cindy Grace Abas
Evolution of Amphibians
[Synthesis Paper]
Summary:
Amphibians have been labeled in their feeding movements comparative to other
vertebrates, based on the studies of a few model taxa. Nevertheless, the recent studies of a
variety of amphibians showed diversity in their feeding mechanics and kinematics and exemplify
that stereotypy is the exception rather than the rule in amphibian feeding habits. The
lissampibians which were the common ancestor of today’s amphibians was most likely capable
of some modulation of feeding movements, and that their descendants have evolved along two
trajectories with regard to motor control. The first is that an increase in modulation via feedback
or feed-forward mechanisms, as illustrated by ballistic-tongued plethodontid salamanders and
hydrostatic-tongued frogs. The second is a decrease in variation dictated by biomechanics that
require tight coordination between different body parts, such as the tongue and jaws in toads and
other frogs with ballistic tongue projection. Multi-joint coordination of rapid movements may
hamper accurate tongue placement in ballistic-tongued frogs as compared to both short-tongued
frogs and ballistic tongued-salamanders that face simpler motor control tasks. Decoupling of
tongue and jaw movements is associated with increased accuracy in both hydrostatic-tongued
frogs and ballistic-tongued salamanders.
The transition of vertebrates from aquatic to land habitat was associated with their
evolution on physiology and anatomy, respectively. One of the evolutions due to adaptation is
how the aortic arches change during the transition of amphibians. The transition of their
adaptations is fast due to their physiological needs. Ii is supposed that the branching of aortic
arches of water-dwelling piscine ancestors, of intermediate form which is left the water and of
primitive tetrapods while the arch V was still complete and not interrupted.
The conservation of each phylogenetic taxa will be great in diversity which allows
maximizing evolutionary information preserved within fauna and flora. The ‘‘EDGE of
Existence’’ program is the first institutional conservation initiative that prioritizes species based

2. on phylogenetic information. Species are ranked in two ways: one according to their
evolutionary distinctiveness (ED) and second, by including IUCN extinction status, their
evolutionary distinctiveness and global endangerment (EDGE). Here, we describe the global
patterns in the spatial distribution of priority ED and EDGE species, in order to identify
conservation areas for mammalian and amphibian communities. In addition, we investigate
whether environmental conditions can predict the observed spatial pattern in ED and EDGE
global.
Reflection, Reaction, Recommendation:
As I go into deep understanding into evolution of the amphibians, I am fascinated with
their great diversity. They are successful in colonizing the land habitat from aquatic ones which
they tend to adapt the different challenges in their developmental stage. Amphibians in general,
is a great example of adaptation in which their adaptation to their feeding habitat just to survive
the ever fast changing world.
Even though the amphibians are generally studied by many, but their conservation is less
talked and studied about. We should put into mind that without amphibians the world of food
chain and eventually the food web would be disarmed and the ecology of the world would be
imbalance. I should recommend to everybody and every human being to study the conservation
of amphibians for us to witness its beauty in terms of its physical state and of course their
diversity and the evolution through the season. I indeed, I found it interesting to study this
organisms of its uniqueness and its diversity.

3. REFERENCES
Deban, S. M., Reilly, J. C. O., & Nishikawa, K. C. (2001). The evolution of the motor control of
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http://oxfordjournals.org
Kolesova, H., Lametschwandtner, A., & Rocek, Z. (2007). The evolution of amphibian
metamorphosis: insights based on the transformation of the aortic arches of Pelobtes
fuscus (Anura). Journal of Anatomy. 210: 379 – 393. doi: 10.1111/j.14697580.2007.00710.x
Safi, K., Marshall, K. A., Baillie, J. E. M., & Isaac, N. J. B. (2013) Global Patterns of
Evolutionary Distinct and Globally Endangered Amphibians and Mammals. PLoS ONE
8(5): e63582. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0063582

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