The histology of dermal glands of matingBrevicepswith comments on their possible functional value in microhylids (Amphibia: Anura)

作者：John Visser, José Miguel Alfredo María Cei, Luis S. Gutiérrez · 发表于：South African Journal of Zoology · 年份：1982 · DOI：10.1080/02541858.1982.11447773 · 被引用次数：14 · 研究领域：Amphibian and Reptile Biology、Plant and animal studies、Animal Behavior and Reproduction

During mating male and female Breviceps become ‘glued’ together. The distribution of multicellular dermal glands varies between the sexes. The mate has a large number of holocrine glands on the ventrum, while the female has similar glands on the dorsum of the back. II thus appears that both sexes contribute to the ‘glueing’ mechanism. New hypotheses to explain the adhesion between the sexes are proposed, viz., that the shift to terrestrial habils and subterranean laying in Breviceps have secondarily resulted in male si2e diminution. In other microhylids which adhere during aquatic oviposition, yet demonstrate a terrestrial morphology and habits, bouyancy is suggested to be of primary functional value.