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Digital dissection of the head of the frogs Calyptocephalella gayi and Leptodactylus pentadactylus with emphasis on the feeding apparatus - PubMed

Comparative Study

. 2021 Aug;239(2):391-404.

doi: 10.1111/joa.13426. Epub 2021 Mar 13.

Affiliations

Comparative Study

Digital dissection of the head of the frogs Calyptocephalella gayi and Leptodactylus pentadactylus with emphasis on the feeding apparatus

Stephanie Kunisch et al. J Anat. 2021 Aug.

Abstract

Micro-computed tomography (microCT) of small animals has led to a more detailed and more accurate three-dimensional (3D) view on different anatomical structures in the last years. Here, we present the cranial anatomy of two frog species providing descriptions of bone structures and soft tissues of the feeding apparatus with comments to possible relations to habitat and feeding ecology. Calyptocephalella gayi, known for its aquatic lifestyle, is not restricted to aquatic feeding but also feeds terrestrially using lingual prehension. This called for a detailed investigation of the morphology of its feeding apparatus and a comparison to a fully terrestrial species that is known to feed by lingual prehension such as Leptodactylus pentadactylus. These two frog species are of similar size, feed on similar diet but within different main habitats. MicroCT scans of both species were conducted in order to reconstruct the complete anatomical condition of the whole feeding apparatus for the first time. Differences in this regard are evident in the tongue musculature, which in L. pentadactylus is more massively built and with a broader interdigitating area of the two main muscles, the protractor musculus genioglossus and the retractor musculus hyoglossus. In contrast, the hyoid retractor (m. sternohyoideus) is more massive in the aquatic species C. gayi. Moreover, due to the different skull morphology, the origins of two of the five musculi adductores vary between the species. This study brings new insights into the relation of the anatomy of the feeding apparatus to the preferred feeding method via 3D imaging techniques. Contrary to the terrestrially feeding L. pentadactylus, the skeletal and muscular adaptations of the aquatic species C. gayi provide a clear picture of necessities prescribed by the habitat. Nevertheless, by keeping a certain amount of flexibility of the design of its feeding apparatus, C. gayi is able to employ various methods of feeding.

Keywords: amphibian; anura; cranial anatomy; hyoid apparatus; micro-computed tomography; skull; tongue.

© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Anatomy published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Anatomical Society.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no competing interests.

Figures

FIGURE 1
FIGURE 1

Volume rendering of CT data of the skull of Calyptocephalella gayi (a‐c) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (d‐f). (a and d) Lateral view; (b and e) dorsal view; (c and f) ventral view with zoom into vomer region. D, dentale; FP, frontoparietale; M, maxillare; N, nasale; P, palatinum; PM, praemaxillare; pmp, posteromedial process of the hyoid; PO, prooticum; PS, parasphenoid; PT, pterygoid; QJ, quadratojugale; S, squamosum; SE, sphenethomid; V, vomer. Scale bar in b is for C. gayi, Scale bar in e is for L. pentadactylus

FIGURE 2
FIGURE 2

Hyoid apparatus including tongue musculature and tongue of Calyptocephalella gayi (a‐d) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (e‐h) based on CT data. Osseous structures are visualized as volume rendering, cartilage and muscles based on segmentation‐based rendering (surface or volume). (a and e) Lateral view; (b and f) dorsal view with lower jaw (bone [silver] and cartilage [dark blue]); (c and g) ventral view; (d and h) oblique view from dorsolateral. alp, anterolateral process of the hyoid; aph, anterior process of hyoid; ch, ceratohyale; cm, cartilago meckeli; D, dentale; hb, hyoid body; MGG, musculus genioglossus; MGGv, musculus genioglossus ventralis; MHG, musculus hyoglossus; plp, posterolateral process of the hyoid; pmp, posteromedial process of hyoid; t, tongue. Scale bar applies for a‐h

FIGURE 3
FIGURE 3

Skulls with adductor musculature of Calyptocephalella gayi (a‐c) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (d‐f) based on CT data. Osseous structures are visualized as volume rendering, cartilage and muscles based on segmentation‐based rendering (surface or volume). (a and d) Lateral view; (b and e) dorsal view; (c and f) ventral view. MAMe, musculus adductor mandibulae externus; MAMi, musculus adductor mandibulae internus; MAMl, musculus adductor mandibulae longus; MAMlat, musculus adductor mandibulae lateralis; MAMp, musculus adductor mandibulae posterior; MDM, musculus depressor mandibulae; NC, neurocranium; PO, prooticum; ppo, processus prootici; S, squamosum; tr, tympanic ring. Scale bar applies for a‐f

FIGURE 4
FIGURE 4

Hyoid apparatus and related musculature of Calyptocephalella gayi (a‐d) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (e‐h) based on CT data. Osseous structures are visualized as volume rendering, cartilage and muscles based on segmentation‐based rendering (surface or volume). (a and e) Lateral view; (b and f) dorsal view with lower jaw; (c and g) ventral view; (d and h) Oblique view from dorsolateral. D, dentale; hb, hyoid body; MGHl, musculus geniohyoideus lateralis; MGHm, musculus geniohyoideus medialis; MOH, musculus omohyoideus; MPHa, musculus petrohyoideus anterior; MPHp I‐III, musculus petrohyoideus posterior I‐III; MSHl, musculus sternohyoideus lateralis; MSHm, musculus sternohyoideus medialis. Scale bar applies for a‐h

FIGURE 5
FIGURE 5

Ventral view of musculature of floor of mouth with underlying hyoid musculature of Calyptocephalella gayi (a) and Leptodactylus pentadactylus (b) based on CT data. Osseous structures are visualized as volume rendering, cartilage and muscles based on segmentation‐based rendering (surface or volume). D, dentale; MGHl, musculus geniohyoideus lateralis; MGHm, musculus geniohyoideus medialis; MIH, musculus interhyoideus; MIM, musculus intermandibularis; MOH, musculus omohyoideus; MPHa, musculus petrohyoideus anterior; MPHp I‐II, musculus petrohyoideus posterior I‐II; MSHl, musculus sternohyoideus lateralis; MSHm, musculus sternohyoideus medialis; MSM, musculus submentalis. Scale bar applies for a‐b

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