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From: karl@quercus.gsfc.nasa.gov (Karl Anderson)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Neotenous vertebrates
Message-ID: <1991Apr17.123555@quercus.gsfc.nasa.gov>
Date: 17 Apr 91 16:35:55 GMT
References: <4941@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>
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Reply-To: karl@quercus.gsfc.nasa.gov (Karl Anderson)
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In article <4941@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>, XRHAH@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV
(Herbert A. Huston) writes:
|> Are there any other neotenous vertebrates besides axolotls, domestic
|> dogs, and humans?

Several other species of salamanders (e.g. _Amphiuma_ spp.) are
often presented in the literature as examples of neoteny.  The 
so-called pygmy chimpanzee, or bonobo (_Pan paniscus_) is considered 
neotenous relative to the common chimp (_Pan troglodytes_).  Steve 
Gould (1977) believes that neoteny is very common, arguing for example
that chordates (from which vertebrates presumably arose) had their
origin in the tadpole-like larvae of tunicates.

Gould, S.J. 1977. _Ontogeny and Phylogeny_.  Harvard Univ. Press,
Cambridge, MA.
--
Karl A. Anderson		| Internet: karl@forest.gsfc.nasa.gov
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