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From: zlraa@marlin.jcu.edu.au (Ross Alford)
Newsgroups: sci.bio
Subject: Re: Neotenous vertebrates
Message-ID: <1991Apr18.055412.9502@marlin.jcu.edu.au>
Date: 18 Apr 91 05:54:12 GMT
Article-I.D.: marlin.1991Apr18.055412.9502
References: <4941@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> <1991Apr17.232559.7845@midway.uchicago.edu>
Organization: James Cook University
Lines: 48

In <1991Apr17.232559.7845@midway.uchicago.edu> lecl@quads.uchicago.edu (elizabeth e. leclair) writes:

>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?
>>

>   1)  Are there *any* neotenous vertebrates?  How is this demonstrated?
>   2)  Is neoteny a process, the resulting effect, or both?
>   3)  Devil's Advocate Question:  Is there anythign which is *not*
>       neotenous in SOME way relative to an ancestor (i.e. retains the
>       juvenile characteristic int eh sexually mature adult.)	

I already replied to the original poster via mail, but couldn't resist:

Re (1):
It was demonstrated via controlled lab & field experiments, and exists
for certain in several species of salamanders.  See for example

Harris, R. N.  1987.  Density-dependent paedomorphosis in the salamander
    _Notophthalmus_ _viridescens_ _dorsalis_.  Ecology 68:705-712.

Harris, R. N.  1989.  Ontogenetic changes in size and shape of the
     facultatively paedomorphic salamander _Notophthalmus_ _viridescens_
    _dorsalis_.  Copeia 1989:35-42.

Semlitsch, R. D. and H. M. Wilbur.  1989.  Artificial selection for
     pedomorphosis in the salamander _Ambystoma_ _talpoideum_.
     Evolution 43:105-112.

Re (2):
There is plenty of room for argument over the semantics, for instance
neoteny versus paedogenesis.  Many people prefer to avoid this argument
and substitute the generic term paedomorphosis, the process of acquiring
reproductive maturity while retaining some juvenile characters, and call
the resulting animals paedomorphs.  Even then, as you can see from the
references, there is room for argument over the spelling.

Re (3):
Another fertile field for endless round-and-round arguments.  I wouldn't
touch it with a bargepole.

Ross
-- 
Ross A. Alford
Department of Zoology                      Internet: zlraa@marlin.jcu.edu.au
James Cook University                      Phone:    +61 77 81 4732
Townsville, Qld 4811 Australia