FEEDING SPECIALIZATIONS AND THE CLASSIFICATION OF TERRESTRIAL SALAMANDERS.

Abstract

The feeding mechanism of the salamanders has never been discussed comparatively. While a detailed review must await a more complete knowledge of the morphology, ecology, and behavior of these animals, certain broad generalizations are now possible. These have direct bearing upon the classification of salamanders, and are attempted here. Salamander families with terrestrial representatives, the Hynobiidae, Ambystomatidae, Plethodontidae, and Salamandridae, each contain species which undergo transformation from an aquatic to a terrestrial existence. Both aquatic and terrestrial life forms have structural modifications correlated with their specific habitat. Thus one must discuss not only the phylogeny of functional shifts in feeding structures, but their ontogeny as well. The present discussion emphasizes the interaction of the tongue and palatal teeth. Minimal mention will be made of paedomorphic evolutionary pathways, notorious in salamanders. This is best handled elsewhere and at appropriate length. The result is a certain amount of taxonomic generalization. THE GENERAL PATTERN OF ADAPTATION Structural Progression of Tongue Types