Experiments on Anuran limb buds and their significance for principles of vertebrate limb development

A standard set of six experiments performed on the limb buds of two species of Anurans - Rana temporaria and Xenopus laevis - are described. The experiments are limb-bud amputation, distal to proximal shifts, proximal to distal shifts, inversion of the dorsoventral axis inversion of the anteroposterior axis and inversion of both axes. The results are compared to those previously reported for Urodeles and chicks to determine whether any principles of vertebrate limb development can be formulated. It appears that the proximodistal axis becomes increasingly mosaic from the Urodeles through Anurans to chicks. In the transverse axes however, there is much more uniformity of behaviour in the production of supernumerary limbs. The relation between the type of limb development (regulative or mosaic) and the subsequent regenerative powers of the adult limb is discussed.