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Kinship affects morphogenesis in cannibalistic salamanders

D W Pfennig¹, J P Collins

¹Section of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853.

|April 29, 1993

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Kinship influences development in tiger salamanders. Larvae in mixed-brood groups are more likely to develop cannibal morphology than those in pure-sibship groups, indicating kinship affects development.

Area of Science:

Evolutionary Biology
Developmental Biology
Behavioral Ecology

Background:

Inclusive fitness theory suggests kin altruism increases an organism's fitness.
Morphogenesis, the development of biological form, may be influenced by kinship environments.
Some species exhibit facultative morph production, including cannibalistic and non-cannibalistic phenotypes.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate if consanguinity affects the development of cannibal morphs in larval Arizona tiger salamanders (Ambystoma tigrinum nebulosum).
To test the hypothesis that kinship influences facultative development of traits used against conspecifics.

Main Methods:

Larval tiger salamanders were reared in both mixed-brood (non-sibling) and pure-sibship (sibling) groups.
The probability and age of cannibal morph development were compared between the two rearing conditions.

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Main Results:

Larvae reared in mixed-brood groups showed a significantly higher probability of developing cannibal morphology.
Development of the cannibal morph occurred at an earlier age in mixed-brood groups compared to pure-sibship groups.

Conclusions:

Kinship environment significantly influences the facultative development of cannibal morphology in tiger salamanders.
Morphogenesis can be responsive to kinship, particularly in species with facultative development of weaponry against conspecifics.