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From egg to embryo in marsupial frogs

Abstract:

Marsupial frogs (Hemiphractidae) evolved exceptional mechanisms for the conquest of terrestrial life. These adaptations include very large eggs. In some species eggs reach 10 mm in diameter, and are considered to be the largest in frogs. Females have reproductive modifications for the incubation of embryos in their bodies. Modifications of embryos include adaptations for development inside the body of the mother, and changes in the developmental pattern. Moreover, in some species, oocytes are multinucleated instead of having a single germinal vesicle as in most vertebrates. This chapter provides an overview of the adaptations of marsupial frogs associated with terrestrial life, with a discussion of gastrulation and multinucleated oogenesis.