ADPRESSED LIMBS Position of the limbs such that the forelimbs are pressed backwards against the trunk of the animal, and the hind limbs are pressed forward against the trunk. The distance between adpressed limbs, a character which measures the relative limb length with respect to the trunk length, is usually best measured in preserved specimens, since the limbs may be damaged in living animals.
ALLOPATRIC Occurring in separate areas; refers to species ranges that do not overlap
ALLOZYME Alleles of an enzyme that vary in their speed of migration through an electrophoretic gel. A common way to quantify genetic variation before DNA sequencing became routine.
AMPLEXUS Mating behavior in many aquatic anurans and some salamanders in which the male grasps the female with the front legs.
BD Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. A pathogenic fungus that causes the disease chytridiomycosis in many amphibians.
CARAPACE The dorsal half of a turtle shell.
COSTAL GROOVES Lateral indentations along the trunk of many salamanders.
CRITICAL THERMAL MAXIMUM The temperature above which a given species ceases to be able to maintain normal body function. Extended temperatures above this point generally lead to death.
CRITICAL THERMAL MINIMUM The temperature below which a given species ceases to be able to maintain normal body function. Extended temperatures below this point generally lead to death.
CRYPTIC TAXA Evolutionarily distinct lineages that are morphologically conserved and are difficult to distinguish from one another on the basis of morphology alone.
DIAPAUSE A delay in the life cycle of an organism, often occurring in response to adverse environmental conditions.
DORSOLATERAL FOLDS Ridges of the skin that run along either side of the back in many frogs.
EXTANT A taxon that is still in existence, opposite of extinct.
HIBERNACULUM A place used by one or more individuals to hibernate or undergo a period of dormancy. Frequently used to refer to areas that house many hibernating individuals of the same species, especially sites that are used repeatedly over many years. The plural is hibernacula.
INTROGRESSION Transfer of genetic molecules from one species to another. In our usage, this most commonly refers to the transfer of the mitochondrial genome among species due to hybridization.
ISOLATION BY DISTANCE The genetic signature that tends to arise from the tendency of individuals within a population to mate with nearby individuals, eventually leading to the gradual accumulation of genetic differentiation across the landscape.
KEELED A spine or ridge structure that runs along the central axis of a scale or scute.
LATE-SERAL Used to describe forests that are in a later stage of succession. Typified by the presence of large, old (>100 years) trees in the overstory.
MICROSATELLITE Short repetitive regions in the DNA that often exhibit a large amount of variation due to the very high rate of mutation in these regions of the genome. Frequently employed to measure population genetic variation within species, because their high mutation rate allows them to track changes in gene flow and population size quickly.
mtDNA An abbreviation for mitochondrial DNA, the separate chromosome found in the mitochondria of all plants and animals. Until recently, it has been the standard molecule of choice for most systematic, population genetic, and phylogeographic research.
NASOLABIAL GROOVES Characteristic grooves that run from each naris (external nostril) down to the upper lip in plethodontid salamanders.
NUCHAL Relating to or lying in the region of the nape.
OCELLUS An eye-like spot.
OVIPAROUS A mode of reproduction in which embryos develop inside of eggs.
OVOVIVIPAROUS A mode of reproduction in which embryos develop inside of eggs which are retained in the mother’s body until hatching.
PAEDOMORPHOSIS The retention of larval traits into adulthood. In ambystomatid and dicamptodontid salamanders, it is also used to refer to reproduction in the larval condition.
PARAPHYLETIC A group of taxa, all descending from of a common ancestor, that does not contain all descendants of that ancestor. For examples, “reptiles” as traditionally defined are paraphyletic because they do not contain birds as a contained taxon.
PARATOID GLANDS External skin glands that lie along the back of the head or neck region and are prominent in most toads and several species of salamander.
PCA Principle component analysis. A multivariate ordination approach that reduced the variability among large sets of measured variables down to a (usually) smaller number of independent (orthogonal) variables.
PIT TAG Passive integrated transponder tag. A small injectable tag that emits a unique electronic signal that can be read using specialized instruments. A frequently used method for uniquely labeling individual organisms in a population.
PLASTRON The ventral part of a turtle shell.
POLYTYPIC Having several morphological forms. These may or may not correspond to evolutionary lineages.
POND TYPE LARVAE Salamander larvae that develop in ponds are characterized by having relatively large long fins associated with a relatively strong swimming ability.
SCUTE An enlarged scale, such as those on a turtle shell.
SCL Straight carapace length. The distance from the anterior to the posterior end of the carapace taken along the midline and measured as a straight distance (i.e., not measuring along the curvature of the shell). A standard way of measuring body length in turtles.
SNP Single nucleotide polymorphism. A homologous nucleotide position in a DNA sequence that is variable among conspecific individuals. SNPs are increasingly used instead of allozymes, microsatellites, and mtDNA for population genetic and species delimitation studies.
STREAM TYPE LARVAE Salamander larvae that develop in streams are typically smaller than pond type larvae and have smaller tail fins. Behaviorally, they tend not to swim in the open water and instead remain near the substrate.
SVL Snout to vent length. The distance from the tip of the snout to the anterior edge of the cloaca. A standard way of measuring length in many amphibians and reptiles.
TL Total length. The distance from the tip of the snout to the end of the tail.
VIVIPAROUS A mode of reproduction in which females give birth to live young that are not retained in shelled eggs (compare with ovoviviparous).