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Newt

A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae. The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft. Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae, newts are semiaquatic, alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats. Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts, however. More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental life stages: aquatic larva, terrestrial juvenile (eft), and adult. Adult newts have lizard-like bodies and return to the water every year to breed, otherwise living in humid, cover-rich land habitats.

Newt
Temporal range: Late Cretaceous–Recent[1]
Alpine newt
Scientific classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Urodela
Family: Salamandridae
Subfamily: Pleurodelinae
Genera

14–17 extant and six fossil genera, see text

Newts are threatened by habitat loss, fragmentation and pollution. Several species are endangered, and at least one species, the Yunnan lake newt, has become extinct recently.

Etymology edit

 
Pleurodeles, including the Iberian ribbed newt, is the type genus of subfamily Pleurodelinae.

The Old English name of the animal was efte, efeta (of unknown origin), resulting in Middle English eft; this word was transformed irregularly into euft, evete, or ewt(e). The initial "n" was added from the indefinite article "an" by provection (juncture loss) ("an eft" → "a n'eft" → ...) by the early 15th century.[2] The form "newt" appears to have arisen as a dialectal variant of eft in Staffordshire, but entered Standard English by the Early Modern period (used by Shakespeare in Macbeth iv.1).[3] The regular form eft, now only used for newly metamorphosed specimens, survived alongside newt, especially in composition, the larva being called "water-eft" and the mature form "land-eft" well into the 18th century, but the simplex "eft" as equivalent to "water-eft" has been in use since at least the 17th century.[4]

Dialectal English and Scots also has the word ask (also awsk, esk in Scots[5]) used for both newts and wall lizards, from Old English āþexe, from Proto-Germanic *agiþahsijǭ, literally "lizard-badger" or "distaff-like lizard" (compare German Eidechse and Echse, both "lizard;" *agi- is ultimately cognate with Greek ὄφις "snake," from Proto-Indo-European *h₁ogʷʰis[6]). Latin had the name stellio for a type of spotted newt, now used for species of the genus Stellagama. Ancient Greek had the name κορδύλος, presumably for the water newt (immature newt, eft).[7] German has Molch, from Middle High German mol, wikt:olm, like the English term of unknown etymology.

Newts are also known as Tritones (viz., named for the mythological Triton) in historical literature, and "triton" remains in use as common name in some Romance languages, such as Spanish and Romanian, but as well as in Greek, Russian, and Bulgarian. The systematic name Tritones was introduced alongside Pleurodelinae by Tschudi in 1838, based on the type genus named Triton by Laurenti in 1768. Laurenti's Triton was renamed to Triturus ("Triton-tail") by Rafinesque in 1815.[8] Tschudi's Pleurodelinae is based on the type genus Pleurodeles (ribbed newt) named by Michahelles in 1830 (the name meaning "having prominent ribs," formed from πλευρά "ribs" and δῆλος "conspicuous"). Collective nouns for newts are flotilla and armada.

Distribution and habitats edit

 
The Pyrenean brook newt lives in small streams in the Pyrenees mountains.

Newts are found in North America, Europe, North Africa and Asia. The Pacific newts (Taricha) and the Eastern newts (Notophthalmus) with together seven species are the only representatives in North America, while most diversity is found in the Old World: In Europe and the Middle East, the group's likely origin, eight genera with roughly 30 species are found, with the ribbed newts (Pleurodeles) extending to northernmost Africa. Eastern Asia, from Eastern India over Indochina to Japan, is home to five genera with more than 40 species.[citation needed]

Newts are semiaquatic, spending part of the year in the water for reproduction and the rest of the year on land. While most species prefer stagnant water bodies such as ponds, ditches, or flooded meadows for reproduction, some species such as the Danube crested newt can also occur in slow-flowing rivers. The European brook newts (Calotriton) and European mountain newts (Euproctus) have even adapted to life in cold, oxygen-rich mountain streams. During their terrestrial phase, newts live in humid habitats with abundant cover such as logs, rocks, or earth holes.[citation needed]

 
 
The eastern newt as terrestrial eft (left) and as an adult during aquatic breeding season (right)

Characteristics edit

Newts share many of the characteristics of their salamander kin, Caudata, including semipermeable glandular skin, four equal-sized limbs, and a distinct tail. The newt's skin, however, is not as smooth as that of other salamanders.[9] The cells at the site of an injury have the ability to undifferentiate, reproduce rapidly, and differentiate again to create a new limb or organ. One hypothesis is that the undifferentiated cells are related to tumor cells, since chemicals that produce tumors in other animals will produce additional limbs in newts.[10]

Development edit

The main breeding season for newts (in the Northern Hemisphere) is in June and July. A single newt female can produce hundreds of eggs. For instance, the warty newt can produce 200–300 eggs (Bradford 2017). After courtship rituals of varying complexity, which take place in ponds or slow-moving streams, the male newt transfers a spermatophore, which is taken up by the female. Fertilized eggs are laid singly and are usually attached to aquatic plants.[citation needed] This distinguishes them from the free-floating eggs of frogs or toads, which are laid in clumps or in strings. Plant leaves are usually folded over and attached to the eggs to protect them. The larvae, which resemble fish fry but are distinguished by their feathery external gills, hatch out in about three weeks. After hatching, they eat algae, small invertebrates, or other amphibian larvae.[citation needed]

During the subsequent few months, the larvae undergo metamorphosis, during which they develop legs, and the gills are absorbed and replaced by air-breathing lungs.[11] Some species, such as the North American newts, also become more brightly colored during this phase. Once fully metamorphosed, they leave the water and live a terrestrial life, when they are known as "efts."[12][13] Only when the eft reaches adulthood will the North American species return to live in water, rarely venturing back onto the land. Conversely, most European species live their adult lives on land and only visit water to breed.[14]

Development in the northern crested newt (Triturus cristatus)
 
Embryo in jelly capsule
 
Young larva
 
Larva shortly before metamorphosis
 
Terrestrial juvenile
Newts lay their eggs on structures such as plants or stones under water. The larvae first develop fore- and later hindlimbs, and are strictly carnivorous. After metamorphosis, juveniles known as efts emerge from the water and live a terrestrial lifestyle.

Toxicity edit

 
The Pacific newts (Taricha), including the California newt, are known for their toxicity.

Many newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defence mechanism against predators. Taricha newts of western North America are particularly toxic. The rough-skinned newt Taricha granulosa of the Pacific Northwest produces more than enough tetrodotoxin to kill an adult human, and some Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used the toxin to poison their enemies.[15] However, the toxins are only dangerous if ingested or otherwise enter the body; for example, through a wound. Newts can safely live in the same ponds or streams as frogs and other amphibians or be kept as pets. The only predators of Taricha newts are garter snakes, some having developed a resistance to the toxin. Most newts can be safely handled, provided the toxins they produce are not ingested or allowed to come in contact with mucous membranes or breaks in the skin.[15]

Systematics edit

Newts form one of three subfamilies in the family Salamandridae, aside Salamandrinae and Salamandrininae.[16] They comprise most extant species in the family, roughly 100, which are classified in sixteen genera:[17]

Hypselotriton and Liangshantriton are regarded as separate genera by some authors, but this is not unanimous.[17]

The term "newt" has traditionally been seen as an exclusively functional term for salamanders living in water, and not a clade. Phylogenetic analyses have however shown that species in the Salamandridae traditionally called newts do form a monophyletic group.[1][16][17] Other, more distantly related salamander families also contain fully or in part aquatic species, such as the mole salamanders, the Proteidae, or the Sirenidae.

Classification of all genera of the Pleurodelinae subfamily after Pyron and Weins,[16] revised by Mikko Haaramo.

Phylogenetics edit

Phylogenetic analyses estimated the origin of the newt subfamily in the Late Cretaceous to Eocene.[1] Several fossil salamanders have also been referred to the Pleurodelinae, including:[18]

Anatomy and physiology edit

Circulation edit

The heart of newts, like that of most amphibians, consists of two atria and one ventricle.[19] Blood flows from the anterior and posterior caval veins into the right atrium; blood that entered the heart from the left atrium is then expelled out of the ventricle. Newts do not have a coronary artery on the ventricle, due to circulation that is found in the conus arteriosus. Newts contain a special circulatory adaptation that allows them to survive ventricular penetration: when a newt's ventricle is punctured, the heart will divert the blood directly into an ascending aorta via a duct located between the ventricle and the conus arteriosus. Newts begin to regenerate the ventricle by a thickening of the epicardial layer that protrudes to allow the new vessels to form, and conclude with a regeneration of the entire myocardial wall.[19]

In early stages of development in amphibians, ventilator gas transport and hemoglobin gas transport are independent mechanisms and not yet coupled as they are in adulthood.[20] In juvenile amphibians, there is no cardiovascular response in conditions of hypoxia.[20] When newts are induced into anemia, they are able to respire without the need of blood cells.[21] In T. carnifex, around two weeks after anemia is induced, the newts produced a mass of cells that helps to revitalize the already circulating red blood cell mass.[21]

Respiration edit

Adult crested newts (Triturus cristus) were found to breathe mainly via the skin but also through the lungs and the buccal cavity. Lung breathing is mainly used when there is a lack of oxygen in the water, or at high activity such as during courtship, breeding, or feeding.[22]

A form of compensatory respiration is the ability to release stored erythrocytes when needed, for example under hypoxia.[23][24] Spleen size can increase as the temperature declines for adults – in larvae, there is no dramatic change in spleen size.[25] During hibernation, an increase in liver pigment cells allows for storage of oxygen, as well as other important ions and free radicals.[26]

Osmoregulation edit

In experiments, dehydrated eastern newts were prone to a loss of motor control: After only 22% water weight loss, newts in the aquatic phase lost their ability to remain upright and mobile. However, after adaptation to a terrestrial phase, they could lose 30% before a loss of motor control was recorded. Newts in the terrestrial phase were found to dehydrate much quicker than newts in the aquatic phase, but conversely, during rehydration, dehydrated terrestrial animals will go through water gain 5x faster than dehydrated newts that are in the aquatic phase.[27]

In the Italian crested newt, it was shown that during winter months, prolactin is released into the circulatory system, which drives the newts into the aquatic environment and reduces the active transport of sodium ions.[28] In contrast to prolactin, which decreases osmotic permeability, vasotocin increases the permeability and is secreted during the summer months.[29] Arginine vasotocin not only increases cutaneous water permeability, but promotes increased cutaneous blood flow.[30]

Thermoregulation edit

Thermoregulation, in combination with seasonal acclimation, describes the major mechanisms of how newts, as ectotherms cope with the changing temperatures existing in their environments. This regulation is most often achieved through behavioral thermoregulation.[31] They are thermoconformers, which means they will acclimate to their surrounding environmental temperatures.[31] When there is a large range of environmental temperatures, newts are insensitive to a thermal gradient profile.[32]

To escape predators, newt larvae have been found to shift their microhabitat to a temperature range that exists outside the predator's preferred temperature range.[33] Larvae that are in the metamorphosizing stage tend to prefer warmer temperatures than those in the stage following metamorphosis.[33] Therefore, the larvae in this stage will undergo a much more precise thermoregulation process than those in the intermediate stage.[33]

Reproductive females of the Italian crested newt were shown to regulate their body temperature more precisely and prefer higher temperatures than non-reproductive females and males.[34]

Spermatogenesis edit

The newt is regarded as an ideal vertebrate model for investigating the mechanism(s) controlling the transition from mitosis to meiosis during spermatogenesis.[35] In the male newt Cynopa pyrrhogaster, this transition was shown to involve expression of PCNA, a DNA polymerase delta auxiliary protein involved in DNA replication and DNA repair, as well as DMC1 protein, a marker for genetic recombination activity.[35]

Susceptibility to pollution edit

Larvae, with their great number of lamellae in their gills,[36] are more susceptible to pollutants than adults. Cadmium, a heavy metal released into the environment from industrial and consumer waste, has been shown to be detrimental to the Italian crested newt even at a concentrations below Italian and European thresholds, by disrupting the activity of the adrenal gland.[37] In experiments allowing Italian crested newts to be exposed to nonylphenol, an endocrine disruptor common in leakage from sewers, there was a decrease in corticosterone and aldosterone, hormones produced by the adrenal gland and important for stress response.[38]

Conservation status edit

 
The Yunnan lake newt is considered extinct.

Although some species, such as the rough-skinned newt (Taricha granulosa) and Eastern newt (Notophthalmus viridescens) in North America or the smooth newt (Lissotriton vulgaris) in Europe, are still relatively common, populations of newts throughout their distribution range suffer from habitat loss, fragmentation, and pollution. This affects especially the aquatic breeding sites they depend on, but also their land habitats.[citation needed] Several species, such as the Edough ribbed newt (Pleurodeles poireti), Kaiser's spotted newt (Neurergus kaiseri), or the Montseny brook newt (Calotriton arnoldi) are considered threatened by the IUCN, and the Yunnan lake newt is an example of a newt species that has gone extinct recently.[39]

Some newt populations in Europe have decreased because of pollution or destruction of their breeding sites and terrestrial habitats, and countries such as the UK have taken steps to halt their declines.[40][41] In the UK, they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Habitat Regulations Act 1994. It is illegal to catch, possess, or handle great crested newts without a licence, or to cause them harm or death, or to disturb their habitat in any way. The IUCN Red List categorises the species as ‘lower risk’[14][42] Although the other UK species, the smooth newt and palmate newt are not listed, the sale of either species is prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, 1981.[43]

In Europe, nine newts are listed as "strictly protected fauna species" under appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats:[44]

The remaining European species are listed as "protected fauna species" under appendix III.[45]

As bioindicators edit

Newts, as with salamanders in general and other amphibians, serve as bioindicators because of their thin, sensitive skin and evidence of their presence (or absence) can serve as an indicator of the health of the environment. Most species are highly sensitive to subtle changes in the pH level of the streams and lakes where they live. Because their skin is permeable to water, they absorb oxygen and other substances they need through their skin. Scientists study the stability of the amphibian population when studying the water quality of a particular body of water.[citation needed]

As pets edit

Chinese warty newts, Chinese fire belly newts, eastern newts, paddletail newts, Japanese fire belly newts, Chuxiong fire-bellied newts, Triturus species, emperor newts, Spanish ribbed newts (leucistic genes exist), and red-tailed knobby newts are some commonly seen newts in the pet trade. Some newts rarely seen in the pet trade are rough-skinned newts, Kaiser's spotted newts, banded newts and yellow-spotted newts.[original research?]

References edit

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  35. ^ a b Yazawa T, Yamamoto T, Nakayama Y, Hamada S, Abé S. Conversion from mitosis to meiosis: morphology and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and Dmc1 during newt spermatogenesis. Dev Growth Differ. 2000 Dec;42(6):603-11. doi: 10.1046/j.1440-169x.2000.00544.x. PMID: 11142682
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External links edit

  •   Data related to Pleurodelinae at Wikispecies

newt, this, article, about, animal, other, uses, disambiguation, redirects, here, other, uses, newt, salamander, subfamily, pleurodelinae, terrestrial, juvenile, phase, called, unlike, other, members, family, salamandridae, newts, semiaquatic, alternating, bet. This article is about the animal For other uses see Newt disambiguation Eft redirects here For other uses see EFT A newt is a salamander in the subfamily Pleurodelinae The terrestrial juvenile phase is called an eft Unlike other members of the family Salamandridae newts are semiaquatic alternating between aquatic and terrestrial habitats Not all aquatic salamanders are considered newts however More than 100 known species of newts are found in North America Europe North Africa and Asia Newts metamorphose through three distinct developmental life stages aquatic larva terrestrial juvenile eft and adult Adult newts have lizard like bodies and return to the water every year to breed otherwise living in humid cover rich land habitats NewtTemporal range Late Cretaceous Recent 1 PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N Alpine newt Scientific classification Domain Eukaryota Kingdom Animalia Phylum Chordata Class Amphibia Order Urodela Family Salamandridae Subfamily Pleurodelinae Genera 14 17 extant and six fossil genera see text Newts are threatened by habitat loss fragmentation and pollution Several species are endangered and at least one species the Yunnan lake newt has become extinct recently Contents 1 Etymology 2 Distribution and habitats 3 Characteristics 4 Development 5 Toxicity 6 Systematics 6 1 Phylogenetics 7 Anatomy and physiology 7 1 Circulation 7 2 Respiration 7 3 Osmoregulation 7 4 Thermoregulation 7 5 Spermatogenesis 7 6 Susceptibility to pollution 8 Conservation status 9 As bioindicators 10 As pets 11 References 12 External linksEtymology edit nbsp Pleurodeles including the Iberian ribbed newt is the type genus of subfamily Pleurodelinae The Old English name of the animal was efte efeta of unknown origin resulting in Middle English eft this word was transformed irregularly into euft evete or ewt e The initial n was added from the indefinite article an by provection juncture loss an eft a n eft by the early 15th century 2 The form newt appears to have arisen as a dialectal variant of eft in Staffordshire but entered Standard English by the Early Modern period used by Shakespeare in Macbeth iv 1 3 The regular form eft now only used for newly metamorphosed specimens survived alongside newt especially in composition the larva being called water eft and the mature form land eft well into the 18th century but the simplex eft as equivalent to water eft has been in use since at least the 17th century 4 Dialectal English and Scots also has the word ask also awsk esk in Scots 5 used for both newts and wall lizards from Old English athexe from Proto Germanic agithahsijǭ literally lizard badger or distaff like lizard compare German Eidechse and Echse both lizard agi is ultimately cognate with Greek ὄfis snake from Proto Indo European h ogʷʰis 6 Latin had the name stellio for a type of spotted newt now used for species of the genus Stellagama Ancient Greek had the name kordylos presumably for the water newt immature newt eft 7 German has Molch from Middle High German mol wikt olm like the English term of unknown etymology Newts are also known as Tritones viz named for the mythological Triton in historical literature and triton remains in use as common name in some Romance languages such as Spanish and Romanian but as well as in Greek Russian and Bulgarian The systematic name Tritones was introduced alongside Pleurodelinae by Tschudi in 1838 based on the type genus named Triton by Laurenti in 1768 Laurenti s Triton was renamed to Triturus Triton tail by Rafinesque in 1815 8 Tschudi s Pleurodelinae is based on the type genus Pleurodeles ribbed newt named by Michahelles in 1830 the name meaning having prominent ribs formed from pleyra ribs and dῆlos conspicuous Collective nouns for newts are flotilla and armada Distribution and habitats edit nbsp The Pyrenean brook newt lives in small streams in the Pyrenees mountains Newts are found in North America Europe North Africa and Asia The Pacific newts Taricha and the Eastern newts Notophthalmus with together seven species are the only representatives in North America while most diversity is found in the Old World In Europe and the Middle East the group s likely origin eight genera with roughly 30 species are found with the ribbed newts Pleurodeles extending to northernmost Africa Eastern Asia from Eastern India over Indochina to Japan is home to five genera with more than 40 species citation needed Newts are semiaquatic spending part of the year in the water for reproduction and the rest of the year on land While most species prefer stagnant water bodies such as ponds ditches or flooded meadows for reproduction some species such as the Danube crested newt can also occur in slow flowing rivers The European brook newts Calotriton and European mountain newts Euproctus have even adapted to life in cold oxygen rich mountain streams During their terrestrial phase newts live in humid habitats with abundant cover such as logs rocks or earth holes citation needed nbsp nbsp The eastern newt as terrestrial eft left and as an adult during aquatic breeding season right Characteristics editNewts share many of the characteristics of their salamander kin Caudata including semipermeable glandular skin four equal sized limbs and a distinct tail The newt s skin however is not as smooth as that of other salamanders 9 The cells at the site of an injury have the ability to undifferentiate reproduce rapidly and differentiate again to create a new limb or organ One hypothesis is that the undifferentiated cells are related to tumor cells since chemicals that produce tumors in other animals will produce additional limbs in newts 10 Development editThe main breeding season for newts in the Northern Hemisphere is in June and July A single newt female can produce hundreds of eggs For instance the warty newt can produce 200 300 eggs Bradford 2017 After courtship rituals of varying complexity which take place in ponds or slow moving streams the male newt transfers a spermatophore which is taken up by the female Fertilized eggs are laid singly and are usually attached to aquatic plants citation needed This distinguishes them from the free floating eggs of frogs or toads which are laid in clumps or in strings Plant leaves are usually folded over and attached to the eggs to protect them The larvae which resemble fish fry but are distinguished by their feathery external gills hatch out in about three weeks After hatching they eat algae small invertebrates or other amphibian larvae citation needed During the subsequent few months the larvae undergo metamorphosis during which they develop legs and the gills are absorbed and replaced by air breathing lungs 11 Some species such as the North American newts also become more brightly colored during this phase Once fully metamorphosed they leave the water and live a terrestrial life when they are known as efts 12 13 Only when the eft reaches adulthood will the North American species return to live in water rarely venturing back onto the land Conversely most European species live their adult lives on land and only visit water to breed 14 Development in the northern crested newt Triturus cristatus nbsp Embryo in jelly capsule nbsp Young larva nbsp Larva shortly before metamorphosis nbsp Terrestrial juvenileNewts lay their eggs on structures such as plants or stones under water The larvae first develop fore and later hindlimbs and are strictly carnivorous After metamorphosis juveniles known as efts emerge from the water and live a terrestrial lifestyle Toxicity edit nbsp The Pacific newts Taricha including the California newt are known for their toxicity Many newts produce toxins in their skin secretions as a defence mechanism against predators Taricha newts of western North America are particularly toxic The rough skinned newt Taricha granulosa of the Pacific Northwest produces more than enough tetrodotoxin to kill an adult human and some Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest used the toxin to poison their enemies 15 However the toxins are only dangerous if ingested or otherwise enter the body for example through a wound Newts can safely live in the same ponds or streams as frogs and other amphibians or be kept as pets The only predators of Taricha newts are garter snakes some having developed a resistance to the toxin Most newts can be safely handled provided the toxins they produce are not ingested or allowed to come in contact with mucous membranes or breaks in the skin 15 Systematics editNewts form one of three subfamilies in the family Salamandridae aside Salamandrinae and Salamandrininae 16 They comprise most extant species in the family roughly 100 which are classified in sixteen genera 17 Calotriton Cynops incl Hypselotriton Echinotriton Euproctus Ichthyosaura Laotriton Lissotriton Neurergus Notophthalmus Ommatotriton Pachytriton Paramesotriton Pleurodeles Taricha Triturus Tylototriton incl Liangshantriton Hypselotriton and Liangshantriton are regarded as separate genera by some authors but this is not unanimous 17 The term newt has traditionally been seen as an exclusively functional term for salamanders living in water and not a clade Phylogenetic analyses have however shown that species in the Salamandridae traditionally called newts do form a monophyletic group 1 16 17 Other more distantly related salamander families also contain fully or in part aquatic species such as the mole salamanders the Proteidae or the Sirenidae Classification of all genera of the Pleurodelinae subfamily after Pyron and Weins 16 revised by Mikko Haaramo Pleurodelinae Pleurodelini Pleurodeles nbsp Echinotriton Tylototriton nbsp Molgini Tarichina Notophthalmus nbsp Taricha nbsp Molgina Lissotriton nbsp Neurergus Ommatotriton Calotriton Triturus nbsp Euproctus Ichthyosaura Cynopita Laotriton Pachytriton Cynops nbsp Paramesotriton Phylogenetics edit Phylogenetic analyses estimated the origin of the newt subfamily in the Late Cretaceous to Eocene 1 Several fossil salamanders have also been referred to the Pleurodelinae including 18 Archaeotriton Brachycormus Carpathotriton Chelotriton Koalliella PalaeopleurodelesAnatomy and physiology editCirculation edit The heart of newts like that of most amphibians consists of two atria and one ventricle 19 Blood flows from the anterior and posterior caval veins into the right atrium blood that entered the heart from the left atrium is then expelled out of the ventricle Newts do not have a coronary artery on the ventricle due to circulation that is found in the conus arteriosus Newts contain a special circulatory adaptation that allows them to survive ventricular penetration when a newt s ventricle is punctured the heart will divert the blood directly into an ascending aorta via a duct located between the ventricle and the conus arteriosus Newts begin to regenerate the ventricle by a thickening of the epicardial layer that protrudes to allow the new vessels to form and conclude with a regeneration of the entire myocardial wall 19 In early stages of development in amphibians ventilator gas transport and hemoglobin gas transport are independent mechanisms and not yet coupled as they are in adulthood 20 In juvenile amphibians there is no cardiovascular response in conditions of hypoxia 20 When newts are induced into anemia they are able to respire without the need of blood cells 21 In T carnifex around two weeks after anemia is induced the newts produced a mass of cells that helps to revitalize the already circulating red blood cell mass 21 Respiration edit Adult crested newts Triturus cristus were found to breathe mainly via the skin but also through the lungs and the buccal cavity Lung breathing is mainly used when there is a lack of oxygen in the water or at high activity such as during courtship breeding or feeding 22 A form of compensatory respiration is the ability to release stored erythrocytes when needed for example under hypoxia 23 24 Spleen size can increase as the temperature declines for adults in larvae there is no dramatic change in spleen size 25 During hibernation an increase in liver pigment cells allows for storage of oxygen as well as other important ions and free radicals 26 Osmoregulation edit In experiments dehydrated eastern newts were prone to a loss of motor control After only 22 water weight loss newts in the aquatic phase lost their ability to remain upright and mobile However after adaptation to a terrestrial phase they could lose 30 before a loss of motor control was recorded Newts in the terrestrial phase were found to dehydrate much quicker than newts in the aquatic phase but conversely during rehydration dehydrated terrestrial animals will go through water gain 5x faster than dehydrated newts that are in the aquatic phase 27 In the Italian crested newt it was shown that during winter months prolactin is released into the circulatory system which drives the newts into the aquatic environment and reduces the active transport of sodium ions 28 In contrast to prolactin which decreases osmotic permeability vasotocin increases the permeability and is secreted during the summer months 29 Arginine vasotocin not only increases cutaneous water permeability but promotes increased cutaneous blood flow 30 Thermoregulation edit Thermoregulation in combination with seasonal acclimation describes the major mechanisms of how newts as ectotherms cope with the changing temperatures existing in their environments This regulation is most often achieved through behavioral thermoregulation 31 They are thermoconformers which means they will acclimate to their surrounding environmental temperatures 31 When there is a large range of environmental temperatures newts are insensitive to a thermal gradient profile 32 To escape predators newt larvae have been found to shift their microhabitat to a temperature range that exists outside the predator s preferred temperature range 33 Larvae that are in the metamorphosizing stage tend to prefer warmer temperatures than those in the stage following metamorphosis 33 Therefore the larvae in this stage will undergo a much more precise thermoregulation process than those in the intermediate stage 33 Reproductive females of the Italian crested newt were shown to regulate their body temperature more precisely and prefer higher temperatures than non reproductive females and males 34 Spermatogenesis edit The newt is regarded as an ideal vertebrate model for investigating the mechanism s controlling the transition from mitosis to meiosis during spermatogenesis 35 In the male newt Cynopa pyrrhogaster this transition was shown to involve expression of PCNA a DNA polymerase delta auxiliary protein involved in DNA replication and DNA repair as well as DMC1 protein a marker for genetic recombination activity 35 Susceptibility to pollution edit Larvae with their great number of lamellae in their gills 36 are more susceptible to pollutants than adults Cadmium a heavy metal released into the environment from industrial and consumer waste has been shown to be detrimental to the Italian crested newt even at a concentrations below Italian and European thresholds by disrupting the activity of the adrenal gland 37 In experiments allowing Italian crested newts to be exposed to nonylphenol an endocrine disruptor common in leakage from sewers there was a decrease in corticosterone and aldosterone hormones produced by the adrenal gland and important for stress response 38 Conservation status edit nbsp The Yunnan lake newt is considered extinct Although some species such as the rough skinned newt Taricha granulosa and Eastern newt Notophthalmus viridescens in North America or the smooth newt Lissotriton vulgaris in Europe are still relatively common populations of newts throughout their distribution range suffer from habitat loss fragmentation and pollution This affects especially the aquatic breeding sites they depend on but also their land habitats citation needed Several species such as the Edough ribbed newt Pleurodeles poireti Kaiser s spotted newt Neurergus kaiseri or the Montseny brook newt Calotriton arnoldi are considered threatened by the IUCN and the Yunnan lake newt is an example of a newt species that has gone extinct recently 39 Some newt populations in Europe have decreased because of pollution or destruction of their breeding sites and terrestrial habitats and countries such as the UK have taken steps to halt their declines 40 41 In the UK they are protected under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 and the Habitat Regulations Act 1994 It is illegal to catch possess or handle great crested newts without a licence or to cause them harm or death or to disturb their habitat in any way The IUCN Red List categorises the species as lower risk 14 42 Although the other UK species the smooth newt and palmate newt are not listed the sale of either species is prohibited under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 43 In Europe nine newts are listed as strictly protected fauna species under appendix II of the Convention on the Conservation of European Wildlife and Natural Habitats 44 Calotriton asper Euproctus montanus Euproctus platycephalus Lissotriton italicus Lissotriton montandoni Triturus carnifex Triturus cristatus Triturus dobrogicus Triturus karelinii The remaining European species are listed as protected fauna species under appendix III 45 As bioindicators editNewts as with salamanders in general and other amphibians serve as bioindicators because of their thin sensitive skin and evidence of their presence or absence can serve as an indicator of the health of the environment Most species are highly sensitive to subtle changes in the pH level of the streams and lakes where they live Because their skin is permeable to water they absorb oxygen and other substances they need through their skin Scientists study the stability of the amphibian population when studying the water quality of a particular body of water citation needed As pets editChinese warty newts Chinese fire belly newts eastern newts paddletail newts Japanese fire belly newts Chuxiong fire bellied newts Triturus species emperor newts Spanish ribbed newts leucistic genes exist and red tailed knobby newts are some commonly seen newts in the pet trade Some newts rarely seen in the pet trade are rough skinned newts Kaiser s spotted newts banded newts and yellow spotted newts original research References edit a b c Zhang Peng Papenfuss Theodore J Wake Marvalee H Qu Lianghu Wake David B 2008 Phylogeny and biogeography of the family Salamandridae Amphibia Caudata inferred from complete mitochondrial genomes PDF Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 49 2 586 597 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2008 08 020 ISSN 1055 7903 PMID 18801447 Archived from the original PDF on 2017 02 02 Retrieved 2016 08 29 Oxford English Dictionary Anon Online etymological dictionary Douglas Harper Retrieved 9 October 2013 The Gentleman s Magazine and Historical Chronicle Volume 47 1777 p 321 John Wilkins An Essay Towards a Real Character and a Philosophical Language 1668 p 161 Gilbert White The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne in the County of Southampton 1789 p 50 the water eft or newt is only the larva of the land eft as tadpoles are of frogs Archibald Constable Constable s miscellany of original and selected publications in the various departments of literature science amp the arts Volume 45 1829 p 63 the salamandra aquatica of Hay the water newt or eft John Jamieson An etmological dictionary of the Scottish language 1818 Wolfgang Pfeifer ed Etymologisches Worterbuch des Deutschen Deutscher Taschenbuch Verlag Munich 1997 revised edition of Akademie Verlag Munich 1989 and 1993 p 265 s v Eidechse Pfeifer gives the second element as germ thahsjō n relating it to Middle High German dehse distaff so that both animals lizard and badger were parallelized due to their common spindle shaped bodies Henry George Liddell Robert Scott A Greek English Lexicon Alain Dubois and Roger Bour The nomenclatural status of the nomina of amphibians and reptiles created by Garsault 1764 with a parsimonious solution to an old nomenclatural problem regarding the genus Bufo Amphibia Anura comments on the taxonomy of this genus and comments on some nomina created by Laurenti 1768 Archived 2014 01 09 at the Wayback Machine Zootaxa 2447 2010 1 52 Collins J T Conant R Stebbins R C Peterson R T 1999 Peterson First Guide to Reptiles and Amphibians Houghton Mifflin Harcourt ISBN 978 0 395 97195 6 Shannon Odelberg Molecular Biology Program Bioscience Graduate Studies University of Utah Archived from the original on 2006 09 02 Amphibians body used water process Earth life characteristics form animals oxygen air plant change History Characteristics Life cycle Three major groupings Scienceclarified com 2009 10 13 Retrieved 2013 06 06 Cambridge City Council Local Nature Reserves Lnr cambridge gov uk 2005 07 25 Archived from the original on 2013 07 23 Retrieved 2013 06 06 Brockes J Kumar A Jan 2005 Newts Current Biology 15 2 R42 R44 Bibcode 2005CBio 15 R42B doi 10 1016 j cub 2004 12 049 PMID 15668151 a b BBC Nature Great crested newt videos news and facts Bbc co uk Retrieved 2013 06 06 a b Caudata Culture Articles Newt Toxins Caudata org Retrieved 2013 06 06 a b c Pyron R A Weins J J 2011 A large scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species and a revised classification of advanced frogs salamanders and caecilians PDF Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 61 2 543 853 doi 10 1016 j ympev 2011 06 012 PMID 21723399 a b c Frost D R 2016 Pleurodelinae Amphibian Species of the World an Online Reference Version 6 0 New York American Museum of Natural History Retrieved 2019 10 11 Marjanovic David Witzmann Florian 2015 An Extremely Peramorphic Newt Urodela Salamandridae Pleurodelini from the Latest Oligocene of Germany and a New Phylogenetic Analysis of Extant and Extinct Salamandrids PLOS ONE 10 9 e0137068 Bibcode 2015PLoSO 1037068M doi 10 1371 journal pone 0137068 ISSN 1932 6203 PMC 4589347 PMID 26421432 nbsp a b Miyachi Y 2011 The Unusual Circulation of the Newt Heart after Ventricular Injury and Its Implications for Regeneration Anatomy Research International 1 7 a b Pelster B 1999 Environmental Influences on the Development of the Cardiac System in Fish and Amphibians Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part A 124 407 412 a b Casale G P Khairallah E A Grasso J A 1980 An Analysis of Hemoglobin Synthesis in Erythropoietic Cells Developmental Biology 80 107 119 Eddy F B P McDonald 1978 Aquatic respiration of The Crested Newt Triturus Cristatus Comparative Biochemical Physiology 59 85 88 Giuliano Frangioni Mario Santoni Stefano Bianchi Marco Franchi Giancarlo Fuzzi Stefano Marcaccini Carlo Varlani Gianfranco Borgioli 2006 Function of the Hepatic Melanogenesis in the Newt Triturus Carnifex Journal of Experimental Zoology 303A 123 131 Frangioni G G Borgioli 1996 Variations in blood pressure of newts according to their respiratory conditions Italian Journal of Zoology 63 3 201 206 Frangioni G G Borgioli 1997 Blood and splenic respiratory compensation in larval newts Italian Journal of Zoology 64 3 221 226 Barni et al 1999 P Walters L Greenwald 1977 Physiological adaptations of aquatic newts Notophtalmus viridescens to a terrestrial environment Physiological Zoology 50 2 88 98 Lodi G Biciotti M and Viotto B 1981 Cutaneous Osmoregulation in Triturus cristatus carnifex Laur Urodela General and Comparative Endocrinology 46 452 457 Brown M Brown S Bisceglio I and Lemke S 1983 Breeding Condition Temperature and the Regulation of Salt and Water by Pituitary Hormones in the Red Spotted Newt Notophthalmus viridescens General and Comparative Endocrinology 51 292 302 Minoru Uchiyama Norifumi Konno Hormonal regulation of ion and water transport in anuran amphibians General and Comparative Endocrinology Volume 147 Issue 1 15 May 2006 Pages 54 61 ISSN 0016 6480 a b M Hadamova L Gvozdik 2011 Seasonal acclimation of preferred body temperatures improves the opportunity for thermoregulation in newts Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 84 2 166 174 V Marek L Gvozdik 2012 The insensitivity of thermal preferences to various thermal gradient profiles in newts Journal of Ethology 30 1 35 41 a b c R Smolinsky L Gvozdik 2009 The ontogenetic shift in thermoregulatory behavior of newt larvae testing the enemy free temperature hypothesis Journal of Zoology 279 2 180 186 doi 10 1111 j 1469 7998 2009 00603 x L Gvozdik 1995 Does reproduction influence temperature preference in newts Canadian Journal of Zoology 83 8 1038 1044 doi 10 1139 z05 096 a b Yazawa T Yamamoto T Nakayama Y Hamada S Abe S Conversion from mitosis to meiosis morphology and expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen PCNA and Dmc1 during newt spermatogenesis Dev Growth Differ 2000 Dec 42 6 603 11 doi 10 1046 j 1440 169x 2000 00544 x PMID 11142682 Brunelli E E Sperone M Maisano and S Tripepi 2009 Morphology and ultrastructure of the gills in two Urodela species Salamandrina terdigitata and Triturus carnifex Italian Journal of Zoology 76 2 158 164 Gay F V Laforgia I Caputo C Esposito M Lepretti and A Capaldo Chronic Exposure to Cadmium Disrupts the Adrenal Gland Activity of the Newt Triturus carnifex Amphibia Urodela BioMed Research International A Capaldo F Gay S Valiante M DeFalco R Sciarrillo M Maddaloni V Laforgia 2012 Endocrine disrupting effects of nonylphenol in the newt Triturus carnifex Amphibia Urodela Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology 155 2 352 358 doi 10 1016 j cbpc 2011 10 004 Yang Datong Michael Wai Neng Lau 2004 Hypselotriton wolterstorffi IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2004 e T59445A11942589 doi 10 2305 IUCN UK 2004 RLTS T59445A11942589 en USGS Amphibian Research Monitoring Initiative Pacific Northwest Region Fresc usgs gov 2013 01 30 Retrieved 2013 06 06 UK Biodiversity Action Plan Archived October 24 2007 at the Wayback Machine Science amp Nature Wildfacts Smooth newt common newt BBC 2012 04 27 Retrieved 2013 06 06 Smooth newt videos photos and facts Triturus vulgaris ARKive Archived from the original on 2008 12 01 Retrieved 2013 06 06 Annexe II Strictly protected fauna species Retrieved 2013 06 06 Annexe III Protected fauna species Retrieved 2013 06 06 External links edit nbsp Look up newt in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Look up newt or eft in Wiktionary the free dictionary nbsp Data related to Pleurodelinae at Wikispecies Portal nbsp Amphibians Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Newt amp oldid 1214256539, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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