Naturally occurring fluorescence in frogs.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
; 114(14): 3672-3677, 2017 04 04.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-28289227
Fluorescence, the absorption of short-wavelength electromagnetic radiation reemitted at longer wavelengths, has been suggested to play several biological roles in metazoans. This phenomenon is uncommon in tetrapods, being restricted mostly to parrots and marine turtles. We report fluorescence in amphibians, in the tree frog Hypsiboas punctatus, showing that fluorescence in living frogs is produced by a combination of lymph and glandular emission, with pigmentary cell filtering in the skin. The chemical origin of fluorescence was traced to a class of fluorescent compounds derived from dihydroisoquinolinone, here named hyloins. We show that fluorescence contributes 18-29% of the total emerging light under twilight and nocturnal scenarios, largely enhancing brightness of the individuals and matching the sensitivity of night vision in amphibians. These results introduce an unprecedented source of pigmentation in amphibians and highlight the potential relevance of fluorescence in visual perception in terrestrial environments.
Palabras clave
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Anuros
/
Piel
/
Linfa
Límite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A
Año:
2017
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Argentina
Pais de publicación:
Estados Unidos