Abstract
IN several genera of the order Anura supernumerary limbs occur naturally1. They are usually extra hind limbs2. Polymely does not appear to have been reported in the genus Xenopus. The female toad (Xenopus laevis) described here came with a consignment of toads imported from South Africa in 1956. The toad measured 8.0 cm. from snout to vent and weighed 60 gm. and, except for a supernumerary right arm, was quite normal in appearance. The additional forearm was a mirror image of the normal right arm and was the same size as the two normal limbs. It measured 3.2 cm. from the axilla to the tip of the longest digit. The additional limb was attached immediately anterior to, and in the same plane as, the normal right arm. The point of attachment of the two limbs formed a prominent bony lump (Fig. 1). The extra limb was functionally normal and capable of independent movement. Xenopus is aglossate and pushes food into its mouth with both hands. In this specimen the back of the supernumerary hand assisted the normal left hand to carry food to the mouth, and the normal left hand alone was used for pushing food into the mouth. This toad had no difficulty in competing with normal Xenopus for food and was well nourished.
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References
Bateson, W., “Materials for the Study of Variation” (1894).
O'Donoghue, C. H., Zool. Anz., 35, 759 (1910).
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HOBSON, B. Polymely in Xenopus laevis . Nature 181, 862 (1958). https://doi.org/10.1038/181862a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/181862a0
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