The Herpetological Journal

pp.454-457

Authors: Trevor J. C. Beebee

Abstract: (I) Protein electrophoretic patterns from early life stages of two anurans, Bufo bufo and Bufo calamita, were compared. Samples were taken from two widely-separated populations of each species.
(2) Spawn jelly of the two toads could be distinguished reliably by t he difference in molecular weight of a single major component (30,000 in B. bufo, 35,000 in B. calamita).
(3) Small tadpole total proteins could be distinguished by the presence (B. bufo) or virtual absence (B. calamita) of two characteristic proteins of M rs 49,000 and 53,000.
( 4) Large tadpole tailfin proteins also differed in a species-specific way; B. bufo exhibited a strong band of Mr 62,000 that was almost absent in B. calamita, while the latter species had a doublet (Mrs 57,000 and 58,000) instead of the single 57,000 Mr polypeptide seen in B. bufo.