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Papers by Maureen A. Donnelly

Research paper thumbnail of Litter Dynamics Regulate Population Densities in a Declining Terrestrial Herpetofauna

Research paper thumbnail of Litter Dynamics Regulate Population Densities in a Declining Terrestrial Herpetofauna

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial and temporal patterns of alkaloid variation in the poison frog Oophaga pumilio in Costa Rica and Panama over 30 years

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, 2007

A total of 232 alkaloids, representing 21 structural classes were detected in skin extracts from ... more A total of 232 alkaloids, representing 21 structural classes were detected in skin extracts from the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio, collected from 53 different populations from over 30 years of research. The highly toxic pumiliotoxins and allopumiliotoxins, along with 5,8-disubstitiuted and 5,6,8-trisubstituted indolizidines, all of which are proposed to be of dietary mite origin, were common constituents in most extracts. One decahydroquinoline (DHQ), previously shown be of ant origin, occurred in many extracts often as a major alkaloid, while other DHQs occurred rather infrequently. Histrionicotoxins, thought to be of ant origin, did not appear to possess a specific pattern of occurrence among the populations, but when present, were usually found as major components. Certain 3,5-disubstituted pyrrolizidines and indolizidines, known to be of ant origin, did occur in extracts, but infrequently. Alkaloid composition differed with regard to geographic location of frog popula...

Research paper thumbnail of Potential Effects of Climate Change on Two Neotropical Amphibian Assemblages

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Forest Ecosystems, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of The advertisement calls of four species of glassfrogs (Centrolenidae) from southeastern Peru

Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Formicine ants: An arthropod source for the pumiliotoxin alkaloids of dendrobatid poison frogs

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004

A remarkable diversity of bioactive lipophilic alkaloids is present in the skin of poison frogs a... more A remarkable diversity of bioactive lipophilic alkaloids is present in the skin of poison frogs and toads worldwide. Originally discovered in neotropical dendrobatid frogs, these alkaloids are now known from mantellid frogs of Madagascar, certain myobatrachid frogs of Australia, and certain bufonid toads of South America. Presumably serving as a passive chemical defense, these alkaloids appear to be sequestered from a variety of alkaloid-containing arthropods. The pumiliotoxins represent a major, widespread, group of alkaloids that are found in virtually all anurans that are chemically defended by the presence of lipophilic alkaloids. Identifying an arthropod source for these alkaloids has been a considerable challenge for chemical ecologists. However, an extensive collection of neotropical forest arthropods has now revealed a putative arthropod source of the pumiliotoxins. Here we report on the presence of pumiliotoxins in formicine ants of the genera Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina, as well as the presence of these ants in the stomach contents of the microsympatric pumiliotoxin-containing dendrobatid frog, Dendrobates pumilio. These pumiliotoxins are major alkaloids in D. pumilio, and Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina ants now represent the only known dietary sources of these toxic alkaloids. These findings further support the significance of ant-specialization and alkaloid sequestration in the evolution of bright warning coloration in poison frogs and toads.

Research paper thumbnail of Amphibian and reptile declines over 35 years at La Selva, Costa Rica

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Bioactive alkaloids of frog skin: Combinatorial bioprospecting reveals that pumiliotoxins have an arthropod source

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2002

Nearly 500 alkaloids have been detected in skin extracts from frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. ... more Nearly 500 alkaloids have been detected in skin extracts from frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. All seem to have been sequestered unchanged into skin glands from alkaloid-containing arthropods. Ants, beetles, and millipedes seem to be the source of decahydroquinolines, certain izidines, coccinellines, and spiropyrrolizidine oximes. But the dietary source for a major group of frog-skin alkaloids, namely the pumiliotoxins (PTXs), alloPTXs, and homoPTXs, remained a mystery. In hopes of revealing an arthropod source for the PTX group, small arthropods were collected from eight different sites on a Panamanian island, where the dendrobatid frog (Dendrobates pumilio) was known to contain high levels of two PTXs. The mixed arthropod collections from several sites, each representing up to 20 arthropod taxa, contained PTX 307A and/or alloPTX 323B. In addition, the mixed arthropod collections from several sites contained a 5,8-disubstituted indolizidine (205A or 235B), representing another class of alkaloids previously unknown from an arthropod. An ant alkaloid, decahydroquinoline 195A, was detected in the mixed arthropod collections from several sites. Thus, "combinatorial bioprospecting" demonstrates that further collection and analysis of individual taxa of leaf-litter arthropods should reveal the taxa from which PTXs, alloPTXs, and 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines are derived.

Research paper thumbnail of Patterns of reproduction and habitat use in an assemblage of Neotropical hylid frogs

Research paper thumbnail of Alternative views of amphibian toe-clipping

Research paper thumbnail of Amphibian community structure as a function of forest type in Amazonian Peru

Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Length-mass relationships among an assemblage of tropical snakes in Costa Rica

Journal of Tropical Ecology, 1990

Page 1. Journal of Tropical Ecology (1990) 6:65-76. With 6 figures Length-mass relationships amon... more Page 1. Journal of Tropical Ecology (1990) 6:65-76. With 6 figures Length-mass relationships among an assemblage of tropical snakes in Costa Rica CRAIG GUYER* and MAUREEN A. DONNELLY Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reproductive Phenology of Three Lizard Species in Costa Rica, with Comments on Seasonal Reproduction of Neotropical Lizards

Journal of Herpetology, 2005

... Brazil. Copeia 1991:1002–1012. Colli, GR, AK Peres Jr., and MG Zatz. 1997.Foraging mode and r... more ... Brazil. Copeia 1991:1002–1012. Colli, GR, AK Peres Jr., and MG Zatz. 1997.Foraging mode and reproductive seasonality in tropical lizards. Journal ofHerpetology 31:490–499. CrossRef. Donnelly, MA 1989. Reproductive ...

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians

Copeia, 1995

Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity is the first book to provide comprehensive coverage... more Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity is the first book to provide comprehensive coverage of standard methods for biodiversity sampling of amphibians, with information on analyzing and using data that will interest biologists in general. In this manual, nearly fifty herpetologists ...

Research paper thumbnail of Review: Fragments as Islands: a Synthesis of Faunal Responses to Habitat Patchiness

Conservation Biology, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) exclusion on leaf litter amphibians and reptiles in a Neotropical wet forest, Costa Rica

Research paper thumbnail of Increased pressure during retrograde cerebral perfusion in an acute porcine model improves brain tissue perfusion without increase in tissue edema

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of HERPETOFAUNA OF THE YUTAJÉ–COROCORO MASSIF, VENEZUELA: SECOND REPORT FROM THE ROBERT G. GOELET AMERICAN MUSEUM–TERRAMAR EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHWESTERN TEPUIS

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 2001

... format for definitions and descriptions of centrolenids, and Lynch's long-term forma... more ... format for definitions and descriptions of centrolenids, and Lynch's long-term format and methodology for eleutherodactyline leptodactylids (best ... The only herpetological specimens collected or seen were the frog Pseudopaludicola llanera and a new species of the lizard ...

Research paper thumbnail of Litter Dynamics Regulate Population Densities in a Declining Terrestrial Herpetofauna

Research paper thumbnail of Litter Dynamics Regulate Population Densities in a Declining Terrestrial Herpetofauna

Research paper thumbnail of Spatial and temporal patterns of alkaloid variation in the poison frog Oophaga pumilio in Costa Rica and Panama over 30 years

Toxicon : official journal of the International Society on Toxinology, 2007

A total of 232 alkaloids, representing 21 structural classes were detected in skin extracts from ... more A total of 232 alkaloids, representing 21 structural classes were detected in skin extracts from the dendrobatid poison frog Oophaga pumilio, collected from 53 different populations from over 30 years of research. The highly toxic pumiliotoxins and allopumiliotoxins, along with 5,8-disubstitiuted and 5,6,8-trisubstituted indolizidines, all of which are proposed to be of dietary mite origin, were common constituents in most extracts. One decahydroquinoline (DHQ), previously shown be of ant origin, occurred in many extracts often as a major alkaloid, while other DHQs occurred rather infrequently. Histrionicotoxins, thought to be of ant origin, did not appear to possess a specific pattern of occurrence among the populations, but when present, were usually found as major components. Certain 3,5-disubstituted pyrrolizidines and indolizidines, known to be of ant origin, did occur in extracts, but infrequently. Alkaloid composition differed with regard to geographic location of frog popula...

Research paper thumbnail of Potential Effects of Climate Change on Two Neotropical Amphibian Assemblages

Potential Impacts of Climate Change on Tropical Forest Ecosystems, 1998

Research paper thumbnail of The advertisement calls of four species of glassfrogs (Centrolenidae) from southeastern Peru

Studies on Neotropical Fauna and Environment, 2009

Research paper thumbnail of Formicine ants: An arthropod source for the pumiliotoxin alkaloids of dendrobatid poison frogs

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2004

A remarkable diversity of bioactive lipophilic alkaloids is present in the skin of poison frogs a... more A remarkable diversity of bioactive lipophilic alkaloids is present in the skin of poison frogs and toads worldwide. Originally discovered in neotropical dendrobatid frogs, these alkaloids are now known from mantellid frogs of Madagascar, certain myobatrachid frogs of Australia, and certain bufonid toads of South America. Presumably serving as a passive chemical defense, these alkaloids appear to be sequestered from a variety of alkaloid-containing arthropods. The pumiliotoxins represent a major, widespread, group of alkaloids that are found in virtually all anurans that are chemically defended by the presence of lipophilic alkaloids. Identifying an arthropod source for these alkaloids has been a considerable challenge for chemical ecologists. However, an extensive collection of neotropical forest arthropods has now revealed a putative arthropod source of the pumiliotoxins. Here we report on the presence of pumiliotoxins in formicine ants of the genera Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina, as well as the presence of these ants in the stomach contents of the microsympatric pumiliotoxin-containing dendrobatid frog, Dendrobates pumilio. These pumiliotoxins are major alkaloids in D. pumilio, and Brachymyrmex and Paratrechina ants now represent the only known dietary sources of these toxic alkaloids. These findings further support the significance of ant-specialization and alkaloid sequestration in the evolution of bright warning coloration in poison frogs and toads.

Research paper thumbnail of Amphibian and reptile declines over 35 years at La Selva, Costa Rica

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2007

Research paper thumbnail of Bioactive alkaloids of frog skin: Combinatorial bioprospecting reveals that pumiliotoxins have an arthropod source

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2002

Nearly 500 alkaloids have been detected in skin extracts from frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. ... more Nearly 500 alkaloids have been detected in skin extracts from frogs of the family Dendrobatidae. All seem to have been sequestered unchanged into skin glands from alkaloid-containing arthropods. Ants, beetles, and millipedes seem to be the source of decahydroquinolines, certain izidines, coccinellines, and spiropyrrolizidine oximes. But the dietary source for a major group of frog-skin alkaloids, namely the pumiliotoxins (PTXs), alloPTXs, and homoPTXs, remained a mystery. In hopes of revealing an arthropod source for the PTX group, small arthropods were collected from eight different sites on a Panamanian island, where the dendrobatid frog (Dendrobates pumilio) was known to contain high levels of two PTXs. The mixed arthropod collections from several sites, each representing up to 20 arthropod taxa, contained PTX 307A and/or alloPTX 323B. In addition, the mixed arthropod collections from several sites contained a 5,8-disubstituted indolizidine (205A or 235B), representing another class of alkaloids previously unknown from an arthropod. An ant alkaloid, decahydroquinoline 195A, was detected in the mixed arthropod collections from several sites. Thus, "combinatorial bioprospecting" demonstrates that further collection and analysis of individual taxa of leaf-litter arthropods should reveal the taxa from which PTXs, alloPTXs, and 5,8-disubstituted indolizidines are derived.

Research paper thumbnail of Patterns of reproduction and habitat use in an assemblage of Neotropical hylid frogs

Research paper thumbnail of Alternative views of amphibian toe-clipping

Research paper thumbnail of Amphibian community structure as a function of forest type in Amazonian Peru

Journal of Tropical Ecology, 2010

Research paper thumbnail of Length-mass relationships among an assemblage of tropical snakes in Costa Rica

Journal of Tropical Ecology, 1990

Page 1. Journal of Tropical Ecology (1990) 6:65-76. With 6 figures Length-mass relationships amon... more Page 1. Journal of Tropical Ecology (1990) 6:65-76. With 6 figures Length-mass relationships among an assemblage of tropical snakes in Costa Rica CRAIG GUYER* and MAUREEN A. DONNELLY Department of Biology, University of Miami, Coral Gables, FL 33124, USA ...

Research paper thumbnail of Reproductive Phenology of Three Lizard Species in Costa Rica, with Comments on Seasonal Reproduction of Neotropical Lizards

Journal of Herpetology, 2005

... Brazil. Copeia 1991:1002–1012. Colli, GR, AK Peres Jr., and MG Zatz. 1997.Foraging mode and r... more ... Brazil. Copeia 1991:1002–1012. Colli, GR, AK Peres Jr., and MG Zatz. 1997.Foraging mode and reproductive seasonality in tropical lizards. Journal ofHerpetology 31:490–499. CrossRef. Donnelly, MA 1989. Reproductive ...

Research paper thumbnail of Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity: Standard Methods for Amphibians

Copeia, 1995

Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity is the first book to provide comprehensive coverage... more Measuring and Monitoring Biological Diversity is the first book to provide comprehensive coverage of standard methods for biodiversity sampling of amphibians, with information on analyzing and using data that will interest biologists in general. In this manual, nearly fifty herpetologists ...

Research paper thumbnail of Review: Fragments as Islands: a Synthesis of Faunal Responses to Habitat Patchiness

Conservation Biology, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Effects of collared peccary (Pecari tajacu) exclusion on leaf litter amphibians and reptiles in a Neotropical wet forest, Costa Rica

Research paper thumbnail of Increased pressure during retrograde cerebral perfusion in an acute porcine model improves brain tissue perfusion without increase in tissue edema

The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of HERPETOFAUNA OF THE YUTAJÉ–COROCORO MASSIF, VENEZUELA: SECOND REPORT FROM THE ROBERT G. GOELET AMERICAN MUSEUM–TERRAMAR EXPEDITION TO THE NORTHWESTERN TEPUIS

Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, 2001

... format for definitions and descriptions of centrolenids, and Lynch's long-term forma... more ... format for definitions and descriptions of centrolenids, and Lynch's long-term format and methodology for eleutherodactyline leptodactylids (best ... The only herpetological specimens collected or seen were the frog Pseudopaludicola llanera and a new species of the lizard ...