Supporting data for "Living in darkness: Exploring adaptation of Proteus anguinus in 3D by X-ray imaging"

Dataset type: Imaging
Data released on February 14, 2022

Tesarova M; Mancini L; Mauri E; Aljančič G; Năpăruş-Aljančič M; Kostanjšek R; Mali LB; Zikmund T; Kaucka M; Papi F; Goyens J; Bouchnita A; Hellander A; Adameyko I; Kaiser J (2022): Supporting data for "Living in darkness: Exploring adaptation of Proteus anguinus in 3D by X-ray imaging" GigaScience Database. http://dx.doi.org/10.5524/102196

DOI10.5524/102196

The lightless caves can harbour a wide range of living organisms. Cave animals have evolved a set of morphological, physiological and behavioural adaptations known as troglomorphisms, enabling their survival in perpetual darkness, narrow temperature and humidity ranges, and nutrient scarcity of subterranean environment. In this study, we focused on adaptations of skull shape and sensory systems in blind cave salamander, Proteus anguinus, also known as olm or simply proteus - the largest cave tetrapod and the only European amphibian living exclusively in subterranean environments. This extraordinary amphibian compensates the loss of sight by enhanced non-visual sensory systems including mechanoreceptors, electroreceptors and chemoreceptors. We compared developmental stages of Proteus anguinus with Ambystoma mexicanum, also known as axolotl, to make an exemplary comparison between cave-and surface-dwelling paedomorphic salamanders.
We used contrast-enhanced X-ray computed microtomography for the 3D segmentation of the soft tissues in the head of Proteus anguinus and axolotl. Sensory organs were visualised to understand how the animal is adapted to living in complete darkness. X-ray microCT datasets were provided along with with 3D models for larval, juvenile and adult specimens, showing the cartilage of the chondrocranium, the position, shape and size of the brain, eyes and olfactory epithelium.
Proteus anguinus still keeps some of its secrets to itself. Our high-resolution X-ray microCT scans together with 3D models of the anatomical structures in the head may help us to understand the nature and origin of the mechanisms behind its adaptations to the subterranean environment, which led to a series of troglomorphies.

Additional details

Read the peer-reviewed publication(s):

(PubMed: 35380661)

Additional information:

https://sketchfab.com/GigaDB/collections/salamander

https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:5208086





Sample IDTaxonomic IDCommon NameGenbank NameScientific NameSample Attributes
Ambystoma_mexicanum_adult8296axolotlaxolotlAmbystoma mexicanum Description:MicroCT image data (volumetric DICOM s...
Geographic location (country and/or sea,region):It...
Geographic location (latitude):45.64348
...
+
Ambystoma_mexicanum_larvae8296axolotlaxolotlAmbystoma mexicanum Description:MicroCT image data (volumetric DICOM s...
Geographic location (country and/or sea,region):It...
Geographic location (latitude):45.64348
...
+
Proteus_anguinus_adult221568blind cave salamanderolmProteus anguinus Description:MicroCT image data (volumetric DICOM s...
Geographic location (country and/or sea,region):Sl...
Geographic location (latitude):45.82137
...
+
Proteus_anguinus_juvenile221568blind cave salamanderolmProteus anguinus Description:MicroCT image data (volumetric DICOM s...
Geographic location (country and/or sea,region):Cr...
Geographic location (latitude):43.02
...
+
Proteus_anguinus_larvae221568blind cave salamanderolmProteus anguinus Description:MicroCT image data (volumetric DICOM s...
Geographic location (country and/or sea,region):Sl...
Geographic location (latitude):45.82137
...
+
Displaying 1-5 of 5 Sample(s).




Displaying 1-10 of 75 File(s).
Funding body Awardee Award ID Comments
Ministry of Education Youth and Sports Czech Republic J Kaiser LM2018110 CzechNanoLab Research Infrastructure
Brno City Municipality M Tesařová Brno Ph.D. Talent Scholarship Holder
Martina Roeselova Memorial Fellowship M Tesařová
Brno University of Technology M Tesařová CEITEC VUT-J-21-7145 Specific research
Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek-Vlaanderen J Goyens 12R5118N Postdoctoral Fellowship

3D Models:

Date Action
February 14, 2022 Dataset publish
February 14, 2022 Title updated from : Supporting data for "Living in darkness: Exploring adaptation of Proteus anguinus in 3D by X-ray imaging"
March 7, 2022 Manuscript Link added : 10.1093/gigascience/giac030
October 7, 2022 Manuscript Link updated : 10.1093/gigascience/giac030
March 31, 2023 Sample Attribute of Sample Proteus_anguinus_juvenile: Updated to include BTO & PATO ontology terms
March 31, 2023 Sample Attribute of Sample Proteus_anguinus_adult: Updated to include BTO & PATO ontology terms
March 31, 2023 Sample Attribute of Sample Ambystoma_mexicanum_larvae: Updated to include BTO & PATO ontology terms
March 31, 2023 Sample Attribute of Sample Proteus_anguinus_larvae: Updated to include BTO & PATO ontology terms
March 31, 2023 Sample Attribute of Sample Ambystoma_mexicanum_adult: Updated to include BTO & PATO ontology terms