An integrative approach to the evolution of water economy in amphibians /Evolution of a pheromone system in aquatic salamanders

Amphibians have a permeable skin which they use for respiration. This characteristic makes them more sensitive to desiccation and at first glance less adapted to a terrestrial life than other land vertebrates. Nevertheless, they evolved several strategies to cope with water loss and they can be found in almost every habitat (even desserts). The optimization of water economy seems to have played an essential role in shaping amphibian diversification- and current distribution patterns. Still, little is known on the evolutionary and molecular background of the adaptations involved in water economy. The aim of this study is to integrate molecular and evolutionary analyses to better understand the various strategies that amphibians evolved to optimize their water economy and to investigate their influence on the ecological success of amphibians.