Oviparity, viviparity or plasticity in reproductive mode of the olm Proteus anguinus: an epic misunderstanding caused by prey regurgitation?

Abstract

Cave animals are biological models of fast evolutionary change induced by transition to extreme subterranean environments. But their concealed lifestyle makes it inherently difficult to study life-history changes. Therefore, currently very little is known on the reproduction of cave species, and even less is known on general patterns and potentially shared reproductive strategies. Theory predicts that the cave environment favours the production of a few well-developed offspring and live birth. For one of the most enigmatic cave animals, the olm (Proteus anguinus), it has been debated fiercely whether they reproduce by live birth (viviparity), egg-laying (oviparity) or facultatively. While successes in captive breeding after the 1950s report oviparity as the single parity mode, some historically older observations claimed viviparity. The controversial neo-Lamarckist Paul Kammerer even claimed to have induced changes in parity mode by altering environmental conditions. Here, we report on the feeding and regurgitation of fire salamander (Salamandra salamandra) larvae by olms. The salamander larvae showed clear teeth marks and other injuries on the head caused by the olm, yet one larva was still alive after regurgitation. We suggest that historical reports of olm viviparity could have been misled by regurgitated salamander larvae. Our data bring additional indications that at least some of Kammerer’s experiments were fraudulent.