GANSER, L.R.; MANDICA, M.L.; University of Miami; University of Miami: Sexual Differences in the Brain of the Cane Toad, Bufo marinus

We assessed the sex differences in the brain of Bufo marinus as part of a larger study involving the effects of endocrine disruptors on the sexual differentiation of the brain of B. marinus. Our basic goals were to: 1.) Describe the neuroanatomy of the cane toad. 2.) Identify specific brain regions and nuclei related to reproductive behavior. 3.) Assess any sex differences in nucleus size and soma density and size. We took serial, frozen sections of brain of four male and 3 female B. marinus and stained the slides with a Neutral Red/Saffranin O stain. Tissues were viewed using a Nikon E600 light microscope and analyzed using Neurolucida software. Nucleus and soma sizes were averaged and compared between males and females. No qualitative sex differences were found in brain structure in Bufo marinus.