Beginning Perl for Bioinformatics

Colophon

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The animals on the cover of Beginning Perl for Bioinformatics are green frog (Rana clamitans) and American bullfrog (Rana catesbeiana) tadpoles.

Tadpoles are the larvae of frogs and toads. They are aquatic and when first hatched have large, round heads and long, flat tails. Through a complex process of metamorphosis, tadpoles change from small fishlike creatures to the more familiar frogs and toads. This process can take from 10 days to 3 years depending on the species.

During the first stages of metamorphosis, a tadpole’s hind legs sprout, its head begins to flatten, and its tail becomes shorter. In its early life, a tadpole feeds primarily on diatoms, algae, and small quantities of zooplankton. As metamorphosis continues, it stops eating and begins to reabsorb its tail for sustenance while its digestive system changes from primarily vegetarian to carnivorous. During the final stages of metamorphosis, the tadpole’s front legs appear, its jaws form, its skeleton hardens, and its gills disappear as the lungs develop. It soon begins to breathe air at the surface of the water. A short time later, the tadpole emerges from the water, reabsorbs the last of its tail, and hops off as a frog or a toad.

Mary Anne Weeks Mayo was the production ...