Two new species of diminutive terrestrial frogs from the megadiverse hotspot island of New Guinea, has been discovered US based researchers. One of them represents the smallest known vertebrate species, attaining an average body size of only 7.7 mm. They belong to the genus Paedophryne.
The researchers say minute frogs are not mere oddities, but represent a previously unrecognized ecological guild found in moist leaf litter of tropical wet-forests.
Before this discovery the title of "world's smallest frog" was with the Brazilian gold frog (Brachycephalus didactylus) and its slightly larger Cuban relative, the Monte Iberia Eleuth (Eleutherodactylus iberia). They both measure less than 1cm long.
Journal reference
Ecological Guild Evolution and the Discovery of the World's Smallest Vertebrate
Eric N. Rittmeyer,Allen Allison,Michael C. Gründler,Derrick K. Thompson,Christopher C. Austin
Rittmeyer EN, Allison A, Gründler MC, Thompson DK, Austin CC (2012) Ecological Guild Evolution and the Discovery of the World's Smallest Vertebrate. PLoS ONE 7(1): e29797. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0029797
No comments:
Post a Comment