Six new species of tiny frog discovered in Mexico

Date:
April 26, 2022
Source:
University of Cambridge
Summary:
Scientists have discovered six new species of frog the size of a thumbnail in the forests of Mexico, with one earning the distinction of Mexico's smallest frog.

Six new species of frog the size of a thumbnail have been discovered in Mexico's jungles, one of which has been dubbed Mexico's smallest frog.

When fully mature, all six species are smaller than a British 1p coin, measuring roughly 15mm in length. The tiniest of these species, Craugastor candelariensis, has adult males that are barely 13mm long.

The newly found species are known as 'direct-developing' frogs since they emerge from the eggs as flawless miniature frogs rather than tadpoles like normal frogs do. And since they're so little, they're at the very bottom of the forest food web.

"With millions of these frogs living in the leaf litter, we believe they'll play a critical role in the ecology as a source of food for everyone else, from lizards to predatory birds," Jameson explained.

The discovery was reported in the journal Herpetological Monographs by researchers from the University of Cambridge, London's Natural History Museum, and the University of Texas at Arlington.

"Until now, these new species have gone overlooked since they're little, brown, and similar in appearance."said Tom Jameson,," said Tom Jameson, the study's lead author and a researcher at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and University Museum of Zoology.

He went on to say, "Their way of life is totally interesting." "These frogs live in the forest's dark, humid leaf litter, which is like a secret realm to us; we have no idea what goes on there." We have no idea what they're like, how they socialise, or how they reproduce."

The project entailed gathering over 500 frog specimens from museums throughout the world that had been gathered in Mexico and categorising the relationships between them using new methodologies.

The researchers used DNA sequencing to divide the frogs into groups depending on how similar their genes were.,, "Tom Jameson, a researcher at the University of Cambridge's Department of Zoology and University Museum of Zoology, is the study's lead author.

"Their manner of life is really amazing," he continued. "These frogs dwell in the dark, wet leaf litter of the forest, which is like a hidden realm to us; we have no understanding what goes on there." We have no notion how they socialise or reproduce."

The study entailed gathering over 500 frog specimens from museums throughout the world that had been collected in Mexico and applying new approaches to categorise the links between them.

The frogs were divided into groups based on how similar their genes were, according to DNA sequencing.

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