Boophis pikei, a new species of Madagascar frog
Miguel Vence (CC-BY-SA 4.0)
Deep in the forests of Madagascar, researchers have discovered seven new species of frogs and named them after them. star trek.
“The frogs’ croaking is a strong reminder of the franchise’s iconic futuristic sound effects,” he says. Mark D. Shirt It’s in the Danish Museum of Natural History.
Bupis marogensis It is a small brown frog found in the humid forests of Madagascar. It was first described in 1994, but over time researchers began to wonder if this puppy-eyed amphibian was actually more than one species.
To find out, Scherz and his colleagues collected as much data as possible from a variety of individuals. B. marogensis Collected over 30 years. They recorded and analyzed the frogs’ calls, compared their physical characteristics, and analyzed their DNA sequences.
Their results showed that what was previously thought to be just one frog species was actually eight different species. Physically, they look almost identical, Scherz says. “The biggest difference is in the sound they make. “The ear-splitting, high-pitched whistle sounds vary in both pitch and timing.” DNA sequencing also showed genetic differences, confirming that they were different species.
Male frogs use bird-like calls to attract females, and because this newly named species lives near streams, it is thought they evolved a high-pitched whistle to make their song stand out amidst the sound of running water. But much about the lives of these frogs remains a mystery.
One of the species has been named. Bupis Kirki, In memory of James T. Kirk. The others are named after Jean-Luc Picard, Benjamin Sisko, Kathryn Janeway, Jonathan Archer, Michael Burnham, and Christopher Pike.
“We wanted to pay tribute to the captains who lead their teams on missions of exploration and discovery,” Scherz said. “It may also serve as a reminder of how much work still needs to be done here on Earth before we see the stars.”
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