Scientists led by Blair Hedges at Pennsylvania State University analysed the frogs' DNA to identify the amphibians' closest native relatives, which would tease out clues about this unusual migration.So The Scientists pretty much think that the frogs migrated to Florida on pieces of wood and other vegitation and when they got there they adapted to Florida's enviroment. Now they are invasive species.
The greenhouse frog's ancestry was pinpointed to a small area of western Cuba, while the Cuban treefrog came from at least two sources in Cuba, of which the best bet is a remote peninsula in the western part of the island.
The team believe that the two species came to Florida thousands of years ago, quite possibly by climbing on board vegetation that then floated like a raft across the narrow strait.
Once established in the Keys, the frogs adapted over the years to the colder winters of Florida compared to their Cuban home, and this enabled them to spread northwards when transport and commerce links developed in the mid-20th century.
"Both of them could have come across (to Florida) naturally, not by swimming, because these frogs would die pretty quickly in salt water, but by floating across on vegetation," Hedges said in a phone interview.Many times species become invasive when they are transported to a place where their species have never been, and the other creatures there aren't used to it. They might steal homes, or food from other animals, or eat so much that other animals can't find any food.
Conservationists have rediscovered six species of frogs in Haiti, offering a ray of hope for the country on the one-year anniversary of the earthquake that left it in shambles.
"I am very wary of highlighting frogs at this time in Haiti. Obviously the country has very pressing needs, but I think ultimately they are a symbol of something more hopeful," said Robin Moore, an amphibian expert with Conservation International who helped lead the expedition that found the frogs.
Among the highlights are a frog that calls like a ventriloquist that was last seen in 1991 and only known from a few individuals; a frog with unusually striking blue sapphire-colored eyes; and a frog that's the size of a grape, one of the smallest amphibians in the world.
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura (meaning "tail-less", from Greek an-, without + oura, tail), formerly referred to as Salientia (Latin salere (salio), "to jump"). Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits (fingers or toes), protruding eyes and the absence of a tail. Frogs are widely known as exceptional jumpers, and many of the anatomical characteristics of frogs, particularly their long, powerful legs, are adaptations to improve jumping performance. Due to their permeable skin, frogs are often semi-aquatic or inhabit humid areas, but move easily on land. They typically lay their eggs in puddles, ponds or lakes, and their larvae, called tadpoles, have gills and develop in water. Adult frogs follow a carnivorous diet, mostly of arthropods, annelids and gastropods. Frogs are most noticeable by their call, which can be widely heard during the night or day, mainly in their mating season.It is very interesting if you want to know anything about frogs. It is a really great source. I Think you should read it. Here are all the parts of it:
The distribution of frogs ranges from tropic to subarctic regions, but most species are found in tropical rainforests. Consisting of more than 5,000 species described, they are among the most diverse groups of vertebrates. However, populations of certain frog species are declining significantly.
One species, Phyllobates terribilis, has enough toxin in its skin to kill up to 20,000 mice, or 10 humans.:0 !!!!! WOW! then the website says...
While other organisms have learned to avoid these tiny forgs, humans have learned to use these frogs for both survival and medicine.
This is what I was leading to. This time I am going to talk about frogs in medicine, not in medical research. Some frogs' poisons and chemicals cane be used in medicine.
A chemical extracted from the skin of an Ecuadorian frog has turned out to be a painkiller 200 times as potent as morphine. The chemical, dubbed epibatidine after the frog (Epipedobates tricolor), seems to work in a different way to current painkillers, blocking hitherto unknown receptors in the brain.
A new type of antibiotic?the place I got that from was a website about animal research. It is a really cool website if you like science(or even if you don't).
Another perculiarity of frogs which of interest to science is their ability to survive in bacteria-filled water without wounds becoming infected. Studying this property of Xenopus laevis, Michael Zasloff, discovered a new class of antibiotic compounds in 1987.2 Their skin contains natural antibiotic peptides which he called 'magainins'. They are active against many disease-causing organisms, and may provide a future solution to the problem of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. They also present new questions about the immune system and whether higher animals have a similar front-line chemical defence against disease.
Transparent frogsWow! see through frogs! that's really cool. Not only will they be able to learn about frogs, they will be able to learn about people and how to treat people with things like organ problems. (I noticed that it was talking about glowing frogs, that would be pretty cool too! :D ) This frog research is a great thing for frogs, humans, and other animals too. if you want to read more of the (really cool!) website, here is the link:
Recently, the first transparent animal with four legs was developed a Horoshima University in Japan. Japanese brown frogs Rana japonica, were bred, selecting for the recessive trait of light-coloured skin, until fully transparent frogs were born. The internal organs, eggs and other internal parts of the frog can be clearly viewed through the skin, making it a great model for studying many aspects of physiology in a whole, living body. By fusing genes for fluorescent proteins to the frog’s genes, the research team responsible for this development hope to create frogs that glow. Glowing frogs help in the study of specific genes as the frogs will glow, providing a visual indication, when those genes become active.“Transparent frogs will prove useful as laboratory animals because they make it easier and cheaper to observe the development and progress of cancer, the growth and aging of internal organs, and the effects of chemicals on organs.” Masayuki Sumida, Hiroshima University
