Frogs have always attracted biologists and nature lovers alike because of their diverse natural history. It is a very diverse type of animal, It is estimated that there are 5,242 species of frogs. For this reason, it is common that many studies and researches continue to discover the origin of this wonderful animal and how it evolved.
In this way, the latest study on frogs published in Molecular Genetics and Evolution leaves A An amazing discovery about frogs. Contrary to what was thought, The frogs are 30 million smaller than previous estimates. Until now, it has been determined that these animals began to diversify 180 million years ago. Now, it has been determined that they did so 30 million years later.
Why is this result so important?
The discovery is not trivial. Geoff Streicher, senior curator of amphibians and reptiles at the Natural History Museum in London and author of the study, explains: “Knowing that frogs are younger means they have diversified into thousands of species more quickly than previously thought.”
The researcher adds: “Philogenetic trees are the starting point for most studies that analyze a specific group of animals, so they are… It is essential that it be as accurate and detailed as possible“.
Important for future research
For his part, John J. Wiens, also a co-researcher and a professor at the University of Arizona, provided more details about the study: “Previous studies were afraid to combine phylogenetic datasets with hundreds of markers with data from many studies. Smaller with fewer marks. We show that this is not only possible, but also It leads to improving the family tree that may include thousands of species. “This same approach can be applied to any group of organisms.”
Thus, the study represents a An important advance in the evolution and understanding of frogs It provides valuable data for researchers and new works and findings. And that is it The discovery that frogs are 30 million years younger is invaluable.
