Jump for joy: researchers make huge leap in understanding frog evolution
A new analysis using an unprecedented dataset reveals that major changes in frog diversity are linked to mass extinctions
by Hanneke Meijer
Aug 02, 2017
4 minutes
Although Kermit the Frog has always struggled with , in evolutionary terms, the frog body plan is a rather successful one. With a short, stout body, protruding eyes and strong, flexible limbs with webbed feet, the world can be your swamp. The frog body plan has remained rather similar for almost 200m years, and with only limited tweaks in anatomy, frogs (Anura) have managed to occupy a range of different habitats, from to tree tops in the tropics. Currently, over 6700 species are known from all continents except Antarctica, which makes frogs one of the most diverse and species-rich groups of tetrapods. Never
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