Scientist Creates One-of-a-Kind Frog

[John]

No one has talked about whether or not the hybrids are fertile. I doubt they are.

[Tony]

No one has talked about whether or not the hybrids are fertile. I doubt they are.

Why do you think that? Being so closely related that they may actually just be one polymorphic species I would expect the opposite. I'm curious to know if they plan to continue with sibling and back crosses to test fertility.

[michael]

I read the paper. Yes, it had been already suggested by others (Duellman, for instance) that these two species were possibly closely related. I am not sure the relevance of this paper other than reproduction in order to produce a paper (damn the prevailing ‘publish or perish’ attitude in the scientific community!). There are many allopatric species that will, given the chance, cross reproduce. Just look at the hobby.

Okay, both species are threatened by chytrid. Both species seem to holding their own in altered habitat (coffee plantations: A. annae near San Jose, A. moreletti in El Salvador). But what relevance does this paper have on addressing Bd or conservation?

I admire the Manchester Museum’s captive breeding program via the internet. But I’m not sure that a paper describing a hybrid warrants publication or attention…….just a thought.

[Dendro Dave]

Darts have been crossbred by scientists also for similar purposes.

[vince]

Guys take a look at the European Green Frog Complex the Edible frog is a hybrid of the marsh frog and pool frogs. Bombinas' ie Orientalis, the yellow bellied toad and european firebellied toads all cross or hybridize where their ranges overlap with fertile offspring in nature. But if by doing this the husbandry off the tree-frogs is better understood, and it leads to better captive breeding and survival of endangered animals then it should be applauded.

[Namio]

A scientist at The Manchester Museum in England allowed the two species of endangered Central American leaf frogs housed within the same chamber to interbreed to better understand how closely these parents are related. Understanding the genetic relationships between, and even within, species is important when trying to protect them.

The ability to interbreed does not necessarily reflect the phylogenetic relationship between two species.