World’s Smallest Frog Discovered in Brazil: Importance and Implications

World’s Smallest Frog Discovered in Brazil: Importance and Implications

Question: The world’s smallest frog has recently been discovered in the southern Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest. Discuss the importance of this discovery and what it means for biodiversity in the world.

A. Importance

• A group of researchers have unearthed 7 new species of tiny brightly coloured frogs in the mountainous terrain of the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest in the south

• This discovery was made following close to 5 years of exploration

• The frogs are restricted to the cloud forests of this region and are endemic

• Moist forests with frequent or seasonal low level cloud cover here are suited to meet the needs of this newly discovered species

• The extremely miniaturised frogs are of the genus Brachycephalus

• They are the smallest terrestrial vertebrates

• Adults of these species measure less than half an inch in length

• Of the seven species discovered, many are brightly coloured

• Frogs are brightly coloured and could possess a potent neurotoxin

• Shifts in distribution of cloud forest as a result of climate change is making these species vulnerable to extinction

• High level of micro endemism in these species could be the result of climatic tolerance for a narrow set of environmental conditions, say scientists

B. Implications

• Same factors which led to their endemism could be responsible for their extinction

• Cloud forests are extremely sensitive to climate change

• Conservation efforts for the new frog species should protect their habitat and also focus on nurturing them in captivity

• The species are vulnerable to climate change induced redistributions of cloud forests

• Preservation of the species is essential for not only conservation but also understanding how such massive levels of biodiversity were generated in the first place

Facts and Stats

• Frogs from this genus are one of the smallest known terrestrial vertebrates on earth

• The species genus itself was discovered in the 1824

• Most of the Brachleycephalus species have been discovered over the past 10 years

• The discovery was complicated because of the remote nature of their habitat