Three New Cascade Frog Species

Prelims: Current events of national and international importance | Environment

Why in News?

Scientists have discovered 3 new species of cascade frogs from the forests of Northeast India and documented 5 other species for the first time.

3 new cascade frogs

Documentation – The research documented more than 300 geographic populations of cascade frogs inhabiting fast-flowing forest streams.
The newly identified species are

Ammachi’s Cascade Frog (Amolops ammachi)	Discovered in the Jampui Hills of Tripura. A. ammachi honours the late Kerala social worker and philanthropist Padmini Varkey, affectionately known as ‘Ammachi’ (or mother), in recognition of her compassion and lifelong service to people in need.
Sendenyu Cascade Frog (Amolops sendenyu)	Found in Nagaland and named after Sendenyu Village.
Beautiful Cascade Frog (Amolops bella)	Discovered in West Bengal. Named for its striking green body marked with yellowish-green or reddish-brown mosaic patterns.

Genus - The study also reports 5 cascade frog species that have never before been recorded from India to expand the known diversity and distribution of the genus Amolops in the country.
These are
- Marbled Cascade Frog (Amolops afghanus),
- Nepal Cascade Frog (Amolops nepalicus),
- Wangyal’s Cascade Frog (Amolops wangyali),
- Medog Cascade Frog (A. medogensis),
- Pianma Cascade Frog (Amolops bellulus).

DNA-based Dating

To reconstruct the evolutionary history of cascade frogs, the researchers employed DNA-based dating analyses.
It indicates that the frogs underwent extensive diversification around 32 million years ago during the Eocene-Oligocene transition, a period marked by widespread biological turnover.
The study suggests multiple waves of colonisation from east to west across Asia and identifies the early uplift of the Himalayas as a key factor shaping the present-day distribution and diversity of these amphibians.

Reference

The Hindu | Three new cascade frog species