Chile takes new steps to save endangered Darwin's frog
The initiative from the Chilean government's climate change and sustainability committee seeks to protect habitats and reproductive areas, including by working with private landowners.
The goal is to discover new populations, if possible, of Darwin's frog and substantially increase the area inhabited by current populations.
The frog, originally thought to be a single species, actually comprises two: the endangered Rhinoderma darwinii (Southern Darwin's frog) and the Rhinoderma rufum (Northern Darwin's frog), which is categorized as "critically endangered" and has already virtually disappeared.
The frog, which measures 3 cm (1.18 inches), was discovered in Chile's southern Chiloe islands by Charles Darwin during his 1834 trip around the world.
Forest fires, climate change, invasive species and urbanization have hurt the humid forests of southern Chile and Argentina where the Darwin's frog typically lives.
Charif Tala, Head of the Environment Ministry's Species Conservation Department, said the fragmentation of Chile's forests has caused the number of populations in Chile and Argentina to decline to 62. The monitoring of frog populations only began in recent years, the ministry said, after a dramatic decline.
Andres Valenzuela, director of a Chilean advocacy nonprofit called NGO Ranita de Darwin, said he hoped the initiative would bring more awareness of the frog's plight to people throughout Chile.
"We are very hopeful that this will allow us to improve conservation ... and that the people of our country will begin to appreciate these unique and important species we have in our native forests," Mr. Valenzuela said.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NDTV
4 days ago
- NDTV
From Male Nipples To Wisdom Teeth: Are These Body Parts Really Useless?
The human body has some organs that are considered "useless" due to their reduced functionality over time. Analysis of some of these vestigial structures has provided insight into human evolution. Appendix: The appendix is a pouch-like structure that extends off the large intestine. Earlier, Charles Darwin proposed that the appendix might be a vestigial organ that once helped our herbivorous ancestors digest hearty plants. Once thought to be useless, the appendix may still play a role in gut health by housing beneficial bacteria that aid in recovery after gastrointestinal diseases. Wisdom Teeth: The Growth of wisdom teeth, third molars, causes excruciating pain in the gums, and it happens that we often think, What's the need for these teeth. As per a report by the National Library of Medicine, about 22 per cent of people worldwide, at least one out of four, have wisdom teeth that fail to grow in. Most of the time, they don't properly come out of the gums when they grow. Some scientists have even blamed evolution for this, as they claim that jaws are getting smaller over time with human evolution. But a report by Discover mentioned that consuming hard-to-chew foods will help stimulate jaw growth. But if children eat more soft and processed foods, the jaw growth gets affected. Male Nipples: Nipples are present in both males and females, but males don't need them for lactation. All embryos come from the same genetic blueprint, and they already have nipples when they start to differentiate into males and females during the initial weeks. Some believe that male nipples are useless, but they contain a dense supply of nerves that function as a major stimulatory organ. Tonsils: These lymphoid tissues can be removed without significantly impacting the immune system, although they do help fight infections, acting as our first line of defence, they trap and fight off harmful pathogens like bacteria and viruses that enter our mouth. Palmaris Longus Muscle: A muscle in the forearm that helps with wrist flexion, but about 10 per cent of people don't have it, and its absence doesn't affect grip strength. As per a 2014 report published in the journal Medical Hypotheses, scientists stated that the muscle is stronger and more functionally relevant in tree-climbing primates as compared to land-bound primates, like humans. Coccyx (Tailbone): A vestigial remnant of our ancestral tail, and considered useless. However, the coccyx is still an integral part of the pelvis and plays a role in supporting some muscles and ligaments. Darwin's Point: Also known as Darwin's tubercle, Darwin's Point is a small fold of skin on the upper ear, possibly a remnant of a joint that allowed ears to swivel. It is called 'Darwin's Point' because the idea was first published by Charles Darwin in The Descent of Man as a vestigial feature. He tried to use it as evidence of our common ancestry from primates that have a point on the apex of their ears.
Indian Express
4 days ago
- Indian Express
Did you know, animals can also exhibit same sex behaviour?
Animals have been known to exhibit a wide diversity of sexual behaviours, and interactions between members of the same sex are not uncommon. In the past, the existence of non-exclusively 'heterosexual' behaviours in animals has been used to justify their existence in humans. Nevertheless, the topic of same-sex behaviour in animals, and how such behaviours may have come to evolve is a fascinating one. According to BBC Wildlife Magazine, terms like 'gay' or 'heterosexual' may not be the best to use when describing sexual behaviours in animals. We should be wary of over-anthropomorphising and conflating something as complex as a human sexual orientation with observed behaviours in other animals. Same-sex sexual behaviour is often viewed as a 'Darwinian paradox' by scientists. This is because it is considered contrary to Darwin's theory of evolution, which tells us that genes or traits that do not provide a survival or reproduction benefit should not persist. Same-sex relations are considered to be detrimental to reproductive fitness because they cannot result in offspring. Because of this, animal 'homosexuality' has often been ignored, or else scientists have endeavoured to find various adaptive benefits to explain its existence. Here are some species that exhibit same-sex behaviour: Bonobos are a sister species to chimpanzees, and as such are among our closest animal relatives. In bonobos sexual contact, like genital rubbing, is used to greet friends, de-escalate conflicts, and cement relationships, and they seemingly do not discriminate based on sex, with female-female and male-male pairings common. Individuals do not appear to conform to a particular orientation, however. They are also promiscuous rather than monogamous, having many short-term pairings. Females of this species will routinely pair off with other females, forming temporary but exclusive sexual relationships known as 'consortships', which involve courtship behaviours as well as sexual contact. They will even compete with males for same-sex partners and choose a female partner even when given a direct choice with a male alternative. Same-sex sexual behaviour is very much not limited to primates. Some of the most famous examples have been found in birds. One pair of male chinstrap penguins at Central Park Zoo, Roy and Silo, became celebrities when they attempted to incubate an egg together and later successfully reared an adopted chick. Same-sex parenting has also been observed in snow geese, where females pair up to raise the offspring of both, and in black swans, in which an estimated one-quarter of all pairings are male-male.
The Hindu
7 days ago
- The Hindu
Chile takes new steps to save endangered Darwin's frog
Chile has launched a new effort to save the endangered Darwin's frog, a tiny amphibian with leaf-like skin whose males carry tadpoles within pouches in their mouths. The initiative from the Chilean government's climate change and sustainability committee seeks to protect habitats and reproductive areas, including by working with private landowners. The goal is to discover new populations, if possible, of Darwin's frog and substantially increase the area inhabited by current populations. The frog, originally thought to be a single species, actually comprises two: the endangered Rhinoderma darwinii (Southern Darwin's frog) and the Rhinoderma rufum (Northern Darwin's frog), which is categorized as "critically endangered" and has already virtually disappeared. The frog, which measures 3 cm (1.18 inches), was discovered in Chile's southern Chiloe islands by Charles Darwin during his 1834 trip around the world. Forest fires, climate change, invasive species and urbanization have hurt the humid forests of southern Chile and Argentina where the Darwin's frog typically lives. Charif Tala, Head of the Environment Ministry's Species Conservation Department, said the fragmentation of Chile's forests has caused the number of populations in Chile and Argentina to decline to 62. The monitoring of frog populations only began in recent years, the ministry said, after a dramatic decline. Andres Valenzuela, director of a Chilean advocacy nonprofit called NGO Ranita de Darwin, said he hoped the initiative would bring more awareness of the frog's plight to people throughout Chile. "We are very hopeful that this will allow us to improve conservation ... and that the people of our country will begin to appreciate these unique and important species we have in our native forests," Mr. Valenzuela said.
