“Biologist Discovers New and Wider Varieties of Frog Species in Amazon Basin than Previously Recorded”

The article “Biologist Discovers New and Wider Varieties of Frog Species in Amazon Basin than Previously Recorded” was written by Emily Narvaes Wilmsen and published on Physorg.com. It describes a surprising discovery that was revealed in a new paper by Colorado State University and Ecuadorian biologists. Published today in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the paper discloses that species of one-inch to two-inch tree frogs and toadlets in the Amazon basin are 150 percent to 350 percent more diverse than previously estimated. This breakthrough was discovered by a team headed by Chris Funk, an assistant professor in the Department of Biology at Colorado State University, as well as Santiago R. Ron and Marcel Caminer, both of Pontifica Universidad Católica del Ecuador. The group worked in six countries within the Amazon Basin, sampling and collecting specimens. By measuring size and shape, using DNA sequences, and recording and studying frog calls, they were able to accurately identify species and found a tremendous increase in the number of species. While the team discovered 12 new species themselves, they revealed that there may be as many as 1,900 undiscovered species by applying the results of the study to all amphibians in the Amazon Basin. The study also provided scientists with more insight into the geographic patterns of diverse frog species. Funk commented on the study: “One of the greatest challenges for biodiversity conservation is a poor understanding of species diversity. Although the Amazon Basin is already recognized as a global center of biodiversity, we provide new evidence that its diversity is still vastly underestimated. These species have been around for millions of years, but we’re just uncovering them now because we have new technology to do that.”
The implications of this report are vast, but a great deal more research still needs to be conducted. The new findings are highly important because amphibians are one of the most threatened groups of animals on Earth. While the discovery of these new species may suggest that amphibians are surviving better than expected, Funk notes that the welfare of the animals is not based on an increase in diversity. He also cautioned that these frog species have small ranges and an entire species could easily go extinct as a result of a disaster, whether it be natural or manmade. Nevertheless, scientists hope that the findings of the study can help them begin to understand how to prevent the creatures from extinction. Funk added: “While the Amazon has one of the most species-rich amphibian populations in the world, much is still unknown about the diversity of species there. This is a pressing issue with roughly 41 percent of amphibian species classified as globally threatened with extinction. With this study, we’re showing that, with improved species sampling, that percentage is almost certainly higher worldwide.”
This article has numerous strengths that made it well written and informative. I particularly enjoyed Ms. Wilmsen’s successful integration of quotations. She included numerous quotes from one of the team’s leaders, Chris Funk, that really enhanced the article and gave it a sense of validity. Furthermore, I found Ms. Wilmsen’s exploration of the study’s possible implications to be both insightful and thought provoking. On the contrary, I felt that she did not explain how the study was carried out in a logical sequence. She initially mentioned some of the findings and briefly went into how they were discovered, but she then moved on and did not return to the steps of the study until significantly later. In spite of that, I thoroughly enjoyed this article and learned a great deal.


Wilmsen, Emily N. "Biologist Discovers New and Wider Varieties of Frog Species in Amazon Basin than Previously Recorded." PhysOrg.com. 1 Dec. 2011. Web. 1 Dec. 2011. <http://www.physorg.com/news/2011-12-biologist-wider-varieties-frog-species.html>.