" We are skeptical of claims for the ability of random mutation and natural selection to account for the complexity of life. Careful examination of the evidence for Darwinian theory should be encouraged." - Dissent from Darwin

Natural selection [is used] carelessly as a mantra, as in the evidence-free “just-so stories” concocted out of thin air by mentally lazy adaptationists. (Stephen Jay Gould)

In the absence of any other proof, the thumb alone would convince me of God's existence. (Isaac newton)

Thursday, April 10, 2008

How FROG lost her lungs

A rare and primitive frog discovered in Borneo has no lungs and seems to have evolved backwards, scientists say. The animal apparently absorbs oxygen through its skin - meaning it has re-acquired a trait thought to have existed in animals millions of years ago. No other known frog breathes that way.

Biologist, David Bickford, said studying the animal could help shed light on how lungs evolved in the first place.

"The evolution of lunglessness in tetrapods (amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals) is exceedingly rare, previously known only from amphibians - two families of salamanders and a single species of caecilian (blindworm)," they wrote.

"Here we report the first case of complete lunglessness in a frog, Barbourula kalimantanensis, from the Indonesian portion of Borneo."


StoryTeller: David Bickford, National University of Singapore
Gasp! Scientists find first lungless frog

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

What is a frog?