Gastrotheca guentheri
Encyclopedia
Guenther's Marsupial Frog (Gastrotheca guentheri) is a species of frog
in the Hemiphractidae
family.
It is found in Colombia
and Ecuador
. Its natural habitat
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane
s, and river
s. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It is the only known frog with true teeth in its lower jaw. Recent studies have proposed its teeth have re-evolved after being absent for over 200 million years, challenging Dollo's law. According to John Wiens, the author of this paper, re-evolution of teeth in the lower jaw may have been made easier because of the fact that most frogs have teeth in their upper jaw so there was already a way of facilitating new teeth in the lower jaw after 200 million years.
Frog
Frogs are amphibians in the order Anura , formerly referred to as Salientia . Most frogs are characterized by a short body, webbed digits , protruding eyes and the absence of a tail...
in the Hemiphractidae
Hemiphractidae
Hemiphractidae is a family of frogs from South and Central America. Previously, this group had been classified as a subfamily under family Hylidae...
family.
It is found in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
and Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
. Its natural habitat
Habitat
* Habitat , a place where a species lives and grows*Human habitat, a place where humans live, work or play** Space habitat, a space station intended as a permanent settlement...
s are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forest
Forest
A forest, also referred to as a wood or the woods, is an area with a high density of trees. As with cities, depending where you are in the world, what is considered a forest may vary significantly in size and have various classification according to how and what of the forest is composed...
s, subtropical or tropical moist montane
Montane
In biogeography, montane is the highland area located below the subalpine zone. Montane regions generally have cooler temperatures and often have higher rainfall than the adjacent lowland regions, and are frequently home to distinct communities of plants and animals.The term "montane" means "of the...
s, and river
River
A river is a natural watercourse, usually freshwater, flowing towards an ocean, a lake, a sea, or another river. In a few cases, a river simply flows into the ground or dries up completely before reaching another body of water. Small rivers may also be called by several other names, including...
s. It is threatened by habitat loss.
It is the only known frog with true teeth in its lower jaw. Recent studies have proposed its teeth have re-evolved after being absent for over 200 million years, challenging Dollo's law. According to John Wiens, the author of this paper, re-evolution of teeth in the lower jaw may have been made easier because of the fact that most frogs have teeth in their upper jaw so there was already a way of facilitating new teeth in the lower jaw after 200 million years.
Sources
- Bolívar, W., et al. 2004. Gastrotheca guentheri. 2010 IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Downloaded on 09 February 2011.
- Discover life: Hylidae - Treefrogs
- Breathing Space: Gastrotheca guentheri