New species of frog found on remarkable island gives birth to live tadpoles

The tiny island of Sulawesi in Indonesia is known to scientists as a hotspot of biodiversity, a remote pocket of ecological treasures that is home to a rare species of fanged frog first discovered in the late 1990s.

After years of documenting its evolution, an international team of scientists has now revealed it is the only known frog, of roughly six-thousand species in the world, to give birth to live tadpoles instead of laying eggs.

The findings are detailed in the journal PLOS One.

McMaster biologist Ben Evans, who calls the island a “phenomenally interesting place to study evolution” suggests the fanged frog – named for two projections on its lower jaw used in fighting – has adapted its methods of reproduction to exploit the unusual ecology of the island and increase the chances of survival for its young.

Evans was interviewed recently about his role in the research on CBC’s Quirks & Quarks. For more on the story, listen here.