Convergent Evolution in Poison Frogs

[Walt Starr]

Convergent Evolution in Poison Frogs

By Bjorn Carey
LiveScience Staff Writer
posted: 08 August 2005
05:22 pm ET

Scientists have discovered one of the most intricate examples of convergent evolution with the help of South American "poison" frogs and ants and their cousins in Madagascar. (And here’s an odd fact for smokers: one Madagascan frog studied was found to have nicotine in its system!)

Poison frogs can’t make their own poison—they steal it from ants. Poison frogs secrete a variety of chemicals called alkaloids to create a poisonous defense against predators. Since they can’t produce alkaloids on their own, these frogs maintain a steady diet of specific alkaloid-rich ants to keep up their defense.

Now, Valerie Clark of Cornell University and her colleagues have detailed two instances of convergent evolution—the process in which organisms not closely related independently acquire similar characteristics while evolving in separate ecosystems—between frogs and ants on two continents.

First, species of ants high in alkaloids had to evolve on two separate continents.

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http://www.livescience.com/animalworld/050808_poison_frogs.html

Interesting article. Another notch in the belt of evolution and science...

[Brotherjohn]

1. AMAZING! Now, there's no way that "evolved" on it's own.

It was the work of the amazing Flying Spaghetti Monster, of course!
http://www.venganza.org/

[Walt Starr]

4. I've been touched by his noodly appendage

:evilgrin:

[blindpig]

2. very cool to keep too

A fine excuse to have a tropical terrarium. I've had my group of captive bred Dentrobates leucomalas for 3 1/2 yrs and finally bred them last year, got 5 tadpoles this year. Don't cost a thing to feed either: I gather termites in the wood around the house, excellent chow!

[Brotherjohn]

3. So I'm guessing they're not poisonous, since they have no "alkaloid ants"?

(IF your species gets its poison in the same way... If there's no lesser or residual poison...)

I don't know if I'd want to test this one out, but theoretically, they should be "non-toxic", right?

[blindpig]

5. exactly

they can be handled, no problemo. Not that I handle them much at all. I've caught other species in the field and we're quite careful with them when setting up photos, the most important thing being to keep one's hands away from the eyes, lips and other sensitive areas until obsessively washed! Certain species like Dentrobates terribilis can cause severe problems from the lightest touch but that's on the extreme end.