New frog species discovered

A NEW species of frog has been discovered in Western Australia.

The chattering rock frog was found in the Kimberley region by scientists documenting biodiversity ahead of the arrival of the cane toad.

WA Museum herpetologist Paul Doughty and Sydney based tadpole expert Marian Anstis discovered the frog near the Grotto, a waterhole near the East Kimberley town of Wyndham.

Dr Doughty said today the frog was the first new species from the region to be described in 20 years.

“We found it initially because of its unusual Morse code-like call which is reflected in its scientific name, Litoria staccato,” Dr Doughty said.

The chattering rock frog was endemic to the Kimberley region and unlikely to be affected by the imminent invasion of the cane toads, he said.

“Although cane toads will be in the territory in two to three years, it is unlikely to impact on this frog species as the habitat is completely different – grasslands versus rocks,” he said.

The frog is the first of what researchers hope will be several new species discovered over the duration of the Alcoa Australia-backed project.

Cane toads are making across the Northern Territory towards the northern WA boarder as toad busting groups are working to prevent the pests crossing into the state.

 Found on Herald Sun

Frog Tadpole Artificially Induced To Re-grow Its Tail

Based on Press Release 3/1/07 Forsyth Institute  

 Scientists at Forsyth may have moved one step closer to regenerating human spinal cord tissue by artificially inducing a frog tadpole to re-grow its tail at a stage in its development when it is normally impossible. Using a variety of methods including a kind of gene therapy, the scientists altered the electrical properties of cells thus inducing regeneration. This discovery may provide clues about how bioelectricity can be used to help humans regenerate.

This study, for the first time, gave scientists a direct glimpse of the source of natural electric fields that are crucial for regeneration, as well as revealing how these are produced. In addition, the findings provide the first detailed mechanistic synthesis of bioelectrical, molecular-genetic, and cell-biological events underlying the regeneration of a complex vertebrate structure that includes skin, muscle, vasculature and critically spinal cord. Although the Xenopus (frog) tadpole sometimes has the ability to re-grow its tail, there are specific times during its development that regeneration does not take place (much as human children lose the ability to regenerate finger-tips after 7 years of age). During the Forsyth study, the activity of a yeast proton pump (which produces H+ ion flow and thus sets up regions of higher and lower pH) triggered the regeneration of the frog’s tail during the normally quiescent time.

This research will be published in the April issue of Development and will appear online on February 28, 2007.