A team of researchers from the National Scientific and Technical Research Council of Argentina (CONICET) identified a new species of frog of the genus Scinax, which inhabits the northeast of Argentina and some areas in southern Brazil. The species, which presents notable differences in morphology, coloration pattern, and mating call, was named Scinax fontanarrosai in honor of the renowned Argentine humorist and writer Roberto Fontanarrosa.
The discovery was made within the framework of a collaborative research with scientists from Brazil and Uruguay, where various characteristics of the species in the group were analyzed, including their external and internal morphology, osteology, cytogenetics, natural history, and geographic distribution.
When starting the taxonomic review of the genus Scinax, researchers noticed significant differences in some populations suggesting the existence of an undescribed species. “We focused on the uruguayus group, which until then only included two known species. However, by accessing new records of Scinax pinima in Brazil, we were able to analyze their calls, coloration, and morphology, which allowed us to identify Scinax fontanarrosai as a distinct species,” explained Diego Baldo, CONICET researcher at the Institute of Subtropical Biology (IBS, CONICET-UNaM) and lead author of the study.
The mating call of frogs plays a fundamental role in reproduction, as males use it to attract females. In the case of Scinax fontanarrosai, acoustic analyses revealed clear differences in their sounds compared to other species in the same group, confirming its identity as a new species.
The species named Scinax fontanarrosai, Photo: ResearchGate.
A Tribute to Argentine Culture
The researchers chose the name Scinax fontanarrosai as a tribute to Roberto Fontanarrosa, due to his legacy in Argentine culture and frequent references to nature in his work. “His literature always included elements of the environment, even mentioning the amphibians’ calls,” highlighted Baldo.
This discovery also allowed correcting errors in the distribution of other species. It was found that Scinax pinima, previously considered endemic to Minas Gerais, actually inhabits a wider area. This raises new questions about biodiversity in the region and the impact of urbanization on the conservation of these species.
With this description, scientists continue to investigate the genetic diversity of the group, opening new lines of study on the connection between ecosystems in northeastern Argentina and Brazil.
Frog Scinax fontanarrosai, Photo: Wikipedia.
A Frog with an Unparalleled Call
This new frog species has a special characteristic: its call. This plays a key role in communication and especially in reproduction, as males use their call to attract females to breeding sites. This is what led researchers to conclude that they had found a species previously unknown to science.
To study the mating calls, biologists had to travel to the field during the breeding season and record the sounds with special equipment. These were processed through computer programs used to analyze different acoustic and temporal parameters. In this sense, the experts ensured that its call was highly distinguishable, even to the human ear.
Realizing that it was a new species, the researchers decided to honor Fontanarrosa, for his importance in Argentine culture, naming it after the Argentine cartoonist and graphic humorist.
Source: INVDES-noticiasagropecuarias.com
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