印度高止山脈發現恐龍時代青蛙 (picture)

美國東部時間10月16日(北京時間10月17日)目前，科學家在印度喀拉拉邦高止山脈西部發現一只長得很奇怪的蛙類動物，這只蛙呈亮紫色，嘴與豬十分相似，看起來像一個飽滿的李子。根據科學家分析，這只蛙屬于生活在遠古恐龍時期的一種特殊蛙類的分支種類。這個“活化石”具有很高的研究價值。
經DNA分析表明，這種蛙不僅是早先未曾發現的蛙類，而且還隸屬于一個未知蛙科。目前，人們發現世界上有4800種蛙類，隸屬29個蛙科。科學家將其命名為“Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis”，它最近的親緣關系是生活在印度洋塞舌爾的“sooglossids”蛙。這兩種蛙類都是白堊紀時期一種特殊蛙類的分支。

rickykkh

Nasikabatrachus sahyadrensis is a frog species from the hills in the west of India. It was discovered in 2003 and forms its own family, marking the first discovery of a new frog family since 1926.
The scientific name derives from the Sanskrit word nasika (nose) referring to the pointed snout, batrachus Greek for frog, and Sahyadri as the local names of the hills where it was found -- these hills in the state of Kerala is commonly known as the Western Ghats.
The frog spends most of the year underground, and only surfaces for about two weeks during the monsoon for mating. This seclusive lifestyle made it escape biologists until now. The frog is dark purple in color, seven centimeters in length, and has a small head and a pointy snout.
The species was discovered by Franky Bossuyt from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Free University of Brussels) and S.D. Biju from the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute in Palode, India.
The frog forms a living fossil as the only surviving species of the Nasikabatrachidae(中文?) family. According to genetic analysis it is distantly related to the family Sooglossidae塞舌蛙科, which is found on the Seychelles islands. The two families split about 100 million years ago, which fits with the geologic history of India. At that time India, the Seychelles and Madagascar formed a single landmass which split due to the continental drift.