It was only last yr that researchers first discovered a novel family of West African Frogs – the Odontobatrachidae . These tooth - frogs , found in torrents ( fast flowing flow ) , get their name from their curved upper teeth and their recollective tooth on the bottom jaw . Since their initial discovery , these tooth - frogs were regarded as a single species , known asOdontobatrachus natator , but molecular analytic thinking has revealed that ’s not the case . researcher have found there are four extra species within this group .
Odontobatrachidae are endemic to West Africa and the Upper Guinea region . While it ’s easygoing to pick out the Odontobatrachidae house from other West African frogs in torrents , the species within Odontobatrachidae are practically identical . The adult frogs have a sensitive to orotund dead body duration , lovely heart - shaped toe point and a rough dorsal skin texture . Tadpoles have chump - like mouthparts and are well adapted to living in waterspout .
It was n’t until researcher analyzed the molecular information , morphological characteristics and genetics of more than 150 adult specimen did they realize it was extremely unlikely that they all fit into one species . They found high molecular pas seul between the specimen , which lead them to name four more species . These are : Odontobatrachus ziama , Odontobatrachus smithi , Odontobatrachus fouta and Odontobatrachus arndti . In the written report , issue in the open - admission journalZoosystematics and Evolution , the family Odontobatrachidae has been raised to five coinage .
Researchers target out in the study that “ appointment does not stand for know a species , ” and discover these Modern species is only a first whole step in ensuring their preservation . study like these , which trace newfangled species , is a “ service line ” for further research that go on to unknot their ecology and behaviour .
“ Our insights on the ecology of grownup Odontobatrachus are scarce … While streams with rapids in chief forest are the preferred habitat of downpour - batrachian , detailed bionomical studies are missing , ” researchers take note in the study .
Due to on-going home ground loss , researchers call for all five species to be categorized as “ imperil ” on theInternational Union for Conservation of Naturelist of threatened mintage . Only some of the species – O. natator , O. ziama and O. arndti – are establish in protected areas like National Parks and Biosphere Reserves , which make the others even more vulnerable . Urgent preservation efforts are needed as researchers venerate that all “ West African deluge - anuran species are at risk of becoming extinct . ”
