Date: January 16, 2018
Source: Pensoft Publishers
Summary: Two new frog species
were discovered in the Amazon Basin. Both had been previously misidentified as
another superficially identical species. One of them received a name
translating to 'demon' or 'devil' in allusion to the horn-like projections
visible on its eyelids. The second one was named in honor of famous American
filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, because of his masterpiece A Clockwork Orange.
Curiously, one of them received a
name translating to 'demon' or 'devil'. The second one was named in honor of
famous American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick, because of his masterpiece A
Clockwork Orange.
Having conducted analyses of
genetic, morphologic, and bioacoustic data, scientists C. Daniel Rivadeneira,
Dr. Pablo J. Venegas, and Dr. Santiago R. Ron concluded that the amphibians
represented two previously unknown species that used to go by the name of the
Sarayacu treefrog (Dendropsophus
parviceps).
As a result of this research
collaboration between Ecuador's Catholic University (PUCE) and Peru's Centro de
Ornitología y Biodiversidad (CORBIDI), the treefrogs were recently described as
new to science in the open access journal ZooKeys.
The scientists remind that, back
in 1972, when Anthony Burgess explained the title of his famous novel A
Clockwork Orange, he said: "I've implied the junction of the organic, the
lively, the sweet -- in other words, life, the orange -- and the mechanical,
the cold, the disciplined (…)"
"Without knowing, he was
also giving a good metaphor to describe ecosystems," comment the
researchers. "Nature works as the interplay between life and its cold,
mechanical, and disciplined physical matrix."
Furthermore, both new frogs,
scientifically listed as D. kubricki and D. kamagarini, are characterized by
having a bright orange blotch on the shanks, reminiscent of the 'orange pieces of
nature’.
On the other hand, the species
name kamagarini refers to 'demon' or 'devil', as per its translation from the
Matsigenka language spoken in southeastern Peru. One of the characteristic
features of the new species D. kamagarini
are namely its horn-like protuberances on the upper eyelids.
Amphibians are important pieces
in ecosystems as secondary consumers in food chains. They also play a
significant role in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Stanley Kubrick -- arguably one
of the most brilliant and influential film directors of all time -- left an
immemorial legacy in cinema. His masterpiece, A Clockwork Orange (1971), was
based on Anthony Burgess's 1962 novel of the same name.
Story Source:
Materials
provided by Pensoft Publishers. The
original story is licensed under a Creative Commons License.
Note: Content may be edited for style and length.
Journal Reference:
1 Daniel Rivadeneira, Pablo Venegas,
Santiago Ron. Species limits within the widespread Amazonian treefrog
Dendropsophus parviceps with descriptions of two new species (Anura, Hylidae).
ZooKeys, 2018; 726: 25 DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.726.13864
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