Evolutionary Change or Mass Anomaly? Russian biologists are puzzled. In the Penza nature reserve "Privolzhskaya forest-steppe" frogs were found, which in their appearance are very different from ordinary ones. The amphibians are about to be carefully studied.
Researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences Ivan Bashinsky is almost like Ivan Tsarevich. He is also looking for a frog in the swamp. True, the interest of the candidate of biological sciences is purely research. A unique amphibian was recently found in the Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve, scientists have never seen such a species.
“A unique case was found here - a frog with golden eyes. This is not a described anomaly, we called it hyperxanthism of the eyes, but, unfortunately, this is the only specimen, if it were found, it would be super, said a researcher at the Laboratory of Ecology of Aquatic Communities and Invasion of the Institute of Ecology and Evolution of the Russian Academy of Sciences. Moscow Ivan Bashinsky.
After a short search, the amphibian was caught; the eyes of the sharp-faced frog were the most common. However, upon closer examination, it turned out that the amphibian has another deviation, by the way, characteristic of a fifth of the frogs in the Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve - a non-standard structure of the paws or the so-called Pi anomaly.
“This is a marsh frog, it is found in the Penza region. We have a female and a male. And if you look at the hind limbs of a normal individual, then she has five fingers, and this individual has six fingers and one extra phalanx, that is, six fingers are polydactyly, they say polyphalange, another phalanx, and at the same time a symmetrical case, the senior teacher explained Department of Biochemistry, Cell Biology and Microbiology, Mari State University, Candidate of Biological Sciences, Yoshkar-Ola Anton Svinin.
All frogs studied in the Privolzhskaya forest-steppe have symmetric Pi anomalies. They are found in both males and females. This is a unique case not only for the Penza region, but for the whole of Russia and even the world.
The last time such massive deviations were described in France was in the middle of the last century. Jean Rostand was engaged in the study of anomalies. The main question that the scientist asked was where do mutations come from. Modern experts on amphibians are now thinking about the same. It is also important why six-toed frogs appeared in the Privolzhskaya forest-steppe reserve, and whether they exist in other areas of the Penza region.
“I don’t think this is typical for this territory. Perhaps there is some kind of pollution, maybe the effects of parasites, that is, this is the body's reaction to a changed habitat,”explained Vitaly Osipov, senior researcher at the Privolzhskaya Lesostep Nature Reserve.
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Scientists say that while they have not fully figured out how the presence of extra fingers affects the life of frogs, it is quite possible that they do not. However, biologists have encountered other variants of the Pi anomaly in the Penza bogs.
“We were catching frogs that had just turned from tadpoles, and their legs were upside down. With such legs, he will not run away anywhere, and he will be quickly eaten, that is, it is simply an anomaly incompatible with life, added Ivan Bashinsky.
Experts believe that the presence of anomalies in Penza frogs may be associated with human activities. In particular, with the processing of fields with chemical fertilizers. However, it is quite possible that people have nothing to do with it, and the beavers are to blame for everything.
Animals build dams, as a result, the water stagnates, becomes polluted, since wood and other organic matter gets there. As a consequence, frogs living in such water develop anomalies. Finally, the matter may be in imbreeding, or closely related crosses. Lake frogs with anomalies live and breed exclusively in water bodies, and there are not so many of them on the territory of the reserve.
What is the real reason for what is happening with the Penza amphibians, scientists have yet to find out. By the way, not a single frog was harmed during the research. After studying, they are released back into the swamp.