Brazilian Frog Might Be the First Pollinating Amphibian Known To Science (science.org) 20
An anonymous reader quotes a report from Science Magazine: The creamy fruit and nectar-rich flowers of the milk fruit tree are irresistible to Xenohyla truncata, a tree frog native to Brazil. On warm nights, the dusky-colored frogs take to the trees en masse, jostling one another for a chance to nibble the fruit and slurp the nectar. In the process, the frogs become covered in sticky pollen grains -- and might inadvertently pollinate the plants, too. It's the first time a frog -- or any amphibian -- has been observed pollinating a plant, researchers reported last month in Food Webs.
Scientists long thought only insects and birds served as pollinators, but research has revealed that some reptiles and mammals are more than up to the task. Now, scientists must consider whether amphibians are also capable of getting the job done. It's likely that the nectar-loving frogs, also known as Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frogs, are transferring pollen as they move from flower to flower, the authors say. But more research is needed, they add, to confirm that frogs have joined the planet's pantheon of pollinators.
Scientists long thought only insects and birds served as pollinators, but research has revealed that some reptiles and mammals are more than up to the task. Now, scientists must consider whether amphibians are also capable of getting the job done. It's likely that the nectar-loving frogs, also known as Izecksohn's Brazilian tree frogs, are transferring pollen as they move from flower to flower, the authors say. But more research is needed, they add, to confirm that frogs have joined the planet's pantheon of pollinators.
Plants have sex. (Score:2)
Get over it.
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The point of sex is to exchange DNA with another member of your species.
Bees and butterflies fly from one tree to another, spreading pollen and enabling that exchange.
But a frog can't fly. So it will visit flower after flower on the same tree. So how does the tree benefit from that?
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Some are even known to self-pollinate at some point when pollination hasn't already occurred.
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A lot of plants are hermaphrodite or monoecious.
Yes, but they still want to mate with other plants, not with themselves.
Some are even known to self-pollinate
Perhaps when there is no other option, like a tree growing in isolation. But it should only be a last resort.
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Take it up with nature. I have neither time nor motivation for your deflections.
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Someone's research took them to strange places indeed.
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Wrong question: Why do the children of 2 adults, look different. Every egg a woman has, is not identical. Ditto for sperm. It's why children are not clones.
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However reproduction through means like budding (essentially cloning), asexuality, and hermaphrodites is rather common in nature; not only for micro-organisms but also larger eukaryotes like plants, fungi (they're), and also invertebrate animals. This certainly makes it appear to be good enough for those species to having t
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Sooner or later the frog goes to another tree.
Many plants can get fertile from the own pollen, but there is a buffer time during wich they still can accept foreign pollen, and kick the previous picked up pollen out.
"BRANDON AND THE TRANSVIESTITES" (Score:2)
Great name for a rock band!
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Conservatives: "Frogs wanna be birds, blaspheme! Bannem!"
Well, I for one can't wait... (Score:2)
...until we find the first snake or lizard that not only pollinates, but also produces honey.
never again (Score:5, Funny)
Don't forget the mammals (Score:2)
I'm sure something has been pollinated by rats at some point.
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