‘Chocolate Frog’: Australian Researchers Discover New Species of the Amphibian in New Guinea
Researchers at Australia’s Queensland Museum have found a new, adorable frog species in the swampy, lowland forests of New Guinea. Named the “chocolate frog”, it has big, cartoonish eyes and its skin is the colour of milk chocolate. The candy-coloured amphibian is closely related to the green tree frog that’s common in Australia. The researchers discovered the frog while trying to draw a clearer family picture of the lineage of the green tree frog on both islands. Australia and New Guinea were connected by a land bridge until about 10,000 years ago and have hosted many of the same types of animals, including frogs.
These amphibians, known for their jumping abilities and croaking sounds, live all over the world and are among the most diverse animals, with over 6,000 species. The new species was first described by the researchers in a study published recently in the Australian Journal of Zoology. These researchers travelled to New Guinea and found the ‘chocolate frog’ in a hot swamp full of crocodiles.
Lead study author Paul Oliver, a biologist at Queensland Museum and Griffith University, told Queensland Museum Network that once the researchers saw the new species, they started calling it ‘chocolate frog’, and the name got stuck. Liver added, “What’s a little surprising about this discovery is that the well-known and common green tree frog of Australia has a long-overlooked relative living in the lowland rainforests of New Guinea. Because of this, we named the new frog Litoria Mira because the word ‘Mira’ means surprised or strange in Latin.”
Steve Richards, the co-author of the paper, said the researchers thought the species was probably widespread in New Guinea. “While New Guinea is not a place most Australians know well, many animal groups are shared. So, understanding biodiversity in New Guinea helps us to understand the history and origins of Australia’s unique fauna,” Richards said in a statement.
Queensland Museum CEO Jim Thompson said there is still much to learn about biodiversity in Australia and museums play an important role in “describing and conserving our natural world heritage.”
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Astronomers continue to monitor the Corona Borealis constellation for a rare celestial event — the expected eruption of T Coronae Borealis (T CrB), as per sources. This binary star system, home to a white dwarf and a red giant, is predicted to produce a nova, briefly illuminating the night sky with a brightness comparable to Polaris, the North Star. While initial predictions placed the event as imminent by September 2023, observations suggest the outburst could occur later than anticipated.
A History of Eruptions
According to a report by Space.com, T CrB has a history of dramatic eruptions, with confirmed events in May 1866 and February 1946. These outbursts occur when the white dwarf accumulates sufficient material from the red giant, triggering a nuclear explosion. Previous eruptions have followed an 80-year cycle, suggesting the next event might occur by 2026. However, brightness changes observed in 2015 and dimming patterns similar to those preceding the 1946 eruption have led to revised estimates, prompting predictions for 2023 or 2024.
Monitoring the System
As per the report, data is being gathered using an array of space and ground-based telescopes, including NASA’s Fermi Gamma-ray Space Telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, and the Very Large Array in New Mexico. Elizabeth Hays, an astrophysicist monitoring T CrB with Fermi, indicated to Space.com that while signs point to an impending eruption, pinpointing the exact timeline remains elusive.
Edward Sion, professor of astronomy at Villanova University, highlighted the complexities of the accretion process. He told the publication that the challenges posed by fluctuating rates of material transfer between the stars, which add uncertainty to the prediction.
The Wait Continues
Until the eruption occurs, astronomers are using this opportunity to collect unprecedented data. Observations across multiple wavelengths are being conducted to better understand the behaviour of novae. Experts suggest these findings will enhance future predictive models and deepen insights into stellar phenomena.
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Chinese astronauts aboard the Tiangong space station are conducting a groundbreaking experiment involving fruit flies to explore the effects of microgravity and sub-magnetic fields on living organisms, according to reports. The experiment, part of the crew’s six-month mission, is being conducted by the Shenzhou 19 astronauts who arrived at the station on October 29. The fruit flies—15 adults and 40 pupae—were delivered on 15 November by the Tianzhou 8 resupply mission.
Study Aims to Assess Impact on Biological Rhythms
The research, carried out under the supervision of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, aims to understand how sub-magnetic environments combined with microgravity influence biological processes. Zheng Weibo, a researcher at the Shanghai Institute of Technical Physics, explained to China Central Television (CCTV) that the study investigates molecular mechanisms and movement patterns in fruit flies under these conditions. The goal is to uncover potential changes in their biological rhythms, providing insights that could be valuable for future deep-space exploration.
Simulating Space Environments
The experiment involves creating two distinct environments aboard Tiangong: one replicating Earth’s magnetic field and the other a sub-magnetic field. Zheng noted that understanding the role of magnetic fields on living organisms is critical for space exploration. He explained in an interview with CCTV that we remain under Earth’s magnetic influence in low Earth orbit. However, in deep space, this would not be the case.
Comparative Analysis to Follow
Frozen fruit fly samples will be returned to Earth for analysis, according to Li Yan, the project’s lead researcher, in his statement. Gene expression in these samples will be compared with parallel groups to assess the individual and combined effects of microgravity and sub-magnetic environments.
Fruit flies, widely used in genetic studies due to their short life cycle, have a long history in space experiments. Researchers are hopeful this study will contribute valuable data for advancing human understanding of space’s effects on biological systems.
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