It has long been known that tadpoles live in several hot springs in Taiwan and the Japanese archipelago.But this time, researchers at Hiroshima University and the Graduate University for Advanced Studies have discovered tadpoles, amphibian larvae, that live in hot springs at the highest temperatures ever recorded (46.1 degrees Celsius).
The place of discovery is a shallow mud (Seranma Onsen) in the forest of Kuchinoshima, a small subtropical island floating in the East China Sea about 310 kilometers south of Nagasaki.The subject of research was the Ryukyu Kajika frog (scientific name: Buergeria japonica).This frog is the only native amphibian that inhabits the Tokara Islands, which consists of volcanic islands located in the southwestern part of Japan.By adapting to other amphibians to survive in too warm water and making good use of their new habitat, they were able to avoid competition for survival with other species.
No adult frog has been found at Seranma Onsen.Therefore, it may be adapted to high temperatures only during the early larval stage of the frog's life, the tadpoles.Future research will focus on elucidating the ecology of tadpoles in this environment.
The final author of this study, Assistant Professor Takeshi Ikawa of Hiroshima University, said, "Since the days of (evolutionary) Darwin and Wallace, scientists have continued to study the distribution of living organisms and their environmental adaptation. , One of the best examples of the direct connection between the physiological adaptability of animals to various environmental conditions and their establishment in various geographical locations. "
