Doing it for the kids

It's proven tough for Tigers, but frogs can do it. A group of biologists have identified the first example of a monogamous amphibian. It's Peru's Ranitomeya imitator, the mimic poison frog, and the investigation seems to tell us something about the evolution of monogamy. A comparison of R. imitator to the closely related variable poison frog, R. variabilis, yields some interesting results. Both utilize small pools for breeding, but the breeding pools differ in size and in the availability of nutrients. Mimic tadpoles mature in tiny, nutrient-poor pools formed in the folds of leaves. They're carried there by the male parent, and fed in the days afterward when the male calls his mate to lay unfertilized eggs in the pool. These eggs provide nutrition for the little ones. Tadpoles of the variable poison frog, on the other hand, grow up in larger pools, tended primarily by the male parent.

The researchers suggest that frogs using the larger breeding pools can go it alone in bring up Junior. The guys in the tiny leaf fold pools, however, are stuck with each other. For the kids sake.

I'm sure there are all sorts of conclusions, both biological and sociological, that can be drawn from this work. Truth is, though, I'm just too tired to think about it right now. Maybe later.