Miniaturization has evolved repeatedly in frogs in the moist leaf litter environments of rainforests worldwide. Miniaturized frogs are among the world's smallest vertebrates and exhibit an array of enigmatic features. One area where miniaturization has predictable consequences is the vestibular system, which acts as a gyroscope, providing sensory information about movement and orientation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFA new miniaturized frog of the genus (Anura: Brachycephalidae) is described from Morro Santo Anjo in the municipality of Massaranduba, Santa Catarina, southern Brazil. Specimens were collected from the leaf litter between 470 and 540 above sea level. The new species is distinguished from all its congeners by the combination of the following characters: (1) body robust and bufoniform; (2) size snout-vent length 9.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: are among the smallest terrestrial vertebrates in the world. The genus encompasses 34 species endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Rainforest, occurring mostly in montane forests, with many species showing microendemic distributions to single mountaintops. It includes diurnal species living in the leaf litter and calling during the day, mainly during the warmer months of the year.
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