Gastric brooding frog

[PythonLegs]

Playing god = bad.
Gastric brooding frog=Awesome.

Bizarre extinct frog brought back to life - Yahoo!7 Technology

 

[RSPcrazy]

Interesting.

"So far the embryo has only survived 36 hours."

Are they saying it lived to 36 hours then died? Or is it still going?

 

[nintendont]

I remember reading about Platypus frogs when I was a kid but I always thought they were endangered.
Apparently they have been extinct since before I was born...you really do learn something new everyday!

 

[junglepython2]

Interesting.

"So far the embryo has only survived 36 hours."

Are they saying it lived to 36 hours then died? Or is it still going?

36hrs is the longest they have had one survive. Even if they succeed, they don't have enough specimens and genetic diversity to ressurect the species.

 

[Bluetongue1]

36hrs is the longest they have had one survive. Even if they succeed, they don't have enough specimens and genetic diversity to ressurect the species.

I don’t think you can necessarily assume that. You only have to look at some of the parthenogenic organisms and how well they are doing. Those Binoe’s Gecko populations that are all female for instance.

Blue

 

[junglepython2]

I don’t think you can necessarily assume that. You only have to look at some of the parthenogenic organisms and how well they are doing. Those Binoe’s Gecko populations that are all female for instance.

Blue

It is a bit of a stretch to compare a triploid organism that has been producing via parthenogenesis for 100,000 yrs with a diploid, sexually producing frog that would be reduced to a few preserved specimens. While some species can cope with a very limited gene pool, it certainly isn't the norm.

 

[GeckPhotographer]

The point isn't to bring back the frog, the point is to make a proof of concept that we should be cryogenically preserving the genomes and genetic diversity of all Australian animals.

I've been pretty involved in this project (I collect the frogs they use the embryos from, and subsequently get to stand around and watch while the 'real science' happens), and while all these people would love to get fully grown Gastric Brooding Frogs doing this (which is quite possible) they don't have plans for re-introducing the species to the wild. Any suggestion of that would be far in the future.