DU researchers discover new frog species in Western Ghats

A team of researchers from Delhi University has recently discovered a frog species from the Western Ghats and named it after former vice-chancellor professor Deepak Pental, according to an official statement.

The discovery was made during a comprehensive study on a considerably large, common, yet a confusing group of Indian frogs — genus Minerva (common name: Minervaryan frogs), carried out over a period of nearly 10 years, it added.

The new species was discovered from the Western Ghats biodiversity hotspot that extends along the southwest coast of the Indian peninsula.

The new species was identified based on multiple criteria, such as external morphology, DNA and calling pattern.

''It is a great privilege to name a frog species after professor Deepak Pental, the former vice-chancellor of the University of Delhi, in appreciation of his tremendous support and encouragement for setting up of the systematics lab at the university where research leading to the discovery and description of nearly one-fourth of all known Indian amphibians has been carried out,'' said professor S D Biju, under whose leadership the study was published.

The new species, named Minerva pentali, is endemic to the southern Western Ghats.

''We discovered it from wayside vegetation at multiple localities in Kerala and Tamil Nadu , while surveying amphibians during the monsoon season. This species is also among the smallest known Minervaryan frogs, which is probably one of the reasons it was overlooked until now,'' said Dr Sonali Garg, the lead author of the study and a postdoctoral researcher at Delhi University.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)