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Three new cascade frog species were described from Northeast India and West Bengal, published on August 12, 2026 in the Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology.
The study was led by Prof. S. D. Biju of the Department of Environmental Studies, Delhi University.
The species are Amolops ammachi (Tripura), Amolops sendenyu (Nagaland) and Amolops bella (West Bengal).
The work combined DNA analysis, morphological comparison and field surveys across more than 300 geographic populations.
Five further cascade frog species were recorded in India for the first time.
The study produced two different kinds of finding, and exams test the difference. Describing a new species means the animal was previously unknown to science and is being named for the first time — that applies to the three Amolops species here. Recording a species in a country for the first time means the animal was already known and named elsewhere, but had not been documented within that country's territory — that applies to the five additional Amolops species. Modern taxonomy separates closely related amphibians using DNA evidence alongside morphological study of adults and tadpoles, because species that look nearly identical can be genetically distinct.
Simple Analogy: Discovering a word nobody had written down, versus finding a known word used in a place it had not been heard before.
GS Paper III > Environment and Biodiversity
General Awareness > Environment and Science
Which of the following statements is/are correct? Proper design and effective implementation of UN-REDD+ Programme can significantly contribute to 1. protection of biodiversity 2. resilience of forest ecosystems 3. poverty reduction Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Consider the following statements: 1. Most of the world's coral reefs are in tropical waters. 2. More than one-third of the world's coral reefs are located in the territories of Australia, Indonesia and Philippines. 3. Coral reefs host far more number of animal phyla than those hosted by tropical rainforests. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
Answer: 1, 2 and 3
Which one of the following National Parks lies completely in the temperate alpine zone?
Answer: Valley of Flowers National Park
The "Miyawaki method" is well known for the:
Answer: Creation of mini forests in urban areas
A genus of stream-dwelling frogs commonly called cascade or torrent frogs.
A vertebrate with generally moist skin that undergoes metamorphosis from tadpole to adult.
Identification of species by comparing physical form and structure, used alongside DNA evidence in modern taxonomy.