Playing leapfrog would be tricky for the most primitive living frogs: those from the Leiopelmatidae family crash-land rather than touch down gracefully after leaping. The finding may reveal how frog jumping evolved.
of Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville suspected unusual jumping behaviours in leiopelmatids because they are known to swim differently from other frogs, using a 鈥渢rotting鈥� movement rather than a synchronous double kick.
Essner鈥檚 team used high-speed video to compare jumping in three leiopelmatid species with two more-evolved species. Whereas the more advanced species begin to fold up their hind-limbs in mid-air to prepare for landing and their next leap, 鈥淟eiopelmatid frogs don鈥檛 fold up their legs until after they鈥檝e hit the ground,鈥� he says.
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Ascaphus montanus, the most primitive species, kept its legs splayed as it landed in a belly flop or nosedive, then skidded to a halt on its belly (Naturwissenschaften, DOI: ). Perhaps it鈥檚 no surprise that frogs evolved to jump before they could master landing.
