Toad is a very liberal animal

American researcher Karen Pfenning, of the University of North Carolina, has just published in a scientific journal that she found the amphibian in some conditions will not follow the usual "evolutionary rule". coordinate with other species '.

A female spadefoot is ready to break her gender in case of necessity ( Photo: sacsplash.org )

Toad is a species that breeds in small ponds that are constantly dry - the risk of killing any growing tadpole is very high. Therefore, female toads will pair with other species to increase survival for the next generation.

Dr. Pfenning discovered when an almost shallow pond, a form of S. bombifrons, would often mate with other species of relatives like D. multiplicata rather than mate. Normally, S. bombifrons tadpoles grow more slowly than D. multiplicata, they have to live in ponds longer. But the offspring between the two species quickly developed, meaning they were able to survive high before the ponds became dry.

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