back to article Tiny frog claimed as smallest vertebrate ever

Boffins have found what they believe to be the world's smallest vertebrate. The tiny amphibian was discovered when scientists grabbed some leaves from the forest floor in Papua New Guinea and shoved them in a plastic bag. With an average body size of 7.7mm (0.27 inches), the translucent nano-frogs sit easily on a US dime ( …

COMMENTS

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  1. mike 32
    Alert

    Wow. Just wow.

    Where normal frogs eat normal insects, tiny frogs eat tiny insects.

    1. Olafthemighty
      Thumb Up

      Yup.

      Exactly the sort of determined journalism that keeps me coming back here - you don't get that kind of insight from the Beeb!

  2. Annihilator
    Coat

    Kissing

    If we accept that kissing a frog turns it into a Prince, are we to assuming that kissing such a small frog would turn into pint-size-pop-star Prince?

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge
      Thumb Up

      Here's your answer - from Belgium

      http://album.hbvl.be/foto/Cartoons/id355470-120113-klier-cartoon-1-jpg.aspx

      Translation:

      "Hey Laura, do you remember that small frog I kissed this afternoon?

      His frog size wasn't the only miniature part"

      :)

  3. Bill Fresher

    How big are the tadpoles?

  4. Brent Longborough
    FAIL

    I name this Frog

    Sarkozy!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You sure chose the right icon

      for your pathetic sub-jim-davidson offensive clichéd stereotype, or, as you probably thought of it, "joke".

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. This post has been deleted by its author

      3. Silverburn
        Facepalm

        @ AC

        Given the accumulated downvotes so far, I say your humour-bypass should have used this icon too.

    2. Steve Evans

      @Brent

      Depends, does it generally look shifty and do a lot of shrugging?

  5. h4rm0ny
    Happy

    Soooooo cute!

    See title.

  6. Evil Auditor Silver badge
    Devil

    Yes, cute.

    But how do its legs taste?

    1. Fred Flintstone Gold badge

      short..

      1. ArmanX
        Coat

        I attempted to find out this very thing!

        After catching and preparing one of these tiny frogs, I decided the legs tasted like the sauce I cooked them in. I assume that, anyway, because I couldn't actually find them. I'm going to need more frogs for a more conclusive test. A few thousand of these little guys aught to make a meal.

        Ah, yes - mine's the one with the nearly microscopic take-out bag in the pocket, thank you.

  7. Camilla Smythe

    Hmmmm

    Just the right size to fit in a Smartie.

    1. Richard Ball

      Then there would really be substance to the claim that some colours tase different to others.

      1. TeeCee Gold badge
        Joke

        The lark's vomit coloured ones taste of crunchy frog, as you would expect.

        1. Michael H.F. Wilkinson Silver badge
          Joke

          And filleting them is out of the question, of course.

    2. DavidK
      Joke

      Am I right in thinking

      that there is a real frog in 'ere?

  8. Anonymous Noel Coward
    Happy

    And I, for one, welcome our tiny frog overlords...

    1. Martin
      Happy

      Underlords?

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

    Adorable ... so small and perfectly formed!

  10. This post has been deleted by its author

    1. Ragarath

      Was I not looking?

      When they changed the definition of similar to the same as that given to exact?

    2. Dan 37

      ""18mm, making it similar in size to the UK five pence coin"

      really? cos the 5p's I've got appear to be 17mm"

      This probably explains the choice of the term 'similar' rather than 'identical' or 'the same'

  11. JDX Gold badge

    You're so right Mark. 17 and 18 and not even slightly similar.

    1. mark 63 Silver badge
      Paris Hilton

      ah you spotted my deliberate mistake!

      nah i read 'simila'r as 'smaller' , then spotted my mistake and tried to withdraw it but that didnt work , so withdrew it now , which i shouldnt have once it had been replied too.

      wot a nob! , I'll get me coat. . . . .

  12. Pete the not so great
    Happy

    Cool, but

    is it crunchy?

  13. Silverburn
    Boffin

    Technical question...

    ...how short do vertibrae need to get, before they constitute 'grit' rather than 'bone'?

    Enquiring minds must know.

  14. jonathan keith
    Flame

    Paedophryne amauensis

    I expect there are mobs of angry, thick tabloid readers heading to the rainforest right now.

    1. Galidron

      That was my first thought also.

  15. Feldspa
    Boffin

    a new unit of size?

    Does this now offer a new reg size unit?

  16. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    And they still...

    ...have more backbone than the Democratic party.

    1. Brent Longborough

      And they still...

      ... have more brains than the Republican party.

      1. sisk

        And they still...

        ...have more integrety than both the Democratic and Republican parties combined.

        1. Ken Hagan Gold badge
          Unhappy

          Re: Re: Re: And they still...

          ...have eleven months to go.

          1. Darryl
            Thumb Down

            Gee, thanks Ken

            I was having a pretty OK day until you reminded me.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Facepalm

      I should note, given the thumbs-downed-ness, that my post was from a weary and depressed Democrat, not a smug Republican. It's hard to go through a period of bend-over-and-pants-down-for-the-tea-party party like the debt ceiling thing and come out with your head held high.

      For one thing, it's tough to stand up straight.

      At any rate, here's hoping that Mitt "Bain Of My Existence" Romney is defeated not because he's wealthy, and not because he's Mormon, and not because he looks kinda creepy when you take a picture of him from a low angle, but because he'd make a lousy damn president. So there, throw a thumbs down on that!

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Joke

    However.......

    ...in 6 months time they strangely will be the same size as normal frogs....

    Wadda ya mean they are baby frogs!

  18. Charlie van Becelaere

    It's been 'shopped

    I can tell by the pixels.

  19. Eddy Ito
    Thumb Up

    Nice!

    Judging from those x-ray pics the spine looks particularly stout in comparison to the other bones but it would be nice to have a side on shot for a full comparison. Better yet, how about a full 3d scan... so does anyone see a pocket CT at CES?

    1. Javc
      Coat

      @Ito

      >>Better yet, how about a full 3d scan... so does anyone see a pocket CT at CES?

      I'll get my medical tricorder.

  20. Stuart Halliday
    Pirate

    Well let's hope the scientists didn't wipe up the entire species like the scientists did when the arm waving golden frog was discovered.

    Chyrid Fungus is deadly.

    1. Drew V.

      Yup

      This one has absolutely no chance of surviving the human species, does it? Not unless it reproduces at the rate of the more successful insects.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I think you will find the world's smallest backbone in one T Blair.

    ..... and mine for an anon post.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Tony Blair's spine

      Funny, I'd always assumed he had none at all.

  22. Martin Maloney
    Coat

    Yes, I should be ashamed

    Miss Piggy's phone rings, and she picks it up.

    "[cough cough cough] I'm sorry -- I had a frog in my throat."

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