You must be croaking! Boffins reveal sound-gobbling frog's secret

Bioboffins have figured out how one of the world's smallest amphibians, the centimetre-long Gardiner's frog, can hear other frogs croak despite not having any ears. Gardiner's frog Toad you so ... A Gardiner's frog. Credit: R. Boistel/CNRS Using X-rays, an international team of scientists have discovered that the frog …

[Anonymous Coward]

Shut your mouth and listen closely

Oh wait, nevermind.

[Lars]

Re: Shut your mouth and listen closely

On the other hand I suppose some people are like that too as they open their mouth as soon as you speak.

[Don Jefe]

Re: Shut your mouth and listen closely

Agreed, and those same people can't hear the noises coming out of their own mouths.

Ha! Maybe mouth-breathing Humans are on an evolutionary side road are developing enhanced auditory and comprehension abilities. I find that highly unlikely however.

[Martin]

Orgel's Second Rule

Evolution is smarter than you are.

[John Smith 19]

X ray with micrometre resolution?

Well certainly possible in theory buy I suspect they had to crank the output to "11."

Good news for science, perhaps not so good news for frogs?

Toasted frog anyone?

[Don Jefe]

Re: X ray with micrometre resolution?

Well, it was painless. They never heard it coming.

[Neil Barnes]

reflects 99.9% of incoming sound waves?

That's only 20dB loss - about a quarter perceived volume, for humans. Can't see it being that much different for frogs.

[scruncher]

Re: reflects 99.9% of incoming sound waves?

Wouldn't a reduction to a thousandth be 60dB loss? - dunno what times perceived volume reduction that would be though.

[Pascal Monett]

No outer ears, eh ?

So they never get earaches then, the lucky buggers.

Nature's ingenuity is truly a marvelous thing.

[Don Jefe]

Re: No outer ears, eh ?

Thats a good point. I wonder how they know when they're upside down?

[James 51]

It's all gone Pete Frog

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