Madagascar rainforest discovery reveals seven new frog species

An international research team led by Mark D. Scherz, curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark, has discovered seven new species of diamond frogs in the rainforests of Madagascar.

The findings, published in the journal Vertebrate Zoology, expand the Rhombophryne genus to a total of 27 species. The researchers reached these conclusions after 12 years of work, utilizing a combination of field research, morphological analysis of skeletons and calls, and a method known as ‘museomics’—sequencing DNA from historical museum specimens.

This discovery highlights the immense biodiversity of Madagascar, where 90 percent of plant and animal species are endemic. Researchers emphasize that documenting these species is critical for conservation efforts, as Madagascar loses approximately 2,000 square kilometers of forest annually to agriculture, mining, and charcoal production.