THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: One of three new frog species discovered in India has been named after Malayali social worker and philanthropist Padmini Varkey. It now carries the name ‘Ammachi’s Cascade Frog’ (Amolops ammachi) in honour of the late Padmini.
The new species of cascade frogs were discovered in the mountainous regions across seven northeastern states by a team of scientists led by Professor S D Biju of Delhi University. The findings have been featured in the scientific journal Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, published by Harvard University.
The cascade frogs were discovered after more than 15 years of extensive exploration. Northeast India is part of the globally recognised Himalayan biodiversity hotspot. The three new species belong to the genus Amolops, a group of frogs widely distributed across Asia.
Amolops ammachi was discovered in the Jampui Hills of Tripura. It is a medium-sized frog, measuring around 80mm in length, with a light brown body marked by striking olive-green reticulations, Biju said.
“It has been named in honour of the late Padmini Varkey, renowned for her social and philanthropic work,” he said.
Padmini was fondly referred to as ‘Ammachi’ for her unconditional love and readiness to help those in need. Her home also served as a shelter for many people over the years. Padmini worked in the state health service and was closely associated with the Left and progressive movements.
Though born in Kozhikode district, she and her husband Varkey later shifted to Thiruvananthapuram. After retiring from service, she devoted herself to palliative care and was instrumental in starting the Devaki Smaraka Stree Padana Kendram, Kerala Working Women’s Association and the Ashraya Volunteer Organisation.
The other two species — ‘Sendenyu Cascade Frog’ (Amolops sendenyu) and ‘Beautiful Cascade Frog’ (Amolops bella) — were discovered in Nagaland and West Bengal, respectively. The Sendenyu Cascade Frog is named after Sendenyu village, where the species was discovered.
The Beautiful Cascade Frog gets its name from its green body colouration, marked by yellowish-green or reddish-brown mosaic patterns. According to Biju, the study employed DNA-based dating analyses to understand the evolutionary relationships among cascade frogs and the historical dispersal events that resulted in their high diversity.
“The findings reveal that cascade frogs underwent extensive diversification around 32 million years ago during the Eocene-Oligocene transition, a period marked by widespread extinctions and rapid turnover of floral and faunal groups, both marine and terrestrial.”
The study suggested this period witnessed waves of colonisation by cascade frogs from east to west in Asia, he added.