Scientists Identify Three New Cascade Frog Species in Northeast India

Scientists identify 3 new cascade frog species from the forests of Northeast India and document 5 other cascade frog species for the first time from India. The research documents more than 300 geographic populations of cascade frogs inhabiting fast-flowing forest streams.

Cascade Frogs (Genus Amolops):

Dimension	Key Details
Research coverage	The research documents more than 300 geographic populations of cascade frogs.
Newly identified species	Three newly identified species comprise: Ammachi’s Cascade Frog (Amolops ammachi) discovered in the Jampui Hills of Tripura; Sendenyu Cascade Frog (Amolops sendenyu) found in Nagaland; Beautiful Cascade Frog (Amolops bella) discovered in West Bengal.
Naming details: Amolops ammachi	Amolops ammachi honours the late Kerala social worker and philanthropist Padmini Varkey, known as ‘Ammachi’.
Naming details: Amolops sendenyu	Amolops sendenyu is named after Sendenyu Village.
Naming details: Amolops bella	Amolops bella is named for its green body with yellowish-green or reddish-brown mosaic patterns.
Genus report: first-time India records	The study reports 5 cascade frog species never before recorded from India: Marbled Cascade Frog (Amolops afghanus), Nepal Cascade Frog (Amolops nepalicus), Wangyal’s Cascade Frog (Amolops wangyali), Medog Cascade Frog (A. medogensis), and Pianma Cascade Frog (Amolops bellulus).
Method used	Researchers employ DNA-based dating analyses to reconstruct the evolutionary history of cascade frogs.
Diversification timeline	DNA-based dating indicates extensive diversification around 32 million years ago during the Eocene-Oligocene transition.
Evolutionary and distribution inferences	The study suggests multiple waves of colonisation from east to west across Asia and identifies the early uplift of the Himalayas as a key factor shaping present-day distribution and diversity.