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Generate Keywords Transcript: Variation in frogs frogs are a diverse and largely carnivorous group of short bodied tailus amphibians composing the order of Anora. The oldest fossil found of a frog appeared in the early Triassic of Madagascar, but molecular clock dating suggests that their origins may extend further back to Permian, that's 265,000,000 years ago. Frogs are widely distributed, ranging from the tropics to the subarctic regions, but the greatest concentration of species diversity is found in tropical rainforests. There are approximately 4800 recorded species, accounting for over 85% of extant amphibian species. They are also one of the five most diverse vertebrae orders. Besides living in fresh water and on dry land, the adults of some species are adapted for living underground or in trees. Adult frogs generally have a carnivorous diet consisting of small invertebrates, but omnivorous species exist, and a few feed on fruit. Frogs are extremely efficient at converting what they eat into body mass. They are an important food source for predators and part of the food web dynamics of many of the world's ecosystems. Their skin is semipermeable, making them susceptible to dehydration, so they either live in moist places or have special adaptations to deal with the dry habitats. Frogs also produce a wide range of vocalizations, particularly when they are in breeding season, and exhibit many different kinds of complex behaviors to attract mates, to tend off predators, and to generally survive. Frog populations have shown significant decline since the 1950s. More than one third of species are considered to be threatened with extinction, and over 120 are believed to have become extinct since the 1980s. The number of malformations among frogs is on the rise, and an emerging fungal disease, cytridiomycosis, has spread around the world. Conservation biologists are working to understand the causes of these problems and to resolve them. Frogs are valued as food by humans and also have many cultural roles in literature, symbolism, and religion. Generate Keywords Keywords: Variation, frogs, group, order, Anora, fossil, Triassic, Madagascar, origins, Permian, years, distribution, regions, diversity, rainforests, species, amphibian species, vertebrae orders, water, land, adults, diet, invertebrates, species, fruit, food source, predators, web dynamics, skin, dehydration, places, adaptations, vocalizations, breeding season, mates, predators, decline, species, extinction, malformations, rise, fungal disease, world, conservation biologists, causes, problems, numbers, food, humans, cultural roles, literature, symbolism, religion. Close Save