creationists and frogs

I asked one of my colleagues, Erik Lindquist, an expert on frogs (David
Attenborough is now making a film partly about his work in Panama), about
Burgy's post on creationism and frogs. Here is what Erik told me:

[This is] another classic YEC misunderstanding of multiple use chemicals
and structures in nature. All oviparous amphibians lay their eggs with
aqueous protein mixtures (ranaspumins) that form a firm jelly-like
protective layer in some species. Yet in others, particularly tropical
species, these proteins are incidentally whipped up by the hind legs of
females and/or males in the "heat of passion" during oviposition. In the
hot tropics, species that lay their eggs on leaves or in puddles have to
contend with the real threat of dessication of their investment. Simply
put: pairs that do not beat their legs to foam up ranaspumin around their
eggs simply do not pass on genes to the next generation. Those that do have
a much greater liklihood of succeeding. Over time, most frogs that utilize
such microhabitats exhibit the foaming behaviors.

ted
Received on Mon Jan 30 17:39:55 2006