Evolution of Hyperossification and Tooth Loss in Living and Fossil Frogs

Explore the fascinating world of frog evolution in this comprehensive lecture by Dr. Daniel Paluh from the University of Florida. Delve into the diverse order of frogs, comprising over 7,000 species with global distribution and varied ecological niches. Discover how frogs, despite their highly derived body plan and simplified skull, exhibit surprising cranial morphological variations. Learn about patterns of phenotypic diversity across the frog tree of life, with a focus on skull shape, hyperossification, and tooth lability. Examine the repeated evolution of cranial hyperossification in diverse frog lineages and its association with novel head shapes and functions. Gain insights into the first rigorous assessment of dentition evolution across major amphibian lineages, revealing the unprecedented frequency of tooth loss in frogs compared to other vertebrates. Understand the implications of these findings for the systematics and paleobiology of fossil frogs, expanding our knowledge of trait diversity in living species.