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Why these toads are evolving faster than anyone expected
Researchers found Ishigaki toads weigh 190 grams on average, suggesting island conditions may be driving rapid changes in body size and shape.
- A new study published in Royal Society Open Science reveals invasive cane toads on Ishigaki Island have grown significantly larger than those in Australia since their introduction less than 50 years ago.
- Introduced to Ishigaki in 1978 from Hawaii via Taiwan and the Daito Islands, the toads have diverged from populations that shared a common history in Hawaii until the 1930s.
- Adult toads from Ishigaki weigh an average 190 grams and measure 122 millimeters, compared to 135g and 111mm for Australian toads; they also possess wider heads, shorter arms, and longer legs.
- Scientists describe these physical shifts as "substantial," noting that the invasive species has developed more rapidly than traditional evolutionary theories suggested, demonstrating how environmental pressures drive rapid biological change.
- Rick Shine, a senior researcher at Macquarie University, added: "We don't have a clear idea of the evolutionary forces that might be involved, so we can't say why body mass and shape has changed.
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Leaning Left1Leaning Right5Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Right
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- 50% of the sources lean Right
50% Right
C 40%
R 50%
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