April 08, 2008

My Frog has no Lungs - how does it breathe? By osmosis, bitch. First lungless frog found. Evar.

Of all tetrapods, lunglessness is only known to occur in amphibians. There are many lungless salamanders and a single species of caecilian known to science. Nevertheless, the complete loss of lungs is a particularly rare evolutionary event that has probably only occurred three times (that we know of, and as this particular discovery reveals, we shouldn't be making any sweeping statements about how many times such a thing might have occurred, because we clearly don't know everything). Richard Dawkins unavailable for comment.

  • At first I presumed this must be a small frog, so that all of its tissues would be within a short distance of the skin. But then I realised it still presumably has a circulation, so that's not a problem.
  • Him name Hopkin No-Lung Frog.
  • Who took my lungs Who found my lungs P.S. I'll find my lungs
  • Borneo. Say no more.
  • Lungs are for suckers.
  • Him name Hopkin No-Lung Frog. I was thinking more along the lines of "Prince John Lacklungs."
  • I had a lungless frog once. I called him "Immortal". Why? Because he never croaked. I also had a newt. I called him "Tiny". Why? Because he was "my newt".
  • Feh - if I carry on at forty a day like recently I'll be the first lungless man. Beat that, hoppity.
  • thank you, r88.
  • Frogs hate second hand smoke.
  • Sir Froggybottom Von Respiration, heir to the throne of Permeable Skin.
  • No lungs. check Does not secrete poison through skin. check Can't fly. check Eliminates frequently. check Can't croak to order. check Does not listen to Beach Boys. check No respiration No perspiration No levitation No conversation No constipation No Good Vibration
  • Please quit smoking, Abiezer.
  • yeah but how does he smell?
  • I know Koko - I did for a decade and more and will do again. Sadly I'm not getting my head into the right place for it at the moment and am still enjoying the way it accompanies my work.
  • > am still enjoying the way it accompanies my work. Curing fish? Smoking while working is a sure way to double your consumption.
  • If he wants to smoke, that's his business. Eye, beam, mote, speck, etc.
  • Re my comment, it was just an observation. If you smoke while you work, you'll smoke more.
  • I used to be able to recite that whole travel agent sketch by memory, not the short version, the extended version that was in Hollywood Bowl & one of the albums. What a fucking nerd.
  • I love the fact that, once they found this impossible to find frog, they killed it and took it apart...
  • I should never have brought the topic up! Rory can say anything he likes; I value his sage advice.