Jan 01, 2016
By: Debra Cunningham
Long ago, more than 400
million years ago, in
what humans call the
Devonian period, Fergie
Frog’s ancestor, Leo
Loberman, lived
peacefully with his
family in a freshwater
pool and swam in its
adjoining streams.
www.abdn.ac.uk/.../coelancanth/coelacanth.jpg
One day, after a long
dry spell, Leo
noticed the pools
and streams were
drying up. The water
was evaporating!
“Oh, horrors!”
exclaimed Leo.
“Where will we live
when all the water
is gone?”
Afraid that he and his Afraid that he and his
family would become family would become
homeless and their homeless and their
species would die out, species would die out,
Leo called a meeting of Leo called a meeting of
the local elders, and a the local elders, and a
special guest . . .special guest . . .
… … Dr. Lola, a renowned Dr. Lola, a renowned
medical genius, to medical genius, to
discuss possible discuss possible
solutions for their solutions for their
impending impending
homelessness and homelessness and
eventual destruction.eventual destruction.
THE SECRET REVEALEDTHE SECRET REVEALED SURPRISE!SURPRISE!
ImagineImagine the elders’ surprise
when Dr. Lola told them of a
long-kept secret. Dr. Lola
showed the crowd an x-ray
that revealed that the paired,
paddle-like fins of lobe-finned
fish contain appendages for
walking on land.
““However”, said Dr. Lola However”, said Dr. Lola
“there is a “there is a catchcatch. If you . If you
push your legs and feet push your legs and feet
out through your paddle-out through your paddle-
like fins, your tails will like fins, your tails will
disappear.” The anxious disappear.” The anxious
crowd conferred and crowd conferred and
decided that trading decided that trading
their tails for legs was their tails for legs was
little price to pay for little price to pay for
their safety and their their safety and their
lives.lives.
Thus, Leo’s
ancestors traded
their tails for legs.
They evolved into
modern amphibians,
like Fergie, and lived
happily ever after.
Thus, Fergie
Frog enjoys all
the ups and
downs (pun
intended) of
life on land.
www2.muw.edu/~dmc1/PORTFOLIO
Fergie would love to share the story of Fergie would love to share the story of his birth. Click on his birth. Click on life cycle of a froglife cycle of a frog..
Also check out an online tutorial, an Also check out an online tutorial, an edition of Fergie’s favorite newsletter, edition of Fergie’s favorite newsletter, FROG FOCUSFROG FOCUS, and some of his other , and some of his other favorite Internet sites, such as:favorite Internet sites, such as:
http://www.allaboutfrogs.org http://www.houstonzoofrogs.org/6things/ www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/amphibians/
frogs.shtml