# FIU biologist Catenazzi and colleagues describe four new Oreobates frog species from Peru

- Published: 2026-11-15 22:24 UTC
- Section: Life & Health › Biology & biochemistry
- Tags: new frog species, Oreobates, Cordillera Azul National Park, Alessandro Catenazzi, FIU Institute of Environment, species description, frog calls, DNA phylogeny, Peru amphibians
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-27e8c3c0e882246254f51b16_fiu_biologist_catenazzi/

**Four new Oreobates frog species from near Cordillera Azul National Park in Peru raise the genus from 27 to 31 species; the description rests on anatomy, calls and DNA.**

![FIU biologist Catenazzi and colleagues describe four new Oreobates frog species from Peru](https://realtech.media/media/2026/11/ab0ecef5d230ac0d.jpg)
*news.fiu.edu*

Alessandro Catenazzi of the FIU Institute of Environment and his collaborators have described four new species of Oreobates frogs collected near Cordillera Azul National Park in Peru, according to news.fiu.edu [1]. The finding raises the known number of species of these small, ground-dwelling frogs from 27 to 31. The research was published in the journal Diversity [1].

Catenazzi has contributed to the description of more than 55 frog species over his career [1]. He says that naming a species is more than adding an entry to a scientific catalog.

## How a new species is established

The team used morphological, acoustic and genetic evidence to show that the four frogs are new [1]. First, the authors had to check what has already been described. Many species were described in the 19th or 20th century, and their type specimens are often held at the British Museum, other European museums, in New York or at the Smithsonian. Catenazzi said that seeing them means going to those places and handling the specimens.

The researchers then compared physical traits such as color, small tubercles and skin texture [1]. They also recorded and compared the mating calls. According to Catenazzi, this is useful because females are not attracted to a call from another species.

For some frogs the differences are hard to see, so genetic analysis is the third step. Using DNA sequences, Catenazzi reconstructs the evolutionary history and builds a family tree of the species [1]. The biologists did not sequence entire genomes. They compared specific pieces of DNA that have already been sequenced for many other frog species. Together with the differences in morphology and calls, the genetic evidence supported recognizing the four frogs as distinct [1].

## Why naming matters

The practical value of the four new species is not yet known. Catenazzi said that he cannot name it specifically, but that there could be a cure for cancer in such animals, and that the first step in any biological work is to name the organism [1].

His lab is already working with two other frog species whose unique peptides have antimicrobial, wound-healing and antifungal properties [1]. Catenazzi believes that such results show how frogs can serve as an argument for protected areas that prevent further habitat destruction [1].

## Sources

1. [news.fiu.edu](https://news.fiu.edu/2026/racing-bulldozers-fiu-biologist-helps-discover-four-new-frog-species)
2. [Earth.com](https://www.earth.com/animals/four-new-oreobates-frog-species-peru)

---

Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-27e8c3c0e882246254f51b16_fiu_biologist_catenazzi/