African frogs

[sci-man]

does anyone know how African frogs can change genders and how they evolved this way?

[StringJunky]

10 minutes ago, sci-man said:

does anyone know how African frogs can change genders and how they evolved this way?

They carry both sets of reproductive organs but only one is operative at a time. Absence of males will trigger sex change in females.

Quote

These west African frogs have been known to spontaneously change sex from female to male.[2] This likely occurs when the population does not have enough males to allow procreation and is accomplished when a chemical trigger activates the sex gene to disintegrate the female organs and develop the male ones.[3]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_reed_frog

 

[sci-man]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

They carry both sets of reproductive organs but only one is operative at a time. Absence of males will trigger sex change in females

can they change from male to female?

and is that considered asexual? 

Edited April 19, 2018 by sci-man

[StringJunky]

16 minutes ago, sci-man said:

can they change from male to female?

and is that considered asexual? 

I can't find anything that suggests that. The females seem to be dominant and initiate mating, presumably they are naturally more numerous.

No, it's not asexual because in that method there is no exchange of gametes; offspring are like the parents.

[rangerx]

3 hours ago, sci-man said:

can they change from male to female?

and is that considered asexual? 

It's called Sequential hermaphroditism.

 

It is not exclusive to amphibians, but to fishes, mollusks, corals and plants as well.