Bellyflop landing shows how frogs evolved

Frogs evolved the ability to jump before they perfected the art of landing, according to scientists.

Researchers from New Zealand and the US studied a primitive group of frogs called Leiopelmatidae.

They captured slow motion footage of the creatures leaping and landing, and noticed that they hit the ground in a rather inelegant bellyflop.

The scientists report their findings in the journal Naturwissenschaften.

Footage courtesy of Richard Essner