Amphibian development was in the focus of early research. The pioneering findings in the early 20th century led to a conceptual change in understanding developmental biology. Subsequent research revealed that larval development plays a crucial role in the environmental adaptations and that evolutionary change in general is orchestrated by developmental change. Although the bauplan of anurans and their larvae has undergone extensive changes, the basic mechanisms of early development are in the line of all other vertebrates. Therefore, it is little surprise that molecular research focused increasingly on anurans as model organisms of development.
Surprisingly, new adaptations emerged with comparatively small changes within the anurans as compared to the tremendous evolutionary advancement of for instance mammals. Evolutionary change comprises in anuran larvae alterations in the developmental time axis, especially in the onset and progress of metamorphosis, the change in body proportions, the change of food collection and the shift to breeding sites other than waters culminating in parental care at different extent. How are these adaptations achieved? Taken together it is no wonder that the scientific community has rediscovered anuran larvae as subjects of developmental, evolutionary, ecomorphological, ecological, and toxicological research. The last two are especially relevant in respect of global amphibian decline. Innovative molecular methods have provided new insights and have vastly expanded our knowledge of species diversity, evolution, and environmental adaptations and have resulted in a revision of concepts. It should not be withheld that the knowledge of amphibian molecular genetics contributes to medical research.