American scientists successfully hatched a critically endangered Puerto Rican toad from in vitro fertilization to save it from extinction, AP reports.
Why it matters: This was the first time in vitro was successfully used to save the Puerto Rican crested toad. Olaf, the the first frog to undergo metamorphosis, was one of more than 300 toads born via in vitro. The Puerto Rican crested toad was deemed extinct through the 1960s, and was later rediscovered in the '80s. Efforts to save the species have been made for a few decades. Today's population of Puerto Rican crested toads is estimated between 300 and 3,000.
