Xenopus laevis, the South African Clawed Frog

This amphibian is a favorite for studying embryonic development.

These animals can be easily maintained in the laboratory.

Their eggs are large (~1 mm), and their development takes place in water where they can easily be manipulated. [An example.]

• diploid number
• formation of gray crescent
• patterning the central nervous system
• goosecoid, a homeobox gene