Final answer:
The scientific name of the African clawed frog is Xenopus laevis, a species that has played a significant role in scientific research and the spread of chytridiomycosis due to global trade.
Step-by-step explanation:
The scientific name of the African clawed frog is Xenopus laevis. These frogs are significant in scientific research, particularly in the study of developmental biology, due to the ease of raising them in a laboratory environment and the large size of their embryos. Xenopus laevis has been a model organism that has facilitated the identification of developmental genes and proteins, some corresponding to human ones.
This species has also inadvertently contributed to the spread of a fungal disease, chytridiomycosis, caused by Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis, highlighting the complexities of biological organisms in research and the environment.