Evolutionary Biology of Caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)

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Investigation of the biology of a lineage of amphibians, the Order Gymnophiona or caecilians, will provide information important to understanding 1) their structure and function, 2) their relationships to each other, to other amphibians, and to other vertebrates, and 3) patterns of evolution and adaptation in animals that have modified bodies, and patterns of evolution in general. The study will integrate developmental, functional, and structural biology in a multi-disciplinary approach using a diversity of research techniques. These tropical amphibians live in habitats that are fast disappearing, so their study will provide information on their ecological relationships and especially their contribution to the biodiversity of the world.