U.S.-Brazil Dissertation Enhancement Research: Phylogeography of Proceratophrys Boiei and Hyla Geographica (Amphibia, Anura) in Rainforest Fragments of Northeastern Brazil

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This dissertation enhancement grant will support Ana C. Carnaval under the direction of Dr. John M. Bates of the University of Chicago, for a detailed study of phylogeography and population genetics of two species of forest frogs in northeastern Brazil. Thirteen populations of tree frog and ten of the litter frog will be compared for the effects of geographic distance, fragment age, and size on local levels of genetic diversity. The main goal of these studies is to assess the impact of natural and human-made forest fragmentation on the population genetics of these species, by assessing levels of mitochondrial and nuclear DNA polymorphisms. These frog species being examined inhabit fragments of Atlantic rainforest, an important vegetational type that may be more endangered than the familiar Amazonian forest. The study will elucidate patterns of genetic diversity in Brazilian forests, and the research has the potential to shed light on the history of this region and inform local conservation practices. The results likely will have relevance to conservation biology, population genetics, and systematic biology.