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

这篇论文增强拨款将在芝加哥大学约翰·M·贝茨博士的指导下，支持安娜·C·卡瓦瓦尔详细研究巴西东北部两种林蛙的系统地理学和种群遗传学。13个树蛙种群和10个幼蛙种群将被比较地理距离、碎片年龄和大小对当地遗传多样性水平的影响。这些研究的主要目的是通过评估线粒体和核DNA多态水平，评估天然和人为森林片断化对这些物种种群遗传学的影响。这些被研究的青蛙物种生活在大西洋雨林的碎片中，这是一种重要的植被类型，可能比我们熟悉的亚马逊森林更濒危。这项研究将阐明巴西森林的遗传多样性模式，这项研究有可能揭示该地区的历史，并为当地的保护实践提供信息。这一结果可能与保护生物学、种群遗传学和系统生物学有关。

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.