DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Evolutionary Relationships, Biogeography, and Conservation of Glass Frogs (Anura: Centrolenidae)

这项研究的重点是玻璃蛙的进化，玻璃蛙是一个多样化的群体，包含136个物种，其中大部分生活在热带安第斯森林。该项目的目标是：(1)获得玻璃蛙进化关系的假说；(2)研究它们的起源和多样化模式；(3)研究复杂的行为和形态特征的进化；(4)获得关于它们保护状况的最新数据；以及(5)描述它们在未开发地区的多样性。标本和组织已经通过从美国和南美机构的贷款获得，并将收集更多的样本。现在对两栖动物的研究特别关键，因为在过去的50年里，许多物种的种群数量减少了，一些物种已经灭绝。这种衰退/灭绝在新热带山地物种中最为普遍。田野调查将确定玻璃蛙是否受到种群数量下降的影响，并将为制定保护策略提供信息。这项研究还将阐明玻璃蛙之间的进化关系，这是了解它们的进化、生态学和生物地理学的必要步骤。获得的序列将被放入GenBank进行进一步的生命之树研究，结果将发表在科学期刊上。实地考察将包括厄瓜多尔和委内瑞拉的研究人员和学生的积极参与。

This study focuses on the evolution of glass frogs, a diverse group that contains 136 species, most of which live in the tropical Andean forests. The goals of this project are to: (1) obtain a hypothesis of the evolutionary relationships of glass frogs; (2) study their origin and diversification patterns; (3) study the evolution of complex behavioral and morphological characters; (4) obtain current data on their conservation status, and (5) describe their diversity in unexplored areas. Specimens and tissues have been obtained through loans from U.S. and South American institutions, and additional samples will be collected.Studies on amphibians are particularly critical now, because during the last 50 years, the populations of many species have declined in size and some species have become extinct. These declines/extinctions are most prevalent among Neotropical montane species. Fieldwork will determine if glass frogs have been affected by population declines and will provide information to develop conservation strategies. This study also will clarify the evolutionary relationships among glass frogs, a necessary step to understand their evolution, ecology, and biogeography. Sequences obtained will be placed in GenBank for further research on the tree of life, and results will be published in scientific journals. Fieldwork will include active participation of researchers and students from the Ecuador and Venezuela.