OPUS: Marsupial Frogs and Their Allies: A Successful Evolutionary Experiment in Diversification of Reproductive Modes

在今天已知的大约6000种青蛙中，大多数通过在水中产卵来繁殖;卵孵化为蝌蚪，在变成陆地成虫之前在水中完成发育。然而，在10个蛙科中，陆生卵绕过水生幼虫阶段，直接发育成幼蛙。 其中一个科，半蛙科，包括有袋类青蛙和它们的盟友。有袋类青蛙在繁殖生物学上是青蛙中独一无二的。这个OPUS项目将提供一个全面的综合有袋类青蛙和他们的盟友。这项工作将综合40多年的研究成果，并将出版一本书。这本书将提供详细的信息，对生殖，生殖生物学，进化的蛋育雏，历史地质学，和进化的集团，以及系统的概述。其中约有一半的信息将在本研究中首次公布。该项目将为研究生提供跨学科生物研究各个方面的研究培训，并解释和说明形态特征。一名本科生将与自然历史博物馆的PI和教育工作者合作，制作一个视频，供博物馆画廊和网站（http：//naturalhistory.ku.edu/）的公众观看。 后者最近经过改造，通过融合视觉艺术，新闻和硬科学提供了极其丰富的内容。

Of the approximately 6000 species of frogs recognized today, most reproduce by depositing eggs in water; the eggs hatch as tadpoles, which complete their development in water before metamorphosing into terrestrial adults. However, in 10 frog families, terrestrial eggs bypass the aquatic larval stage, developing directly into froglets. One of these families, Hemiphractidae, includes the marsupial frogs and their allies. Marsupial frogs are unique among frogs in their reproductive biology. This OPUS project will provide a comprehensive synthesis on the marsupial frogs and their allies. The work will synthesize over 40 years of research, and will result in the publication of book. The book will provide detailed information on the phylogeny, reproductive biology, evolution of egg-brooding, historical geology, and evolution of the group, as well as a systematic overview. About half of this information will be published for the first time in this study. The project will provide research training for graduate students in various facets of interdisciplinary biological research, and interpreting and illustrating morphological features. An undergraduate student will work with the PI and educators at the Natural History Museum in producing a video for public viewing in the Museum gallery and web site (http://naturalhistory.ku.edu/). The latter recently has been revamped to provide extremely rich content by fusing the visual arts, journalism and hard science.