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

在今天公认的大约6000种青蛙中，大多数通过将卵存放在水中进行繁殖；卵以蝌蚪的形式孵化，蝌蚪在水中完成发育，然后蜕变为陆地成虫。然而，在10个蛙类中，陆生卵绕过了水生幼虫阶段，直接发育成小蛙。其中一个科，半裸蛙科，包括有袋类青蛙和它们的盟友。有袋类青蛙的繁殖生物学在青蛙中是独一无二的。这一OPUS项目将对有袋类青蛙及其盟友进行全面的综合。这项工作将综合40多年的研究，并将导致该书的出版。这本书将提供关于该种群的系统发育、生殖生物学、产卵进化、历史地质学和进化的详细信息，以及系统的概述。其中大约一半的信息将在这项研究中首次公布。该项目将为研究生提供跨学科生物学研究的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和教育工作者一起制作一段视频，供公众在博物馆画廊和网站(http://naturalhistory.ku.edu/).)上观看后者最近进行了改造，融合了视觉艺术、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.