Biotic inventory and evolution of the terrestrial vertebrate fauna of nuclear Central America

该项目将调查和记录中美洲核地区两栖动物、爬行动物、鸟类和小型哺乳动物动物群的生物多样性，该地区被定义为墨西哥特万特佩克地峡和尼加拉瓜洼地之间的地区。由于位于几个构造板块的交界处，该地区的地形非常不同，包括不同时代和地质成因的火山和隆起高地地区。最近对该区域许多新物种的持续报道表明，该区域的许多多样性仍有待描述。不幸的是，中美洲的这一地区遭受了广泛的森林砍伐。这一研究项目旨在产生关于物种分布和多样性的广泛数据，这些数据既可用于检验进化假说，也可用于指导该地区的保护行动。该项目是由加州大学脊椎动物博物馆、墨西哥国立自治大学、危地马拉圣卡洛斯大学、洪都拉斯萨莫拉诺泛美农业学校和尼加拉瓜国立自治大学合作完成的。该项目将包括培训一名博士后，以及对加州大学和上述四所中美洲大学的几名本科生进行培训和交流。

This project will survey and document the biodiversity of amphibian, reptile, bird and small mammal faunas in Nuclear Central America, defined as the region between the Isthmus of Tehuantepec in Mexico and the Nicaraguan depression. Due to its location at the boundary of several tectonic plates, this region is extraordinarily varied in its topography, including volcanic and uplifted highland areas of varying age and geological origin. The continuing recent reports of many new species from the region demonstrates that much of the diversity of the region remains to be described. Unfortunately, this part of Central America has suffered extensive deforestation. This research project aims to generate extensive data on species distributions and diversity that can be used both to test evolutionary hypotheses and to guide conservation actions for the region. The project is a collaboration between the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, University of California, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, the Universidad de San Carlos de Guatemala, the Zamorano Pan-American Agricultural School in Honduras, and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Nicaragua. This project will include training of a postdoctoral student, as well as training and exchange of several undergraduates from the University of California and the four Central American universities mentioned above.