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

在目前已知的大约6000种青蛙中，大多数是通过在水中产卵来繁殖的；卵孵化为蝌蚪，在水中完成发育，然后蜕变为陆地上的成虫。然而，在10个蛙科中，陆生卵绕过水生幼虫阶段，直接发育成小蛙。其中一个科，半袋蛙科，包括有袋蛙和它们的盟友。有袋蛙的生殖生物学在蛙类中是独一无二的。该OPUS项目将提供对有袋蛙及其盟友的全面综合。这项工作将综合40多年的研究，并将出版一本书。这本书将提供详细的信息，系统发育，生殖生物学，孵化蛋的进化，历史地质，进化的群体，以及一个系统的概述。大约一半的信息将在本研究中首次发表。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训练，以及对形态学特征的解释和说明。一名本科生将与PI和自然历史博物馆的教育工作者合作，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，通过融合视觉艺术，新闻和硬科学来提供极其丰富的内容。

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.