Why are tropical mountains unique? Herpetological inventories and evolutionary biogeography in the montane Brazilian Atlantic forests

栖息地的转变和气候变化的加速对山区构成了前所未有的威胁，导致人们对这些地区生物多样性的关注日益增加。由于热带山地两栖动物和爬行动物的热生态位狭窄，它们特别容易受到环境变化的影响。因此，研究造成山区物种多样化和持久性的机制势在必行。该项目将研究巴西大西洋森林中的15种蜥蜴和玻璃蛙，以验证地形复杂性和气候稳定性是山区多样化和种群持久性的原因这一假设。该项目结合了13个研究较少的地点的清单、基于气候的物种分布模型、DNA测序提供的分子研究和生理分析。了解热带山区特有的过程将促进生物多样性模式的研究，并有助于全球生物多样性的预测。野外和实验室数据将有助于重新评估物种边界，识别新物种和形态上的神秘谱系。生理数据将直接为面临气候相关灭绝风险的分类群的保护提供信息。该项目将每年为三名本科生、一名研究生和一名博士后提供教育和研究机会，在少数民族服务的城市校园中，显著增加弱势群体和贫困学生接触跨学科、协作、实地工作的机会。

Habitat conversion and accelerated climate change pose an unprecedented threat to montane regions, leading to increased concern for biodiversity in these areas. Given their narrow thermal niches, tropical montane amphibians and reptiles are particularly vulnerable to environmental change. Investigating the mechanisms responsible for diversification and species persistence in mountains is therefore imperative. This project will study 15 species of lizards and glassfrogs in the Brazilian Atlantic forest to test the hypothesis that topographic complexity and climatic stability are responsible for diversification and population persistence in montane regions. The project combines inventories in 13 poorly-studied sites, climate-based models of species distributions, molecular studies afforded by DNA sequencing, and physiological assays.Understanding the processes that underlie endemism in tropical mountains will advance studies of biodiversity patterns and contribute to biodiversity prediction worldwide. Field and laboratory data will enable reassessments of species boundaries, identifying new species and morphologically cryptic lineages. Physiological data will directly inform conservation of taxa under risk of climate-related extinction. This project will provide educational and research opportunities for three undergraduates per year, one graduate student, and one postdoctoral associate in a minority-serving urban campus, significantly increasing exposure of underrepresented and underprivileged students to trans-disciplinary, collaborative, field-based work.