This study focuses on the evolution of glass frogs, a diverse group that contains 136 species, most of which live in the tropical Andean forests. The goals of this project are to: (1) obtain a hypothesis of the evolutionary relationships of glass frogs; (2) study their origin and diversification patterns; (3) study the evolution of complex behavioral and morphological characters; (4) obtain current data on their conservation status, and (5) describe their diversity in unexplored areas. Specimens and tissues have been obtained through loans from U.S. and South American institutions, and additional samples will be collected.
Studies on amphibians are particularly critical now, because during the last 50 years, the populations of many species have declined in size and some species have become extinct. These declines/extinctions are most prevalent among Neotropical montane species. Fieldwork will determine if glass frogs have been affected by population declines and will provide information to develop conservation strategies. This study also will clarify the evolutionary relationships among glass frogs, a necessary step to understand their evolution, ecology, and biogeography. Sequences obtained will be placed in GenBank for further research on the tree of life, and results will be published in scientific journals. Fieldwork will include active participation of researchers and students from the Ecuador and Venezuela.
