New paper: Patterns and rates of diversification in Pristimantis leaf litter frogs

New paper, in press with Systematics and Biodiversity
"Hierarchies of evolutionary radiation in the world’s most species rich vertebrate group, the Neotropical Pristimantis leaf litter frogs"
Emily Waddell & Marco Crotti, Stephen C Lougheed, David Cannatella, Kathryn R Elmer

In this paper we add a number of new specimens to the mix in this highly diverse yet deeply cryptic group of frogs. Using molecular techniques we show that several of these are new species and we also contribute new diversity to known species. We then analyse the rate and pattern of evolution across the entire phylogeny. We suggest that these 'higher evolutionarily significant units' might be a useful way of grouping and investigating diversification patterns in these famously diverse species.

This was part of Emily's MRes project which she conducted in our group. In fact this project started as part of my PhD work, then was added to in later research with Dave Cannatella and the Amphibian Tree of Life project, and then finally more genes added and analyses updated by Glasgow masters students Emily Waddell and Marco Crotti. Well done team!





Some of those frogs were hard earned! Here's an image from a collecting party out for several days, in the rain,  in the upper Amazon of Ecuador ...


But other conditions were much more civilised. Here is how we processed frogs in style rather than in rain.



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