Ecological Opportunity and Adaptive Radiation of Fanged Frogs in Southeast Asia

Explore the fascinating world of fanged frogs in Southeast Asia through this 47-minute Royal Tyrrell Museum Speaker Series talk. Delve into Dr. Ben Evans' research on the rapid speciation and remarkable evolutionary changes of these unique amphibians on the island of Sulawesi. Learn about ecological opportunity, adaptive radiation, and the diverse morphological traits that developed in fanged frogs. Discover how different ecotypes evolved in various parts of the island, including species adapted to slow-moving water and those with unique reproductive strategies such as egg-guarding and internal tadpole incubation. Compare the fanged frog radiation to other examples like Anolis lizards, and examine the phylogenetic expectations and evidence supporting the adaptive radiation hypothesis. Gain insights into the fieldwork, sampling methods, and genetic analysis used to study these frogs, as well as the broader implications for biodiversity and conservation in the region.

Intro
Ecological opportunity and adaptive radiation
What is an 'adaptive radiation ?
Anolis lizards also underwent adaptive radiation.
What is an "adaptive radiation"? • Diverse and closely related species that vary in useful trait
Frog diversity in the Philippines and Sulawesi
Fanged frogs have high morphological diversity on Sulawesi
Questions about fanged frogs
Initial fieldwork and sampling
Different ecotypes are sympatric in different parts of Sulawesi
Alternative hypothesis: Adaptive radiation
Phylogenetic expectations
Evolution of body size
Medium-sized species are found in slow moving water
Do these frogs differ in ecology?
And some fanged frogs guard eggs!
And and at least one species has internal incubation of tadpoles!
Did fanged frogs undergo an adaptive radiation?
Why did different ecotypes evolve on different
Toad samples and data
MtDNA variation in Sulawesi toads
Protected Areas on Sulawesi
Ratan extraction
Conclusions