A new study and lab collaboration published today in Zootaxa provides the most comprehensive genetic analysis of Harlequin frogs (genus Atelopus) to date. This critically endangered group has suffered dramatic declines, with many species facing extinction. The research, conducted by an international team of scientists led by Stefan Lötters, analyzed genetic data from 152 samples representing 104 populations across the entire geographic range of the genus. 

The study identified four major evolutionary lineages of Harlequin frogs and revealed significant cryptic diversity, meaning that species that appear similar externally may be genetically distinct. The findings have important implications for the conservation of these threatened amphibians. By improving our understanding of Harlequin frog taxonomy, researchers and conservationists can better prioritize conservation efforts and develop effective strategies to protect these unique and valuable animals. The study also describes two new species of Harlequin frogs from Departamento Loreto in Peru, Atelopus harlequin and Atelopus histrionicus, highlighting the continued importance of taxonomic research in understanding and conserving biodiversity. 

Citation: Lötters, S., P. Böning, S. Bailon, J. D. Barros Castañeda, R. Boistel , A. Catenazzi, et al. 2025. A roadmap for harlequin frog systematics, with a partial revision of Amazonian species related to Atelopus spumarius. Zootaxa 5571: 1-76. ​

Cara has been awarded the Cristina Menendez Fellowship for her work with the introduced and possibly invasive caecilians Typhlonectes natans in south Florida -- congratulations Cara! She is surveying for the presence of caecilians using eDNA from filtered water. The caecilians were first detected in 2019 in a canal near the Miami International Airport and have since been found in other canals throughout Miami. The concern is that they might become established and invade protected areas such as the Everglades, causing negative effects to the native fauna.

Alessandro participated in the Half-Earth Day during the 16th Conference of the Parties to the Convention on Biological Diversity (COP16) in Cali, Colombia on October 22. The Half-Earth Day is part of the Half-Earth project, a project by the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation with the aim of inspiring collective action to save the biosphere, the land and waters that global biodiversity depends upon. Alessandro is the current Half-Earth Chair and he gave some remarks during the opening reception at the Instituto Humboldt in Cali. 

Alessandro also visited a field site in the Choco rainforest thanks to herpetologists and students from the ICESI University in Cali. 

A new study led by lab collaborator Rudi von May presents an updated evolutionary tree for frog species in the genus Noblella, most of which live in the leaf-litter and moss layer of high-elevation montane forests and Andean grasslands.  Adult frogs in this group measure approximately half an inch or less and are not easy to find in the field. One of the species included in the study was Noble’s pygmy frog (Noblella pygmaea), the smallest frog of the Andes (inset photo).

The research team used DNA sequences of two ‘lost’ or missing species (Noblella peruviana and Noblella bagrecito) to build an evolutionary tree (also known as phylogeny), which helps better understand their shared ancestry. “The last time these frogs were seen in their natural habitats was 116 and 42 years ago, respectively,” said coauthor Alessandro Catenazzi from Florida International University. Access to these sites required trekking on steep mountain areas for several days. In one of the surveys, Catenazzi and two colleagues from Peru, M. Isabel Diaz and Alex Ttito, reached an abandoned Inca Mine in the Cordillera de Carabaya in southern Peru while another colleague, Roy Santa-Cruz surveyed montane sites in northern Peru.​

Citation: von May, R., M.I. Diaz, A. Ttito, R. Santa-Cruz, A. Catenazzi. 2024. The rediscovery of Noblella peruviana after more than 115 years helps resolve the molecular phylogeny and taxonomy of Noblella (Amphibia, Anura, Strabomantidae). Diversity 16: 613. doi: https://doi.org/10.3390/d16100613

Alessandro gave the opening plenary talk at the VI meeting of the Asociación para la Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios y Reptiles in Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca on Monday 30 September.

Gustavo passed his qualifying exams today -- congratulations!

A new study published in Communications Biology highlights the crucial role of microreserves in protecting the world’s most vulnerable vertebrate class – amphibians. As the global community strives to protect 30% of Earth’s land and sea by 2030, researchers have examined how to effectively target gaps in the existing protected area network.

The study, led by Emma Steigerwald at the University of California Berkeley, found that microreserves, defined as reserves smaller than 10 square kilometers, can play a disproportionate role in amphibian conservation. Despite their small size, microreserves can protect a significant portion of many amphibian ranges, especially threatened species. The researchers discovered that existing microreserves can host a similar level of amphibian species richness as much larger protected areas, demonstrating their effectiveness in conserving biodiversity.

“Amphibians face a multitude of threats, including habitat loss, climate change, and pollution,” said co-author Alessandro Catenazzi. “By focusing on microreserves, we can target areas that are often overlooked but can provide critical habitat for these vulnerable species.” 

Citation: Steigerwald, E.C., J. Oshiro, J. Chen, V. Vredenburg, A. Catenazzi, M. Koo. 2024. Microreserves are an important tool for amphibian conservation​. Communications Biology​ 7: 1177. https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-024-06510-0 

We are excited to announce that Gustavo Ruano Fajardo, a Ph.D. student in the Catenazzi Lab at Florida International University (FIU), has been awarded a prestigious fellowship from the WWF: the Education for Nature Fonseca Leadership Program. This competitive program, supported by the Global Environment Facility, provides financial support to emerging researchers in Latin America for graduate studies in conservation. Gustavo's research focuses on amphibian-bromeliad interactions. His work aims to explore amphibian threats posed by climate change and disease in this microhabitat, offering new insights into amphibian conservation. Congratulations, Gustavo!

Isabel Diaz attended the Applied Hierarchical Modeling workshop at the University of Michigan from July 22-26. The workshop was led by experts Ken Kellner, Marc Kéry, Andy Royle, and Josh Twining, who provided valuable tools and techniques for applying Bayesian techniques to demographic analyses. These insights will aid in studying the montane frog communities in Peru. We are excited to see the results of her work following this training.

A new study and lab contribution published today in Plos Biology offers a significant leap forward in our understanding of the world's tetrapods, a group encompassing amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. These creatures are crucial models for studying global biodiversity, but research has been hampered by incomplete and inconsistent data.

The challenge lies in the vast number of species – over 33,000 – combined with ongoing changes in how they are classified and limited standardization of data collection. This has led to missing information and potential biases in ecological and conservation studies. To address this issue, researchers led by Dr. Mario Moura developed TetrapodTraits 1.0.0, a comprehensive database that integrates information on various aspects of tetrapod biology, including: body size, activity patterns, habitat preferences, ecosystem type, threat status, geographic distribution, sensitivity to island environments, environmental preferences, and human impact.

Citation: Moura, M. R. , K. Ceron, J. J. M. Guedes, R. Chen-Zhao, Y. V. Sica, J. Hart, W. Dorman, J. M. Portmann, P. Gonzalez-del-Pliego, A. Ranipeta, A. Catenazzi, F. P. Werneck, L. F. Toledo, N. S. Upham, J. F. R. Tonini, T. J. Colston, R. Guralnick, R. C. K. Bowie, R. A. Pyron, W. Jetz. 2024. A phylogeny-informed characterization of global tetrapod traits addresses data gaps and biases. Plos Biology 22(7):  e3002658. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pbio.3002658