Search for: All records

Natural history collections are important resources for research and conservation. Unfortunately, sometimes certain taxa can be hard to identify to the species level or can be misidentified, impacting how those specimens and their accompanying data are used for future research and conservation. African tree frogs (Family Arthroleptidae, Genus Leptopelis) are a group of big-eyed tree frogs found across Sub-Saharan Africa. While they have morphological differences that can help tell members of the genus apart, when in the field species can look similar to each other which gives rise to them being misidentified or unidentified in collections. In particular, Leptopelis exhibit extensive intraspecific variation in coloration and pattern that makes identification based solely on morphology challenging. The goal of this project is to use DNA barcoding of the 16s mtDNA gene and morphological characteristics to update the identification of “Leptopelis sp.” specimens that are part of the California Academy of Science’s Herpetology collection to the species level. By comparing the genetic and morphological data collected to identified reference specimens in the Academy’s collection we can confirm species identification and update the Academy’s database. Having the opportunity to identify species in natural history collections using both genetic and morphological analysis helps us better understand what species are found in an area, and can reveal new localities and range expansions of poorly known species. These data serve as an important baseline for monitoring how species are adapting to global change and enable future research on these poorly known, charismatic frogs.