Generales

• Bioacoustics

The Frogs’s Songs

Since 2012, we started a new research program working on two different fronts. First, we are characterizing advertisement calls of Andean frogs. Second, we are implementing an automated acoustic monitoring of frogs and birds on the eastern slope of the Cordillera Central in Antioquia. We are collecting a significant amount of data that will allow us to complement our inferences on the demographic studies in the region. We are also challenged by the complexity of the data and we have an active collaboration with the Department of Electric Engineering at the Universidad de Antioquia to design and implement artificial intelligent algorithms to analyze sound data. With this research program we aim to demonstrate the benefits of passive monitoring strategies to infer the effect of human disturbances on the presence and activity of frogs and birds in the Andean ecosystems.

• Phylogeography

​As part of the MHUA specimen collection, we have been also storing amphibians and reptiles tissues for genetic research and so far we harbor one of the largest specimen-vouchered tissue collection in the country. Our research interests are to understand the patterns and processes that have led to the high diversification in the Neotropical fauna. By combining morphological and molecular data with statistical phylogenetics, historical demography methods and ecological niche modeling, we aim to uncover the complex processes of lineage diversification in the Colombian herpetofauna. We also maintain active collaboration with national and international researchers aiming to make inferences across larger spatial and taxonomic scales.

• Life history of andean anoles

​Since 1997 we have been studying the biology of Anolis mariarum in areas surrounding Medellin, quantifying microgeographic variation in its morphology, demography, and life history characteristics.  While funding for this project has come primarily from undergraduate course field trips and “auto-financed” undergraduate thesis projects, we have generated one of the few long-term demographic data sets for a species of fauna in Colombia, and have published some of the first studies on the ecology of a high elevation anole thanks to this support.

• Taxonomy and systematics

​With more than 12,000 specimens of amphibians and reptiles in our herpetological collection, we have been documenting the herpetofaunal diversity in Colombia and expanded the known distribution for many species. Currently, we are strengthening our research program in taxonomy and systematics from descriptions of new species by combining multiple sources of evidence. Thus, integrating morphological, molecular, biogeographic and bioacoustics approaches, we are inferring patterns and processes of speciation mainly in the tropical Andes. We also maintain active collaboration with several researchers and institutions throughout the country, as well with international museums.

• Demography and population projection techniques

​We are developing long-term population monitoring programs using mark-recapture data to understand the population dynamics of several neotropical species. We are interested in determining the impact of human perturbations habitat conditions on the demographic parameters of long lived, endangered and endemic species. Currently, we are focusing on freshwater turtles in the Magdalena river, one andean anole and three endemic frogs. We recently started a new project on crocodiles.

• Turtles life history

​Since 1992 we have developed a research program focusing on the quantification of the effects of nest microclimatic conditions on fitness components of neonates in turtle species with Temperature-Dependent Sex Determination (TSD), such as their sex, morphology, growth rates, and performance abilities. More recently, we have incorporated into our studies the evaluation of maternal and paternal effects on offspring phenotypes resulting from genetic, physiological, or behavioral attributes of the.

• Populations genetics of freshwater turtles

​In 2002 we obtained our first grant to conduct studies on the genetic population structure of two freshwater turtle species in northern Colombia.  Using allozyme analyses, both species were shown to exhibit little variation, with no evidence of genetic structure on a micro- and macro-geographic scale.  Our current research employs microsatellites to further inspect for evidence of population structure and conduct analyses of historical demography with these species, as well as document levels of multiple paternity in clutches in various populations.

• Patrones de desplazamiento y uso de hábitat en reptiles.

• Ecología y conservación de serpientes.