The genus Brachymeles represents a unique radiation of semi-fossorial (burrowing) lizards, all but two of which are endemic to the Philippines in Southeast Asia. This radiation represents one of the best systems for studying the evolution of limb reduction and loss; body forms within the genus range from pentadactyl (five digits per limb) to externally limbless. Over the last decade, 21 new...

While new species are always being discovered, it is very uncommon to discover a completely new species of large-bodied vertebrates. Most large vertebrates have been discovered because there are so few places for them to remain hidden, with all the exploration that people and scientists have performed. Every year, there are fewer and fewer uncharted regions. Because it is so difficult for...

Researchers want to know more about the evolutionary history and achieve a greater understanding of the diversity of land vertebrates in the Philippines. Though technological and statistical tools can help with this understanding, other problems have gotten in the way and research has only recently begun to accumulate. Looking at two species of Old World tree frogs – Rhacophorus bimaculatus and Kurixalus...

We utilize robust geographical genetic sampling, a multilocus dataset, a new synthesis of numerous fossil calibration points, a time-calibrated phylogeny, and the Dispersal–Extinction–Cladogenesis model to test the prediction that widespread Southeast Asian water monitor species initially diversified on the Asian mainland and subsequently invaded the island archipelagos of the Philippines, Sundaland, and Wallacea. Our results strongly contradict these expectations and instead infer...

Aim To utilize comprehensive geographical sampling and a new, multilocus dataset to re-examine the biogeography of spotted stream frogs (Hylarana signata complex) throughout Southeast Asia. To compare patterns of diversification among stream frog populations on land-bridge islands and oceanic islands and to re-evaluate a previous ‘dual-invasion’ hypothesis for the origins of endemic Philippine taxa. Location Southeast Asia, Sundaland, and the Philippines. Methods...

Greg Jongsma – Masters Research Background The genus Hylarana is a member of the family Ranidae and part of the larger radiation called the Natatanura. Ranidae is one of few globally distributed frog families and comprises more than 350 species (Frost 2014) that exhibit a wide range morphological and ecological diversity. The genus Hylarana is unique among the members of Ranidae because its distribution...

Over the last few years we have explored the patterns and processes of morphological character evolution and species-level diversification, focusing on understanding the biogeographic and evolutionary histories of Southeast Asian amphibians and reptiles.  Biodiversity in many complex landscapes is likely affected by similar geologic events and climatic changes. We am now pursuing several broader, more comparative approaches to understanding mechanisms driving diversification, and...

Long celebrated for its spectacular landscapes and strikingly high levels of endemic biodiversity, the Philippines has been studied intensively by biogeographers for two centuries. Concentration of so many endemic land vertebrates into a small area and shared patterns of distribution in many unrelated forms has inspired a search for common mechanisms of production, partitioning, and maintenance of life in the archipelago. In...

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Approximate Bayesian computation (ABC) is rapidly gaining popularity in population genetics. One example, msBayes, infers the distribution of divergence times among pairs of taxa, allowing phylogeographers to test hypotheses about historical auses of diversification in co-distributed groups of organisms. Using msBayes, we infer the distribution of divergence times among 22 pairs of populations of vertebrates distributed across the Philippine Archipelago. Our objective...

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