Recent investigations into the species diversity of false geckos (genus Pseudogekko Taylor) have revealed several cryptic species, highlighting the need for a more thorough understanding of diversity within this enigmatic genus of endemic Philippine geckos. Newly available genetic data reveal that two of the four currently recognized species are complexes of mul- tiple deeply divergent evolutionary lineages. In this paper we evaluate...

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On my first blog, I mentioned how I appreciated support and fun from my colleagues to me, here at Sam Noble Museum, and how this Fulbright experience could change my outlook in life, especially at work, back to Mindanao, southern Philippines. I was very excited to think about working back at home, and I still am, in spite of the recent incident...

Gecko lizards in the Philippines are quite diverse covering multiple genera, body types, and sizes, yet much of that diversity has gone undocumented.  Pseudogekko is an example of a little known Philippine endemic genus, with only four representative species.  Recent field surveys by Dr. Siler and colleagues have resulted in new  data indicating that these four species should be split into multiple others, based...

Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) With the generous support of the Office of the Vice President of Research, the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program offers financial assistance for scholarly and creative projects under the mentorship of a faculty member.  Dozens of research projects are funded each year so that undergraduates may undertake ambitious and exciting research endeavors. This competitive program is open to...

The Philippines is home to a remarkable number of species of amphibians and reptiles. This amazing diversity is often due to the complex geological history of this archipelago with islands cyclically being isolated and then reconnected, as sea levels would fluctuate. One group of reptiles with a remarkable amount of morphological and genetic diversity is the Philippine Slender Skinks of the genus...

Recent phylogenetic analysis of false geckos, genus Pseudogekko, revealed unrecognized diversity within these exceedingly rare and enigmatic Philippine forest geckos. Newly available genetic datasets revealed that two of the four currently recognized species are complexes of multiple, deeply divergent evolutionary lineages. In this paper we evaluate species diversity in the Pseudogekko compresicorpus Complex and describe three new species in this unique clade of endemic Philippine...

Lasting thoughts Overall, my summer expedition to the eastern Philippines reinforced my strong believe that it is imperative for the research and conservation communities to emphasize the importance of the Philippine rainforest to such an amazing diversity of life. As reported by Conservation International, “this country is one of the few nations that is, in its entirety, both a biodiversity hotspot and...

The prestigious Fulbright program sponsors a series of Enrichment Seminars to Fulbright scholars in the United States, sponsored by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. I was selected as one of the 75 participants from 44 different countries to the first of the four series of seminars at St. Petersburg and Tampa Bay Area in Florida last...

They all come out at night… In a tropical region, the lush jungle, hot and humid climate, and high volume of rain usually make for the most productive herpetological field surveys, or the best “herping” (searching for reptiles and amphibians). Some people go fishing in their free time, but us “crazy” amphibian and reptile people go herpin’. And some times, as in...

Upon researching what “Boomer Sooner” actually means, my mind wondered how boomers and sooners have actually made their way settling in and after, during the “Land Run of 1889.” This was the period when settlers could claim 160 acres of public land by way of a race, to claim that land. A boomer is a settler during that time who believed that...