Tag Archives: Amphibians

Searching for heroic MHC genes in the fight against fungal takeover

Frogs have been disappearing all around the world in the past few decades. The reasons for these declines have been complex, but one of the biggest players is a nasty disease with an even nastier-sounding name: chytridiomycosis. Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis (Bd) is the … Continue reading

Posted in adaptation, association genetics, selection | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Understanding amphibian disease inside out

In the spring of 2010, I was doing amphibian surveys among a few wetlands in Eastern Kentucky that were known for their excellent diversity. As I sauntered up to a familiar study site, I was greeted with an amphibian massacre. Hundreds of … Continue reading

Posted in RNAseq, transcriptomics | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Growing the evolutionary relationship between green algae and salamanders

The presence of  green algae within the developing egg masses of amphibians has been recognized since the early 1900s, but only recently have researchers discovered that the these algae (termed “Oophila”) persist in animal tissues far after leaving the egg. The … Continue reading

Posted in Coevolution, phylogenetics, speciation | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment