Abstract
Organisms rely on their senses-touch, hearing, vision, smell-to interpret their surroundings to find food, avoid predators, find mates, regulate temperatures, and follow their circadian rhythms. These complex traits are fascinating to study because they are under strong selection and give us a glimpse as to how other organisms experience the world. Frogs are compelling models for investigating the diversity and evolution of sensory systems because they have adapted to live (and sense) in a wide variety of environments, from tropical rainforests to deserts, and underground (fossorial) to tree-dwelling (arboreal). While some species are active during the day, others come out at night. Some frogs are completely aquatic and of course, many frogs have a major transition in their development as they metamorphose from an aquatic tadpole to a terrestrial adult. In this seminar I will share some of our current research combining spectral, morphological and genomic approaches to understand how frog visual systems have evolved in response to different environmental and behavioral contexts.
