Expeditions and Species Discovery in the Amazon

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Carnegie Science Center Podcast

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Jose Padial William and Ingrid Rea Assistant Curator of Amphibians and ReptilesCarnegie Museum of Natural History   Expeditions and Species Discovery in the Amazon   Follow along with the slideshow here. For centuries, the Amazon has captivated naturalists, including a Pittsburgh-based scientist who has lead expeditions to tropical forests and discovered fascinating new species of amphibians and reptiles. Dr. Jose Padial, the William and Ingrid Rea Assistant Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, will discuss “Expeditions and species discovery in the Amazon”. The Amazon has been a top destination for naturalists attracted by the diversity of life forms occurring in these forests and by the endless possibilities for discovery. Most species of birds, mammals, frogs, fishes, and invertebrates known in the world live in the tropical rainforests of the Amazon. Still, many areas of the Amazon remain poorly explored, and scientists working in these areas are discovering dozens of new species each year. Padial will explain how he organized expeditions to the tropical forests of the Andes and the Amazon in Bolivia, Peru, and Colombia that uncovered new species of amphibians and reptiles. These discoveries involved traveling to remote locations in the jungle and using scientific methods such as comparative anatomy, DNA barcoding, or bioacustics. His discoveries are helping us to understand the enormous diversity of life forms in the Amazon. Padial, the William and Ingrid Rea Assistant Curator of Amphibians and Reptiles of the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, focuses on the systematics of amphibians and reptiles. He earned his PhD and bachelor’s degree in biology at University of Granada in Spain. He also studied zoology at Ruprecht-Karls University in Heidelberg, Germany, and at Institüt für Zoologie of the Albert-Ludwigs-University in Freiburg, Germany. The video mentioned during the talk shows daily at the Carnegie Museum of Natural History's Earth Theater. It will be linked here when it becomes available in its finished form online Recorded on Monday, December 7, 2015 at Carnegie Science Center in Pittsburgh, PA.