Abstract
Madagascar, the world’s oldest and fourth-largest island, hosts one of the most unique and biodiverse faunas in the world. In few groups is this more apparent than its reptiles and amphibians; this micro-continent hosts 4% of all described reptiles and amphibians on just 0.4% of the world’s land surface area. From the beautiful chameleons to the secretive snakes, from vivid poison frogs to the curious marbled toadlets, Madagascar is full of surprises. Amongst this bewilderingly diverse fauna are some of the smallest species of tetrapods on the planet. In the last 30 years, research in Madagascar’s dwindling rainforests has turned up dozens of new miniaturised vertebrates that have set and reset new records for small body size. Each discovery brings with it an opportunity to learn something new about what it means for a vertebrate to be this small; why they might be evolving such miniaturised body sizes; and why they aren’t getting even smaller. In this talk, I will take you along on our research expeditions to some remote rainforests in Madagascar. You will learn how we have discovered and described these minuscule reptiles and amphibians, why they have been overlooked for so long, and the ways our understanding has shifted as we start paying attention to the world’s smallest tetrapods.
About Dr Mark Scherz
Dr Scherz is the curator of herpetology at the Natural History Museum of Denmark and associate professor of vertebrate biology at the University of Copenhagen. His research is focused on gigantic pseudo-insular systems (eg, Madagascar and African lakes) and the origin and maintenance of diversity in these systems. His research interests span macroevolution, convergent evolution, bio- and phylogeography, speciation, and systematics.
More information
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