background image for sidebar

Andrew J. Crawford


Associate Professor
Department of Biological Sciences
Universidad de los Andes, Colombia


Contact:
Department of Biological Sciences
Universidad de los Andes


Colombia, South America
tel.
Email:
Twitter:

My ORCiD ID.
My Google Scholar page.
My Research Gate home page.
My Impactstory page.

Academic Positions

Associate Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. July, 2011 - present.

Director, Natural History Museum ANDES, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. June, 2012 - February, 2017.

Research Associate, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama City, Republic of Panama. August 2010 - 2016.

Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. April 2009 - June 2011.

Fulbright Scholar, Council for International Exchange of Scholars, and Visiting Professor at the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. January - November, 2006.

Elected Position

Council Member:
American Genetics Association. 2017 - 2019 (non-rewable).

Post-doctoral Positions

STRI postdoctoral researcher and coordinator of vertebrate field inventories, Naos Molecular Laboratories, STRI, Republic of Panama. 2007-2009.

Smithsonian Institution Postdoctoral Molecular Evolution Fellowship. STRI. Advisor: Eldredge "Biff" Bermingham. July 2003 - July 2005.

NSF International Programs Postdoctoral Fellow, STRI and Universidad de Costa Rica. Advisors: Biff Bermingham and Federico Bolaños. May 2001 - April 2003.

Biology of Small Populations RTG Postdoctoral Fellow, National Zoological Park, Smithsonian Institution and University of Maryland at College Park. Advisor: Robert Fleischer. January - May, 2001 (awarded 2 years, accepted 0.5).

Degrees

PhD, Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, December 2000. Advisor: Marty Kreitman.
Master of Science, Evolutionary Biology, University of Chicago, August 1997. Advisors: Stevan J. Arnold & Michael J. Wade.
Bachelor of Arts, Zoology, University of California, Berkeley, May 1992. Advisor: David B. Wake.
Bachelor of Arts, German, University of California, Berkeley, May 1992.
(* Academic genealogy online.)

Publications in Evolutionary Genetics and Biodiversity

Barrientos LS*, Streicher JW, Miller EC, Pie MR, Wiens JJ, Crawford AJ (submitted) Untangling relationships among terraranan frogs: a phylogenomic approach based on 2,665 loci. Target: Scientific Reports.

Herrera-Álvarez S*, Karlsson E, Ryder OA, Lindblad-Toh K, Crawford AJ (in prep.) How to make a rodent giant: Genetic basis and genomic tradeoffs of gigantism in the capybara, the world's largest rodent. Target: Genome Research. Pre-print available in BioRxiv. Nice write-up at Nat Geo.

Paz A*, González A*, Crawford AJ (in revision) Testing effects of Pleistocene climate change on the altitudinal and horizontal distributions of frogs from the Colombian Andes: a species distribution modeling approach. Target: Frontiers in Biogeography.

Revell LJ, González-Valenzuela LE, Alfonso A, Castellanos-García LA, Guarnizo CE, Crawford AJ (2018) Comparing evolutionary rates between trees, clades, & traits. Methods in Ecology & Evolution 9, 994-1005. online early PDF. DOI:10.1111/2041-210X.12977

Cruz-Piedrahita C, Navas C, Crawford AJ (2018) Life on the edge: a comparative study of eco-physiological adaptations of frogs to tropical semiarid environments. Physiological and Biochemical Zoology 91, 740-756. PDF. DOI:10.1086/695705
Data online via Dryad at DOI:10.5061/dryad.jm838

Streicher JW, Miller EC, Guerrero PC, Correa C, Ortiz JC, Crawford AJ, Pie MR, Wiens JJ (2018) Evaluating methods for improving phylogenomic analyses, and a new phylogeny for a major frog clade (Hyloidea). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 119, 128-143. PDF. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2017.10.013

Bacon CD, Molnar P, Antonelli A, Crawford AJ, Montes C, and Vallejo-Pareja MC (2016) Quaternary glaciation and the Great American Biotic Interchange. Geology 44, 375-378. PDF. DOI:10.1130/G37624.1 .

Dueñas LF, Tracey D, Crawford AJ , Wilke T, Alderslade P, Sánchez JA (2016) The Antarctic Circumpolar Current as a diversification trigger for deep-sea octocorals. BMC Evolutionary Biology 16, 1-17. PDF. DOI:10.1186/s12862-015-0574-z
Story featured in largest Colombian newspaper, El Tiempo.

Pinto-Sánchez NR, Calderón-Espinosa ML, Miralles A, Crawford AJ, Ramírez-Pinilla MP (2015) Molecular phylogenetics and biogeography of the Neotropical skink genus Mabuya Fitzinger (Squamata: Scincidae) with emphasis on Colombian populations. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 93, 188-211. PDF. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2015.07.016 Twitter stats. .

Paz A, Ibáñez R, Lips KR, Crawford AJ (2015) Testing the role of ecology and life history in structuring genetic variation across a landscape: A trait-based phylogeographic approach. Molecular Ecology 24, 3723-3737. PDF. DOI:10.1111/mec.13275. Data online via Dryad at DOI:10.5061/dryad.t430k . Altmetric score.

Guarnizo CE, Paz A, Muñoz-Ortiz A, Flechas SV, Méndez-Narváez J, Crawford AJ (2015) DNA barcoding survey of anurans across the Eastern Cordillera of Colombia and the impact of the Andes on cryptic diversity. PLoS ONE 10, e0127312. PDF with SOM at DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0127312. Data online via Dryad at DOI:10.5061/dryad.k4q1q

Koepfli K-P, Paten B, Antunes A, Belov K, Bustamante C, Castoe TA, Clawson H, Crawford AJ, Diekhans M, Distel D, Durbin R, Earl D, Fujita MK, Gamble T, Georges A, Gemmell N, Gilbert MTP, Graves JM, Green RE, Hickey G, Jarvis E, Johnson W, Komissarov A, Korf I, Kuhn R, Larkin DM, Lewin H, Lopez JV, Ma J, Marques-Bonet T, Miller W, Murphy RW, Pevzner P, Shapiro B, Steiner C, Tamazian G, Venkatesh B, Wang J, Wayne R, Wiley E, Yang H, Zhang G, Haussler H, Ryder O, O'Brien SJ (2015) The Genome 10K Project - A Way Forward. Annual Review of Animal Biosciences 3, 57-111. PDF. DOI:10.1146/annurev-animal-090414-014900 Altmetric score.

Muñoz-Ortiz A, Velásquez-Álvarez AA, Guarnizo CE, Crawford AJ (2015) Of peaks and valleys: testing the roles of orogeny and habitat heterogeneity in driving allopatry in mid-elevation frogs (Aromobatidae: Rheobates) of the northern Andes. Journal of Biogeography, PDF with SOM. DOI:10.1111/jbi.12409 .

Gehara M, Crawford AJ, Orrico VGD, Rodríguez A, Lötters S, Fouquet A, Barrientos LS, Brusquetti L, De la Riva I, Ernst R, Urrutia GG, Glaw F, Guayasamin JM, Hölting M, Jansen M, Kok PJR, Kwet A, Lingnau R, Lyra M, Moravec J, Pombal Jr. J, Rojas-Runjaic FJM, Schulze A, Señaris JC, Solé M, Rodrigues MT, Twomey E, Haddad CFB, Vences M, Köhler J (2014) High levels of diversity uncovered in a widespread nominal taxon: continental phylogeography of the Neotropical tree frog Dendropsophus minutus. PLoS ONE 9, e103958. PDF. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0103958 Reached top 10% most cited PLoS ONE articles, as of June 2017.

Pinto-Sánchez NR, Crawford AJ, Wiens JJ (2014) Using historical biogeography to test for community saturation. Ecology Letters 17, 1077-1085. PDF. All supplementary tables and figures in one combined SOM PDF. DOI:10.1111/ele.12310 .

Crawford AJ, Cruz C, Griffith E, Ross H, Ibáñez R, Lips KR, Driskell AC, Bermingham E, Crump R (2013) DNA barcoding applied to ex situ tropical amphibian conservation program reveals cryptic diversity in captive populations. Molecular Ecology Resources 13, 1005-1018. PDF with SOM. DOI:10.1111/1755-0998.12054
Popular press coverage in English (Science Daily) and Spanish (Panama's La Estrella newspaper). .

Murphy RW, Crawford AJ, Bauer AM, Che J, Donnellan SC, Fritz U, Haddad CFB, Nagy ZT, Poyarkov NA, Vences M, Wang W-z, Zhang Y-p (2013) Cold Code: the global initiative to DNA barcode amphibians and nonavian reptiles. Molecular Ecology Resources 13, 161-167. PDF. DOI:10.1111/1755-0998.12050 .

García-R JC, Crawford AJ, Mendoza Á, Ospina O, Cardenas H, Castro F (2012) Comparative phylogeography of direct-developing frogs (Anura: Craugastoridae: Pristimantis) in the southern Andes of Colombia. PLoS ONE 7, e46077. Online. PDF. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0046077 .

Paz A, Crawford AJ (2012) Molecular-based rapid inventories of sympatric diversity: A comparison of DNA barcode clustering methods applied to geography-based vs. clade-based sampling of amphibians. Invited submission to Journal of Biosciences 37, 887-896. PDF. Supplementary Tables S1-S4. . DOI:10.1007/s12038-012-9255-x

Pinto-Sánchez NR, Ibáñez R, Madriñán S, Sanjur OI, Bermingham E, Crawford AJ (2012) The Great American Biotic Interchange in frogs: Multiple and early colonization of Central America by the South American genus Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62, 954-972. PDF. Supplementary Tables S1 & S2. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2011.11.022 .

Alonso R, Crawford AJ, Bermingham E (2012) Molecular phylogeny of an endemic radiation of Cuban toads (Bufonidae: Peltophryne) based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes. Journal of Biogeography 39, 434-451. PDF. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2699.2011.02594.x .

Milián-García Y, Venegas-Anaya M, Frias-Soler R, Crawford AJ, Ramos-Targarona R, Rodríguez-Soberón R, Alonso-Tabet M, Thorbjarnarson J, Sanjur O, Espinosa-López G, Bermingham E (2011) Evolutionary history of Cuban crocodiles Crocodylus rhombifer and C. acutus inferred from multilocus markers. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology 315, 358-375. PDF. DOI:10.1002/jez.683 .
Featured at e.g. Science Daily and WLRN | Miami Herald News interview with me, among other outlets.

Crawford AJ, Lips KR, Bermingham E (2010) Epidemic disease decimates amphibian abundance, species diversity, and evolutionary history in the highlands of central Panama. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences USA 107, 13777-13782. PDF. I added the 3 supplementary tables into this new single Supplementary info PDF. DOI:10.1073/pnas.0914115107 Data matrix available on TreeBASE via this URI. .
This paper was featured in original reporting by Nature, Wired, BBC News online, The Independent, NSF, National Geographic News, and was picked up at Current Biology, MSNBC, UPI, ScientificAmerican.com, EurekAlert, PhysOrg.com, , Mongabay.com, Science Daily, Song Shu Hui.net, Planeta Azul, Daily News & Analysis (DNA) India, Tehran Times, Popular Mechanics South Africa, und auch vor der Süddeutsche Zeitung, und dem Spektrum der Wissenschaft, among others.

Haussler D, O'Brien SJ, Ryder OA, Barker FK, Clamp M, Crawford AJ, Hanner R, Hanotte OH, Johnson W, McGuire J, Miller W, Murphy RW, Murphy WJ, Sheldon FH, Sinervo B, Venkatesh B, Wiley EO, Allendorf FW, Baker S, Bernardi G, Brenner S, Cracraft J, Diekhans M, Edwards S, Estes J, Gaubert P, Graphodatsky A, Marshall Graves JA, Green ED, Hebert P, Helgen KM, Kessing B, Kingsley DM, Lewin HA, Luikart G, Martelli P, Nguyen N, Orti G, Pike BL, Rawson DM, Schuster SC, Seuánez HN, Shaffer HB, Springer MS, Stuart JM, Teeling E, Vrijenhoek RC, Ward RD, Wayne R, Williams TM, Wolfe ND, Zhang Y-P (2009) A proposal to obtain whole-genome sequence for 10 000 vertebrate species. Journal of Heredity 100, 659-674. Online, PDF. DOI:10.1093/jhered/esp086
Featured at Nature, Science, among others. .

Streicher JW, Crawford AJ, Edwards CW (2009) Multilocus molecular phylogenetic analysis of the montane Craugastor podiciferus species complex (Anura: Craugastoridae) in Isthmian Central America. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53, 620-630. PDF. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2009.07.011 . Featured geophylogeny dataset at iPhylo.

Amézquita A, Lima AP, Jehle R, Castellanos L, Ramos Ó, Crawford AJ, Gasser H, Hödl W (2009) Calls, colours, shapes, and genes: A multi-trait approach to the study of geographic variation in the Amazonian frog, Allobates femoralis. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society 98, 826-838. PDF. DOI:10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01324.x .

Venegas-Anaya M, Crawford AJ, Escobedo A, Bermingham E, Densmore L (2008) Mitochondrial DNA phylogeography of Caiman crocodilus in Central and South America. Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology, (special volume for the 3rd International Workshop on Crocodylian Genetics and Genomics) 309A, 1-14. PDF. DOI:10.1002/jez.502 .

Wang IJ, Crawford AJ, Bermingham E (2008) Phylogeography of the Pygmy Rain Frog (Pristimantis ridens) across the lowland tropical forests of Isthmian Central America. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 47, 992-1004. PDF. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2008.02.021 . Featured GenBank/GBIF dataset at iPhylo. Reanalyzed by Church et al. (2015).

Crawford AJ, Bermingham E, and Polanía C (2007) The role of tropical dry forest as a long-term barrier to dispersal: A comparative phylogeographic analysis of dry forest tolerant and intolerant frogs. Molecular Ecology 16, 4789-4807. PDF. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2007.03524.x .

Weigt LA, Crawford AJ, Rand AS, Ryan MJ (2005) Biogeography of the túngara frog, Physalaemus pustulosus: a molecular perspective. Molecular Ecology 14: 3857-3875. PDF. The mitochondrial DNA sequence data set for the COI gene is available for download here. DOI:10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02707.x .

Crawford AJ, Smith EN (2005) Cenozoic biogeography and evolution in direct-developing frogs of Central America (Leptodactylidae: Eleutherodactylus) as inferred from a phylogenetic analysis of nuclear and mitochondrial genes. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 35: 536-555. PDF. DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2005.03.006 The complete and annotated alignment is available from TreeBASE. .

Crawford AJ (2003b) Relative rates of nucleotide substitution in frogs. Journal of Molecular Evolution 57: 636-641. PDF. DOI:10.1007/s00239-003-2513-7 .

Crawford AJ (2003a) Huge populations and old species of Costa Rican and Panamanian dirt frogs inferred from mitochondrial and nuclear gene sequences. Molecular Ecology 12: 2525-2540. PDF. DOI:10.1046/j.1365-294X.2003.01910.x .

Book Chapters

Funk WC, Zamudio KR, Crawford AJ (2019) Advancing understanding of amphibian evolution, ecology, behavior, and conservation with massively-parallel sequencing. Pp. nn-nn in Hohenlohe P, Rajora O (eds.) Population Genomics: Wildlife. Springer Nature, Berlin. chapter pre-print. DOI:10.1007/13836_2018_61

Antonelli A, Quijada-Mascareñas A, Crawford AJ, Bates JM, Velazco PM, Wüster W (2010). Molecular studies and phylogeography of Amazonian tetrapods and their relation to geological and climatic models. Pp. 386-404 in Hoorn C, Vonhof H, Wesselingh F (eds.) Amazonia, Landscape and Species Evolution: a Look into the Past. Wiley-Blackwell, Oxford, UK. ISBN: . PDF of chapter 24. .

Vonesh JR, Mitchell JC, Howell K, Crawford AJ (2009) Rapid assessments of amphibian diversity. Pp. 263-280 in Dodd CK (ed.) Amphibian Ecology and Conservation, A Handbook of Techniques. Oxford University Press, Oxford, UK. ISBN13: . PDF of chapter 15.

Publications and Notes in Amphibian Systematics, Natural History and Conservation

Puschendorf R, Wallace M, Chavarría MM, Crawford AJ, Wynne F, Knight M, Janzen D, Hallwachs W, Price SJ (in review) Cryptic diversity and ranavirus infection of a critically endangered Neotropical frog before and after its population collapse. Target: Animal Conservation.

Flechas SV, Paz A, Crawford AJ, Sarmiento C, Acevedo AA, Arboleda A, Bolívar-G. W, Echeverry-Sandoval CL, Franco R, Mojica C, Muñoz A, Palacios-Rodríguez P, Posso-Terranova AM, Paulina Quintero-Marín P, Rueda-Solano LA, Castro-H F, Amézquita A (2017) Current and predicted distribution of the pathogenic fungus Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis in Colombia, a hotspot of amphibian biodiversity. Biotropica online early. DOI:10.1111/btp.12457

Ibáñez R, Griffith EJ, Lips KR, Crawford AJ (2017) Altitudinal distribution and advertisement call of Colostethus latinasus (Amphibia: Dendrobatidae), endemic species from eastern Panama and type species of Colostethus, with a molecular assessment of similar sympatric species. Zootaxa 4254, 91-101. PDF. Open access here. DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4254.1.5

Arias E, Chaves G, Crawford AJ, Parra-Olea G (2016) A new species of the Craugastor podiciferus Species Group (Anura: Craugastoridae) from premontane habitats near the Costa Rica-Panama border. Zootaxa 4132, 347-363. PDF. DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.4132.3.3

Rivera-Correa M, Lamadrid-Feris F, Crawford AJ (2016) A new small golden frog of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Craugastoridae) from Andean cloud forest of Colombia. Amphibia-Reptilia 37, 153-166. online early PDF plus SOM. DOI:10.1163/15685381-00003037
Featured in the popular press and social media, e.g., National Geographic Spain, Science Daily, Reptiles Magazine, Times of India, Science Newsline, Science, Space & Robots, Colombia's leading weekly magazine Semana, and the Newsletter of the Society for Research on Amphibians and Reptiles in New Zealand, among others. Altmetric donut for this publication:


Gratwicke B, Ross H, Batista A, Chaves G, Crawford AJ, Elizondo L, Estrada A, Evans M, Garelle D, Guerrel J, Hertz A, Hughey MC, Jaramillo C, Klocke B, Mandica M, Medina D, Richards-Zawacki C, Ryan MJ, Sosa-Bartuano A, Voyles J, Walker B, Woodhams D, Ibáñez R (2015) Evaluating the probability of avoiding disease-related extinctions of Panamanian amphibians through captive-breeding programs. Animal Conservation 19, 324-336. PDF. DOI:10.1111/acv.12249

Batista A, Jaramillo C, Ponce M, Crawford AJ (2014) A new species of Andinobates (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatidae) from west central Panama. Zootaxa 3866, 333-352. PDF. DOI:10.11646/zootaxa.3866.3.2
Featured at newspapers and blogs around the world, including e.g. National Geographic, Scientific American, International Business Times, Science Daily, Phys.Org, Canada Journal, China Topix, La Prensa in Panama, El Espectador in Colombia, Xa Luan in Viet Nam, Der Tagesspiegel in Germany, Lenta in Russia, Eco News in Greece, among others. Altmetric donut for this publication:


Flechas SV, Medina E, Crawford AJ, Sarmiento C, Cárdenas M, Amézquita A, Restrepo S (2013) Characterization of the first Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis isolate from the Colombian Andes, an amphibian biodiversity hotspot. EcoHealth 10, 72-76. PDF. DOI:10.1007/s10393-013-0823-9

Crawford AJ, Alonso R, Jaramillo C, Sucre S, Ibáñez R (2011) DNA barcoding identifies a third invasive species of Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Eleutherodactylidae) in Panama City, Panama. Zootaxa 2890, 65-67. PDF. .

Crawford AJ, Ryan M, Jaramillo C (2010) A new species of Pristimantis (Anura: Strabomantidae) from the Pacific coast of the Darien Province, Panama, with a molecular analysis of its phylogenetic position. Herpetologica 66: 192-206. PDF.
Among the most accessed papers at Herpetologica in 2010, and featured at e.g. Christian Science Monitor, Science Daily, Discovery/Animal Planet online, Mongabay.com, BiologyNews.Net, and even KidsParty in Japanese, which I can't read but it seems to be filed under "Out of Whack Planeta..". .

Jaramillo C, Crawford AJ, Ibáñez R (2009) Geographic Distribution. Incilius melanochlorus (Wet Forest Toad): First record for Panama. Herpetological Review 40: 108. PDF.

Crawford AJ (2007) Chiasmocleis panamensis (Panama humming frog) Predation. Herpetological Review 38: 181.

Puschendorf R, Chaves G, Crawford AJ, Brooks DR (2005) Eleutherodactylus ranoides (NCN): dry forest population, refuge from decline? Herpetological Review 36: 53. PDF. .

Ibáñez R, Crawford AJ (2004) A new species of Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) from the Darien province of Panama. Journal of Herpetology, 38: 240-244. PDF. .

Crawford AJ, Toral E, Bolanos F (2003) Geographic distribution. Leptodactylus poecilochilus. Herpetological Review 34: 258-259.

Puschendorf R, Crawford AJ (2003) Eleutherodactylus stejnegerianus. Urban habitat. Herpetological Review 34: 230.

Reviews and guides, in Spanish

Crawford AJ Paz A (2017) Anfibios. Pp. 23-24 in González MA, Arenas-Castro H (eds.) Recolección de Tejidos Biológicos para Análisis Genéticos [Collecting Biological Tissues for Genetic Analyses]. Instituto de Investigación de Recursos Biológicos Alexander von Humboldt. Bogotá, D.C., Colombia. 33 pp. PDF.

Paz A, González M, Crawford AJ (2011) Códigos de Barras de la Vida: Introducción y perspectiva DNA Barcode of Life: An introduction and perspective (Invited review). Acta Biológica Colombiana 16, 161-176. PDF.

Urbina-Cardona JN, Burrowes PA, Osorno M, Crawford AJ, Velasco JA, Flechas SV, Vargas-Salinas F, Luna-Mora VF, Navas CA, Guayara-Barragán M, Castro-Herrera F, Bolivar-G W, Gutiérrez-Cárdenas PDA (2011) Prioridades en la conservación de anfibios ante su crisis global: Hacia la construcción del Plan de Acción para la Conservación de los anfibios de Colombia. Pp. 10-19 in Asociación Colombiana de Zoología (ed.) Creando un Clima para el Cambio: La Biodiversidad, Servicios para la Humanidad. III Congreso Colombiano de Zoología, Libro de memorias. Asociación Colombiana de Zoología, Medellín, Antioquia. PDF.

Publications in Evolutionary Morphology

Crawford AJ, Wake DB (1998) Phylogenetic and evolutionary perspectives on an enigmatic organ: the balancer of larval caudate amphibians. Zoology 101: 107-123. PDF. .

Shubin N, Wake DB, Crawford AJ (1995) Morphological variation in the limbs of Taricha granulosa (Caudata: Salamandridae): evolutionary and phylogenetic implications. Evolution 49: 874-884. PDF. .

Publications: Popular science and outreach

Buitrago Z, Herrera-Álvarez S*, Crawford AJ (2018) Secretos de un Gigante: Aprendamos acerca de los Chigüiros. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá, Colombia. ISBN: (A booklet on capybaras, written for all ages, created in collaboration with SELVA. Download PDF here. )

Summary of new frog species described

Pristimantis pirrensis (Ibáñez and Crawford, 2004)
Pristimantis adnus Crawford, Ryan, and Jaramillo, 2010
Andinobates geminisae Batista, Jaramillo, Ponce, and Crawford, 2014
Pristimantis dorado Rivera-Correa, Lamadrid-Feris, and Crawford, 2016
Craugastor gabbi Arias, Chaves, Crawford, and Parra-Olea, 2016

Short courses in Phylogeography and more recently Comparative Methods.

Co-organizer for: Intensive short course on phylogenetic comparative methods in R, with lead instructors Liam Revell and Luke Harmon, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. July 8-11, 2014.

Co-instructor (with Ivania Cerón) of 1 -week intensive course: Filogeografía: Análisis de datos de secuencias de ADN y microsatélites, sponsored by Posgrado en Ciencias - Biología de la Univesidad del Valle, Santiago de Cali, Colombia. June 22-27, 2009. See course webpage.

Lead Instructor and Organizer of 1-week intensive course in Cuba called Filogeografía: genética evolutiva espacial, hosted by the Centro de Investigaciones Marinas de la Universidad de La Habana and the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute. Additional instructors included Professor Georgina Espinosa López, Dr. Harilaos Lessios, Miriam Venegas, and Oscar Puebla. December 2006. See Course webpage.

Taught semester-long version of Filogeografía during my Fulbright Scholarship at the Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. 2006. See Course webpage.

Visiting Instructor. Designed and taught an intensive 3-week course on Phylogeography for the Postgraduate Institute of Biology, Systematics Program, at the Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia. November 2005.

International invited Professor in evolutionary genetics

Invited Professor & co-organizer: Genética evolutiva para delimitar y conservar especies (Evolutionary genetics for delimitating and conserving species). Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad Nacional de San Augustín de Arequipa (UNSA), Arequipa, Peru. 24-29 March, 2018.

Invited Instructor: IV Escuela Latinoamericana de Evolución (ELAEVO) (IV Latin American School of Evolution). Universidad del Quindío, Armenia, Colombia. July 27 - Aug. 4, 2015.

Invited Instructor: Colección de Tejidos: Toma y Preservación de Muestras y su Aplicación en Estudios Moleculares (Collecting Tissues: Taking and Preserving Samples and Applications in Molecular Studies). Instituto Alexander von Humboldt, Villa de Leyva, Boyacá, Colombia. November 29-30, 2012.

Invited Instructor: Extending and Enhancing DNA Barcoding Research in Argentina and Neighboring Countries: Fourth Leading Labs Training Workshops." Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales, Buenos Aires, Argentina. 02-07 July, 2012.

Invited Professor: Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics. The American Genetic Association and STRI, Gamboa, Republic of Panama. 25 Jan. - 4 Feb., 2012.

Invited Professor: Special Topics short course on DNA Barcoding: Methods & Motives. Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil. 14-16 June, 2011.

Invited Professor: Hands-on Training Course on Molecular Methods for Characterization, Conservation and Utilization of Biodiversity. Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (a CSIR Institute), Hyderabad, India. 28 Feb. - 4 Mar., 2011.

Invited Professor: Recent Advances in Conservation Genetics. The American Genetic Association and STRI, Gamboa, Republic of Panama. January 18-31, 2009.

Visiting Instructor, field courses

Invited Instructor: Tropical Biology: An Ecological Approach, Organization for Tropical Studies. Palo Verde, Costa Rica. May 28 - June 2, 2018.

Invited Instructor: Técnicas de inventario y monitoreo de anfibios en La Hispaniola, sponsored by the Barrick Pueblo Viejo gold mine biodiversity compensation program, the Museo Nacional de Historia Natural Profesor Eugenio de Jesús Marcano, the Durrell Wildlife Conservation Trust, and the , municipio de Bonao, Monseñor Nouel Province, Dominican Republic. September 21-27, 2015.

Invited Instructor: IGERT (Integrative Graduate Education and Research Traineeship) field course, sponsored by a STRI - University of Illinois joint National Science Foundation program. Gamboa, Republic of Panama. January 12-16, 2015.

Invited Instructor: Herpetololgía Colombiana: Una Visión Integrativa (Colombian Herpetology: an Integrated View). Asociación Colombiana de Herpetología, Puerto Carreño, Vichada, Colombia. September 7-14, 2012.

Grants

Co-PI: Rufford Foundation Second Small Grant. The role of the skin fungal community as a barrier defense against the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. UK£ 4,815. PI Sandra Flechas, co-PIs Melissa Hernández Poveda, Alejandro Acosta-González. 2017-2018.

Co-PI: Grant in Interdisciplinary Studies 2016, Office of the Vice-presidency for Research, Universidad de los Andes. Valley or wall? Temporal dynamics of the Magdalena Valley and its role in the diversification of Andean frogs. US$ 26,400. PI Carlos E. Guarnizo, co-PI Camilo Montes. 2017-2018.

Co-PI: National Geographic Society/Waitt Grants program. Hippos in a strange land - effects of invasive river giants in Colombia. US$ 15,000. PI: Jonathan Shurin. 2016-2017.

PI: Special Events Award for 2016 to support student speakers presenting in our Amphibian & Reptile Genomics symposium at the 8th World Congress of Herpetology, Hangzhou, China. Council of the American Genetic Association. US $4,000. 2016.

PI: Colciencias (Colombia), student fellowship program Joven Investigador (Young Investigator). US$ 5,000. 2015-2016 (1 year). Students recipients: Catalina Cruz (MSc) and Santiago Herrera (BS).

PI: Colciencias (Colombia), Program in Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services. Conservation genomics of the capybara: building the foundations for its sustainable use. US$ 83,022. 2015-2017 (2 years).

PI: Colciencias (Colombia), National Program in Basic Sciences. Integrating genetic, functional and comparative approaches to understanding the history of adaptations to a novel environment: When and how did frogs colonize the coastal dry forest of Colombia? US$ 197,487. 2013-2016 (3 years). Co-PI: Juan Manuel Renjifo.

Collaborator: The Bay and Paul Foundations. Population sub-structure assessment of endangered Panamanian amphibians. PI: Paul Crump. US$ 9,000. 2011.

PI: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service Wildlife Without Borders grant. Lowland harlequin frogs of Colombia: Rescue and monitoring of the last viable populations. US$ 29,502. Co-PI's: Sandra Flechas and Adolfo Amézquita. 2010-2011.

PI: EcoPetrol (Colombia) grant in Biodiversity. El efecto de variación ambiental en la diversificación de anfibios y la prevalencia de su patógeno mortal: Un transecto por los humedales desde el Magdalena Medio hasta la Orinoquía. Co-PI's: Sandra Flechas and Adolfo Amézquita US$ 101,468. 2010-2012 (2 years).

Co-PI: SENACYT Panama grant (US$ 17,000) to offer laboratory course in real-time PCR quantification of chytrid fungus infection, held in Naos Molecular Laboratories, STRI, 5-9 October 2009. PI: Roberto Ibáñez. Workshop press coverage picked up by ScienceDaily and Scientific American.

Co-PI: Columbus Zoo and Aquarium Conservation Fund. Frogs in the path of an epidemic: Monitoring the spread of chytrid fungus in eastern Panama. US$ 9,680. Funds for real-time PCR surveys of fungal pathogen. PI's: Drs. Karen R. Lips and Roberto Ibáñez. 2008.

Collaborator: Association of Zoos & Aquariums Conservation Endowment Fund. Lowland Atelopus of Colombia: Coexistence with Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis or Prelude to Extinction? Collaborator. PI's: Sandra Flechas and Adolfo Amézquita (Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia). US$ 27,100. 2008.

PI: Committee for Research and Exploration of the National Geographic Society grant: Frogs in the path of an epidemic: Quantifying amphibian diversity and monitoring the spread of chytrid fungus in eastern Panama. Co-PI's: Drs. Karen R. Lips and Roberto Ibáñez. 2007. One expedition on this grant was featured in the 45-minute documentary, Eine Arche für Frösche, which aired in 2008 and 2009 on the European channel, Arte.

Student advising

Postdoctoral students:
Dr. Carlos E. Guarnizo. Universidad de los Andes. 2015-2017.
Dr. Astrid Muñoz. Universidad de los Andes. 2011-2012. (Now professor at Universidad de la Salle, Bogotá.)
Dr. Santiago Castroviejo Fisher. Universidad de los Andes. 2009-2010. (Now professor at Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul [PUCRS], Brazil.)

PhD students:
Luis Alberto Rueda Solano. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2017-present.
Luisa Dueñas. Joint PhD between Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, and Justus Liebig University, Giessen, Germany, 2012-2016. Magna cum laude.
Lucas Santiago Barrientos. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2011-2018.
Nelsy Rocío Pinto-Sánchez. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia, 2010-2014. (Now professor at Universidad Militar Nueva Granada, Cajicá, Colombia.)
Roberto Alonso B. Universidad de La Habana, Cuba. 2007-2011. Wood-Whelan Research Fellowship winner 2010. (Now research professor at Museo de Historia Natural "Felipe Poey," Universidad de La Habana.)

Short-term PhD, postdoctoral and professional fellowship sponsor/host to:
W. Chris Funk (Colorado State University), Fulbright Colombia Visiting Scholar, 2015 (Fellowship host).
Alexa R. Warwick (Florida State University), USAID-NSF GROW Fellow, 2015 (Fellowship advisor).
Dr. Annam Pavan Kumar (Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai, India), 2013. (Fellowship host.)
Noemi Matias (Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México), Pasantía de la UNAM, 2013. (Fellowship host.)
Jesse Delia (Boston University), Fulbright Fellow Colombia, 2012-2013 (Fellowship co-advisor).
Daniel S. Moen (SUNY Stony Brook), Fulbright Fellow Colombia, 2010-2011 (Fellowship advisor).
Myra Hughey (Boston University), Encyclopedia of Life (EOL) Rubenstein Fellow, 2009-2010, (Fellowship co-advisor).

Masters students:
Carlos Alberto Jiménez Rivillas. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016-present.
Santiago Herrera Álvarez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016-2017. Graduated Cum laude.
Paola Montoya Valencia. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2015-2017. (Co-director, with Daniel Cadena).
Edgar Andres Bernal Castro. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2015-present. (With co-director Nicolas Urbina)
Luisa Alejandra Castellanos. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2015-2017.
Faidith Bracho Altamiranda. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2014-2016.
Fabio Leonardo Meza Joya. Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia. 2013-2017. (Co-director, with Marta Patricia Ramírez).
Catalina Cruz. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2012-2014. Went on to PhD program in Environmental Policy at Imperial College London.
Alejandro Rodríguez. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2012-2013.
María del Pilar Rodríguez. Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, 2011-2013.
Andrea Paz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2012. Went on to PhD program at CUNY.
Carolina Ortíz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009-2011.
Álvaro Andrés Velásquez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009-2012. Follow him on Twitter .
Laura Natali Afanador. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009-2011. Went on to Professor of Biology job at Universidad Central, Bogotá.
Karen Siu-Ting. Univ. Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Lima, Peru, 2009-2010. (Co-director, with César Aguilar). Went on to PhD in Molecular Evolution at Maynooth University, Ireland.
María Paulina Quintero. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2006-2008. (Co-director, with Adolfo Amézquita). Resulting publication here.
Nelsy Rocío Pinto-Sánchez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2006-2008. Winner of the 2011 Premio al Conocimiento y la Protección de la Biodiversidad Colombiana. Resulting publication here. (Co-director, with Santiago Madriñán). Continued into PhD program in my lab.
Luciana Kreutz Erdtmann. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2006-2007. (Co-director).

Undergraduate students:
María Camila Llanos Garrido. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2018-present. (Co-director, with Sandra V. Flechas).
Angélica María Pineda Saza. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2018-present.
Catalina María Ardila Suárez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2017-2018.
Angie Marcela Tovar Ortíz. Universidad Distrital. Bogotá. 2017-present. (Co-director, with Abelardo Bolaños).
Raiza Nathaly Castañeda Bonilla. Universidad del Magdalena. Santa Marta, Colombia. 2017-2018. (Co-director, with Luis Alberto Rueda.)
Melissa Hernández Poveda. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2017-present. (Co-director, with Sandra V. Flechas).
Valentina Muñoz Charry. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2017-2018. Winner of Best Undergraduate Thesis award in Dept. of Biological Sciences, Spring 2018.
Daniela García-Cobos. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016-2017. (Co-director, with Marta Patricia Ramírez, Universidad Industrial de Santander).
María José Paramo Rozo. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016-present.
Juanita Herrera Torres. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016.
César David Aponte. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2015-2018. Completed a thesis in Biology and a monograph in Microbiology in my laboratory.
Juan Pablo Ramírez Ramírez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2016. Winner of Best Undergraduate Thesis award in Biology, Fall 2016. Went on to Joint Doctoral Program in Evolutionary Biology at San Diego State University.
Laura Estefania González Valenzuela. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2015-2016.
Alejandro Alfonso Tello. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2015-2016. (Co-director, with my post-doc Carlos Guarnizo).
Gabrielle Yvette Genty Zapata. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2015-2016. Went on to MS program in Marine Mammals Science then PhD program, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK.
Juliana Cuccaro Díaz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. Fellowship winner, STRI Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) in Integrative Tropical Biology. 2014-2016. (Co-director, with Karen Warkentin. Resulting publication in Animal Behaviour here). Went on to MS program in Science Communication at UWE Bristol.
Luis Miguel Zapata Sarmiento. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2014-2015. (Co-director, with Nelsy Pinto-Sánchez, my former doctoral student).
Santiago Herrera Álvarez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2014-2015. Continued into MSc program in my lab.
Erika Rodríguez Muñoz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2013. Went on to MS program in Ecología UAM-UCM (Universidades Autónoma y Complutense de Madrid, Spain).
Luisa Alejandra Castellanos. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2013-2014. Continued into MSc program in my lab.
María Paula Rueda. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2012-2013.
Daniel Santiago Camargo Latorre. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2012-2013.
Eduardo Rico. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2012-2013.
Hector Sebastian Aya Parra, Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2012. (With co-director Nelsy Pinto-Sánchez, my doctoral student).
Carlos Vladimir Fajardo Pena. Monograph. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2011-2012.
Gloria Angélica González T. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2011-2012.
Juan Salvador Mendoza Roldán. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2014.
José Alejandro Sánchez M. Scientific communication. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2012.
Karen Liliana Campos Garzón. Monograph. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-present.
Catalina Cruz Piedrahita. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2012. Resulting publication here. Continued into MSc program in my lab.
Stefany Moreno Gámez. Colombia's Biology Graduate of the Year and first Summa Cum Laude in Biology at Univ. de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2011. (Co-director). Went on to Erasmus Mundus MS Programme in Evolutionary Biology at University of Groningen and the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. Profiled in Dinero magazine.
Esteban Medina Méndez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2011. (Co-director, with my post-doc Santiago Castroviejo. PDF of resulting publication in Zootaxa here).
Dayanna Liseth Sánchez Martínez. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2011. (Co-director, with my post-doc Santiago Castroviejo).
Melany Lorena Villate Moreno. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010-2011. Went on to MS & PhD in Evolution, Ecology and Systematics at Ludwig Maximilian University and the Zoologische Staatsamlung of Munich.
Andrea Paz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009-2010. Continued into MSc program in my lab.
Julie Alexandra Moncada Madero. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009. Went on to MS in Human Genetics at Universidad Nacional de Colombia.
Wendy Gómez Rubio. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2010.
Hedda Michelle Guevara Nieto. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009-2010. Went on to MS in Evolution, Ecology and Systematics at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich.
Carolina Ortiz. Universidad de los Andes. Bogotá. 2009. Continued into MSc program in my lab.

University courses taught

Statistics in Computational Biology. Graduate course in Computational Biology masters program and Computer Science & Engineering Department, Universidad de los Andes. Co-taught 1/3 with Professor Jorge Duitama. Established and taught Spring 2017.
Biology of Organisms. Required freshman undergraduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Taught each Fall semester, 2016-present. Alternating semesters taught in English starting in Fall 2017.
Phylogenomics. Graduate course in Computational Biology program, Universidad de los Andes. Established and taught Fall 2015, Spring 2018.
Scientific Communication. Graduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes, on writing and professional issues. Co-taught among three professors in Biology. Taught Spring 2013.
Paleobiogeography of northern South America. Graduate course sponsored jointly by the Biological Sciences and GeoSciences departments, Universidad de los Andes. Co-taught with a geologist and a palynologist, Fall 2012 and Spring 2014.
Phylogenetic Systematics. 4th-year undergraduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Taught annually, 2012-2015. Taught biennially, 2016-present.
Advanced Evolutionary Genetics. Graduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Taught annually, 2011-2015. Taught biennially, 2016-present.
Evolutionary Genetics. 4th-year undergraduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Taught annually, 2011-2015. Taught biennially, 2016-present.
Historical Approaches to Biodiversity Studies. Graduate course in Biological Sciences, University de los Andes. Focused on comparative biology and related evolutionary analyses. Co-taught with my doctoral Fulbright Fellow, Daniel Moen, Spring 2011.
Quantitative Biology. Teach half of the only required graduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Taught every semester during 2009-2012, taught annually 2013-2015.
Biostatistics. Required undergraduate course in Biological Sciences, Universidad de los Andes. Laboratory sections train students in R. Taught every semester, 2009-present. Alternating semesters taught in English starting in Fall 2016.

Course participant: teaching

3-day Workshop on the Design of Courses and Programs Using a Mixed or Blended Teaching Modality (Curso Diseño de Programas y Cursos en Modalidad Mixta o Blended). Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá. June 13-15, 2016.

Teaching award

Highest evaluated professor, undergraduate teaching, Depto. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, 2013-2014.
Graduate-level professor of the year, Depto. Ciencias Biológicas, Universidad de los Andes, 2011.

Scientific reviewing

Associate Editor:
Evolution (2017 - 2019, not renewable.)
Journal of Heredity (2012 - 2017).

Editorial reviewer for 45 journals. Some recent peer review now registered at Publons.
Journals for which I have conducted volunteer peer review:
American Naturalist,
Amphibia-Reptilia,
Annual Review of Animal Biosciences,
Axios Review (a peer review service, no longer active),
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology,
Bioinformatics,
Biological Conservation,
Biological Journal of the Linnean Society,
BMC Evolutionary Biology,
Conservation Biology,
Conservation Genetics,
Copeia,
Current Biology,
Diversity and Distributions,
EcoHealth,
Evolution,
Frontiers in Genetics, Evolutionary and Population Genetics Section,
,
Herpetologica,
Herpetological Conservation and Biology,
The Herpetological Journal,
Herpetological Monographs,
Herpetology Notes,
International Journal of Tropical Biology and Conservation (Revista de Biología Tropical),
Journal of Biogeography,
Journal of Experimental Zoology Part A: Ecological Genetics and Physiology,
Journal of Heredity,
Journal of Herpetology,
Molecular Ecology,
Molecular Ecology Resources,
Neotropical Biodiversity,
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution,
Organisms Diversity & Evolution (example 2015 review posted at Publons),
Phyllomedusa: Journal of Herpetology,
PLoS Biology,
PLoS ONE,
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America,
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences,
Revista Chileña de Historia Natural,
Salamandra,
Scientific Reports,
Systematic Biology,
Zoologica Scripta,
Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society,
Zootaxa.

External reviewer:
UK: The Rufford Small Grants Foundation (2015);
USA: National Geographic Society's Storytelling Grant (2017); National Science Foundation (2016, 2011); National Geographic Society's Research, Conservation and Exploration program (2017, 2013, 2012); Encyclopedia of Life's Rubenstein Fellowship (2011).
Colombia: Promotion review, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Antioquia, Colombia, 2016; The Rufford Small Grants Foundation, 2015; National Science Foundation, 2011; Gestión de la Investigación, Javeriana University, grant reviewer, 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013. Fulbright Colombia predoctoral fellowship competition, 2008; Fulbright Colombia postdoctoral fellowship competition, 2015; BP Conservation Programme, 2007; National Grant Competition (Convocatoria Nacional de Investigación 2006) National University, biology section, Bogotá, Colombia;
Grant applications to the Foundation for the Promotion of Research and Technology (La Fundación para la Promoción de la Investigación y la Tecnología) 2006, Banco de la República, Bogotá, Colombia.

International advisory committees

* Member of newly formed Conservation Genetics Specialist Group (CGSG), part of the IUCN Species Survival Commission. 2017 - present.
* Council Member, Genome 10K. 2017-2019 (3-year term).
* Programs Advisory Committee: Fulbright Colombia, 2017-2019 (3-year term, renewable).
* Scientific Committee: Escuela Latinoamericana de Evolución (ELAEVO) (Latin American School of Evolution, 1 of 2 national representatives for Colombia). 2016-present.
* Scientific Committee: Catalogue of Amphibians and Reptiles of Colombia, Asociación Colombiana de Herpetología. 2013-present.
* Steering Committee: COLD COLD, the global campaign to DNA barcode all amphibian and reptile species. 2012-present.
* Scientific Advisory Committee: ColEvol the Colombian Network for Evolutionary Biology, 2012-present.
* Advisory Committee: Fulbright Colombia, 2011-2015 (4-year non-renewable term).
* Chair, Amphibian Committee, Genome 10K. 2009-present.
* Scientific Advisory Committee: Save the Frogs! Non-profit conservation organization. 2006-2013.

Event organizing

Conference Organizing

* International Organizing Committee: World Congress of Herpetology (2016-2020).
* Conference organizing committee: 2-day conference and 2 days of workshops, entitled 3rd meeting of the Network for Neotropical Biogeography. Bogotá, Colombia, 7-10 January, 2014.

Symposium Co-organizer and Invited Speaker

* Symposium organizing committee, "Filogeografía, especiación y adaptación animal en el Neotrópico." 5th Colombian Congress of Zoology, Bogotá, Colombia. 3-7 December, 2018.
* Lead organizer for symposium entitled Amphibian & Reptile Genomics: Recent Success, Current Progress, and Future Challenges, co-organized with BGI, Kunming Institute of Zoology, and the Chinese Academy of Sciences. 8th World Congress of Herpetology. Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province, China. 15-21 August, 2016.
* Symposium and roundtable Acciones de investigación y conservación de los anfibios de Colombia ("Research and conservation action on the amphibians of Colombia"). Presentation: Bases genéticas para la conservación de los Anfibios (Genetic tools for amphibian conservation). II Congreso Colombiano de Zoología, Santa Marta, Colombia. Sponsored by Conservation International Colombia. November 2006.

Invited workshops and lectures

Invited Workshops in Evolutionary Genetics

* Genome 10K Executive Committee Workshop. Hilton Garden Inn Dulles. November 10-11, 2016.
* 2015 Genome 10K Conference. University of California at Santa Cruz. March 1-5, 2015.
* Genome10K and Genome Assembly Workshop / Assemblathon follow-up. University of California at Santa Cruz. April, 2011.
* Genome10K. University of California at Santa Cruz. April, 2009.
* Solving Darwin’s Mystery: The Genomics of Speciation and Modern Approaches in Biodiversity. Radcliff Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, MA, USA. October 2005.
* Túngara Frog Conference. University of Texas at Austin, USA. April 2005.
* AmphibiaTree Workshop I, Advanced Phylogenetics Section, University of Texas at Austin, USA. December, 2004.

Invited Workshops in Amphibian Conservation

* Re-evaluation of the Red List of Amphibians of Colombia - Re-categorization Workshop. Sponsored by IUCN Species Survival Commission, NatureServe, and the Asociación Colombiana de Herpetología, Parque Exploradora, Medellín, Colombia. Julio 31 - Augusto 2, 2016.
* Taller para la Generación del Plan de Acción Nacional para la Conservación de los Anfibios en Colombia. Sponsored by Ministerio de Ambiente y Desarrollo Sostenible (Colombia's federal wildlife authority) and Wildlife Conservation Society. Parque Explora, Medellín. July 22-23, 2014.
* Panamanian Golden Frog Conservation Meeting. Sponsored by Project Golden Frog, Panama Amphibian Rescue and Conservation Project and Association of Zoos & Aquariums. El Valle de Antón, Panama. November 19-22, 2013.
* Amphibian Ark Panamanian Prioritization Workshop. Panama City. November 12-15, 2008.

Invited Lectures

* Departmental seminar, Biology Department, Pontificia Universidad Javeriana, Cali, Colombia. May 03, 2018. Check out the lovely poster.
* Keynote speaker, book release for field guide Recolección de Tejidos Biológicos para Análisis Genéticos [Collecting Biological Tissues for Genetic Analyses], published by the Instituto Humboldt. Quinta de Bolívar, Bogotá, Colombia. November 16, 2017. Talk starts at minute 39 of this .
* Plenary speaker, First Colombian Congress of Herpetology. Parque Exploradora, Medellín, Colombia. November 22, 2016.
* Invited speaker, Symposium on Colombian Biogeography and Ecosystem Diversity, Seminario de Investigaciones Biológicas de la Universidad Distrital, Sede Macarena. November 18, 2016.
* Plenary speaker, II Simposio Nacional de Evolución, Ecología y Medio Ambiente, XX Jornada de la Investigación. Invited by the student group Biología Evolutiva y Epistemológica (BIEVEP), Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia sede Tunja. October 4, 2016.
* Seminar in herpetology and conservation, Institute for Biodiversity Science & Sustainability. California Academy of Sciences, San Francisco, California. February 23-24, 2016.
* Departmental seminar, Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Boston. November 13, 2015.
* Plenary speaker, V Simposio Colombiano de Biología Evolutiva, Red Colombiana de Biología Evolutiva (ColEvol), Universidad del Quindío, Colombia. August 5, 2015.
* Museum of Vertebrate Zoology Lunch Seminar, University of California at Berkeley. October 29, 2014. YouTube video
* Seminar Series, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Yunnan, China. November 5, 2013.
* Symposium on Genomics and Biodiversity, 15th Annual Convention of ADNAT, Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (a CSIR Institute), Hyderabad, India. February, 2011.
* Texas Tech University Department of Biological Sciences Seminar Series, Lubbock, Texas. October 27, 2010.
* Universidad Tecnologica del Chocó, Quibdó, Colombia. November, 2009.
* Plenary Lecture, II Simposio de la Red Colombiana de Biología Evolutiva -ColEvol-, Cali, Colombia. October, 2009.
* Diversidad y declive de anfibios en Panamá: una perspectiva genética. Instituto de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Colombia. May 21, 2009. News item picked up by the EFE (like the Associated Press but in Spain). Published in Spain, Costa Rica and Colombia.
* Plenary Lecture, VIII Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetología, Cuba. November, 2008.
* University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth, USA. October 2005.
* University of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. March 2004.
* Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia. January 2004.
Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia. January 2004.

Invited Public Lectures

* Inaugural lecture for the exhibit, BIODIVERSIDAD, una conexión vital, organized by the Banco de la República Agencia Cultural Tunja. Boyacá, Colombia, March 15, 2016.
* Invited speaker in Biodiversity, Banco de la República, Universidad de Tolima, Colombia. July 24, 2015.
* Cátedra de Sede José Celestino Mutis: Todo lo que Usted quiere saber de genética y nunca se atrevió a preguntar. Universidad Nacional, Bogotá, Colombia. November, 2010.
* Cátedra LOW MAUS: Charles Darwin: Sobre el Origen de las Especies. Universidad Industrial de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia. February, 2010.

Contributed Lectures

Society for the Study of Evolution, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA, 2014.
Congreso Colombiano de Zoología III, Medellin, Colombia, 2010.
World Congress of Herpetology VI, Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil, 2008.
Congreso Latinoamericano de Herpetología VII, Cuernavaca, México, 2005.
Society for the Study of Evolution, University of Alaska at Fairbanks, USA, 2005.
Society for the Study of Evolution, University of Colorado at Boulder, USA, 2004.
Society for the Study of Evolution, University of Illinois, Champagne-Urbana, USA, 2002.
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Kansas City, Missouri, USA, 2002.
Society of Systematic Biologists, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, USA, 2001.
American Society for the Study of Ichthyology and Herpetology, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, 2001.
Society for the Study of Amphibians and Reptiles, Pennsylvania State University, USA, 1999.
Society for the Study of Evolution, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA, 1999.
World Congress of Herpetology III, Prague, Czech Republic, 1997.

Course Participant: research methods

Workshop on New Methods for Phylogenomics and Metagenomics. University of Texas at Austin. February, 2013.
Workshop on Comparative Genomics. Český Krumlov, Czech Republic. January 9-21, 2011.
Statistical Phylogeography. Southwest Research Station, Portal, Arizona, USA. Abril 5-10 de 2009.
Aplicaciones ecológicas y evolutivas de los sistemas de información geográfica y sensores remotos. Centro Panamericano de Estudios e Investigaciones Geográficas (CEPEIGE). Quito, Ecuador. July 25-30, 2005.
Tropical biology: an ecological approach (OTS 95-3). Organization for Tropical Studies. Costa Rica. June-August, 1995.

Society Memberships, active

Society for the Study of Evolution (SSE).
American Genetics Association (AGA).
The Society For The Preservation of Natural History Collections (SPNCH).
Asociación Colombiana de Herpetología (ACh).

Photography

Nature photography contest winner 2014, BMC Ecology in the category 'community, population and macroecology.' See their Figure 4.

Popular Science

Text and photography by Vicky Flechas and me on 4 endangered frogs of Panama and Colombia featured in June 2017 issue of Avianca Airlines inflight magazine. Flip through online edition, or see close-up of our contribution.

Interviewed and quoted in Mongabay article on conservation implications of road to be completed between two Colombian national parks along the Amazonian - Llanos ecotone. 21 June 2017.

for the XX Jornada de la Investigación of the Universidad Pedagógica y Tecnológica de Colombia sede Tunja. October 4, 2016.

Spanish-language highlights of our paper, Muñoz-Ortiz et al. (2015) in the magazine, Hipótesis. 2015.

Featured in German documentary film Eine Arche für Frösche (An Ark for Frogs) produced for the European TV channel ARTE. Features field work in Darien, Panama, financed by our 2007 National Geographic CRE grant. Watch part 4 on YouTube. Published online 2013.

Extensive feature article in Nota UniAndina and 10-minute video in four parts (click on , and ) highlighting my role as co-coordinator of amphibians in Genome 10K. 2010.

Science Voice-over

Narrator for Journal of Visualized Experiments video publication: Akle V, Agudelo-Dueñas N, Molina-Rodríguez MA, Kartchner LB, Ruth AM, González JM, Forero-Shelton M (2017) Establishment of larval zebrafish as an animal model to investigate Trypanosoma cruzi motility in vivo. JoVE 127, e56238. doi: 10.3791/56238

Research Interests

I am interested in the evolutionary and historical processes that generate species diversity, and how species come together to form ecological communities. Recently, I have begin to study convervation and the demise of biodiversity. My research seeks first to elucidate the mechanisms that promote population divergence, typically regarded as the first step towards speciation, including demographic, genetic and behavioral mechanisms as well as environmental factors. Second, it seeks to understand the relative roles of adaptation and historical contingency in producing the spatially heterogeneous patterns of species richness. Third, I investigating current extinction trends in Central American amphibians and infer historical extincion patterns, as well.

Revealing the origins and demise of biodiversity requires integrating across disciplines in evolutionary biology and across multiple levels of biological organization. My research uses population genetics theory and tools to investigate genealogical processes responsible for the conversion of within population polymorphism into between population divergence. How these demographic processes then lead to the spatial distribution of independent evolutionary lineages is evaluated through phylogeographic analyses. Environmental change we predict should leave a consistent imprint on the spatial distribution of genealogical lineages across those co-distributed species with similar ecological requirements. Comparative phylogeographic approaches can therefore be used to tease apart the relative contributions of historical factors versus species-specific evolutionary processes in the assembly of local communities of organisms.

The core of this integrative research program is evolutionary genetics, which provides a rich, unified body of theory that supports studies from historical demography to molecular phylogenetics at deep temporal scales. Our ability to make historical inferences from molecular data depends on our understanding of evolutionary genetic processes, principally mutation, genetic drift and natural selection. Therefore, I am also interested in the study of rates of molecular evolution as well as the application of coalescent theory to the development of parametric tests of spatial and historical demographic models of arbitrary complexity.

I engage in collaborative investigations of Neotropical amphibian systematics and taxonomy. I am helping to lead a campaign to develop a reference database of amphibians from Panama and other Neotropical countries, in association with with the Smithsonian Institution’s Laboratory of Analytical Biology and the Consortium for the Barcode of Life.



HOME