AMNH Library Digital Repository
The AMNH Library Digital Repository is an archive maintained by the Research Library for AMNH Scientific Publications, AMNH scholarly output and other original and published materials digitized by the Library. All information in the repository is freely accessible to scholars around the world to support their research.
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- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Division of Anthropology.
- Contains scientific data and other digitized material from the Department of Astrophysics.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Center of Biodiversity and Conservation.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Herpetology.
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Recent Submissions
Supplemental materials for 'Museomics and the systematics of the Atlantic Forest nurse frogs (Dendrobatoidea, Aromobatidae, Allobatinae) (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 472)'
(American Museum of Natural History., 2025-05-06) Grant, Taran, 1972-; Lyra, Mariana L.; Hofreiter, Michael, 1973-; Preick, Michaela.; Barlow, Axel.; Verdade, Vanessa K. (Vanessa Kruth); Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut Urbano.
Supplemental materials for 'Museomics and the systematics of the Atlantic Forest nurse frogs (Dendrobatoidea, Aromobatidae, Allobatinae) (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 472)' - https://hdl.handle.net/2246/7504
Museomics and the systematics of the Atlantic Forest nurse frogs (Dendrobatoidea, Aromobatidae, Allobatinae) (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 472)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2025-05-06) Grant, Taran, 1972-; Lyra, Mariana L.; Hofreiter, Michael, 1973-; Preick, Michaela.; Barlow, Axel.; Verdade, Vanessa K. (Vanessa Kruth); Rodrigues, Miguel Trefaut Urbano.
For four decades after 1967, four species of nurse frogs were recognized in the Atlantic Forest, namely Allobates alagoanus (Bokermann, 1967), A. capixaba (Bokermann, 1967), A. carioca (Bokermann, 1967), and A. olfersioides (A. Lutz, 1925), but in 2007 they were synonymized due to a lack of morphological differences. Although growing evidence from DNA and bioacoustics suggests that multiple species of nurse frogs inhabit the Atlantic Forest, their taxonomy has not been updated because populations at the four type localities had all vanished by the 1990s, making it impossible to collect tissues for DNA analysis and other data (e.g., vocalizations) from topotypic material. To overcome the lack of modern tissues, we employed museomics to obtain historical DNA from topotypic material of the four nominal species, which we analyzed together with data from extant populations from throughout the Atlantic Forest and Atlantic Forest enclaves within the Caatinga. We found that the Atlantic Forest nurse frogs comprise a well-supported clade of no fewer than 12 species that arrived in the Atlantic Forest via a single invasion from the Guiana Shield. We propose Dryadobates, gen. nov., for this clade, which is the sister group of all other allobatines. We consider the four nominal species to be valid, redescribe them as D. alagoanus, comb. nov., D. capixaba, comb. nov., D. carioca, comb. nov., and D. olfersioides, comb. nov., describe two sister species (D. bokermanni, sp. nov., and D. lutzi, sp. nov.) from southern Bahia, and summarize available information for the remaining six undescribed species. The type series of D. olfersioides comprises two species, so we designate a lectotype to clarify the application of the name. Dryadobates alagoanus is extant and broadly distributed, but D. capixaba, D. carioca, and D. olfersioides are presumed extinct, representing 50% of the nominal species of Dryadobates. These results provide a clear and consequential example of the essential role museomics and taxonomy play in understanding diversity loss and setting conservation priorities.
Designing a Conservation Genomics Project Incorporating DNA from Museum Specimens
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2025) Penna, Anna; Wallace, Megan; Clark, Lauren T.; Krupa, Lochlan Sife; Macey, Suzanne K.; Pozzi, Luca; Blair, Mary E.
This exercise is intended to provide students with a real-world example of how museum specimens can provide additional context to challenges and considerations in the broader field of applied conservation genomics. After a brief introduction to the study system—the conservation status of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)—students will be asked to review an open-access, peer-reviewed publication that features samples from varied museum, archaeological, and paleontological contexts. Through reading the guide and discussion questions, students will reflect upon study design, concepts, and challenges presented at the intersection between the fields of conservation genomics and museum-based studies. The exercise ends with students breaking down the research into the main components (e.g., research question, independent and dependent variables, hypotheses, predictions) to set a structure for critically reading other scientific studies or designing their own research question.
The Application of Conservation Museomics Approaches to the Protection of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2025) Clark, Lauren T.; Salis, Alexander T.; Penna, Anna; Wallace, Megan; Krupa, Lochlan Sife; Blair, Mary E.
This exercise is intended to provide students with a real-world example of how museum specimens can provide additional context to challenges and considerations in the broader field of applied conservation genomics. After a brief introduction to the study system—the conservation status of Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus)—students will be asked to review an open-access, peer-reviewed publication that features samples from varied museum, archaeological, and paleontological contexts. Through reading the guide and discussion questions, students will reflect upon study design, concepts, and challenges presented at the intersection between the fields of conservation genomics and museum-based studies. The exercise ends with students breaking down the research into the main components (e.g., research question, independent and dependent variables, hypotheses, predictions) to set a structure for critically reading other scientific studies or designing their own research question.
Applications of Museum Collections and Genomics to Biodiversity Conservation
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2025) Penna, Anna; Clark, Lauren T.; Salis, Alexander T.; Macey, Suzanne K.; Blair, Mary E.
To address the challenges of sampling endangered or extinct species in the field, many studies have turned to historically underutilized sources of genetic material: natural history museums. Despite the fact that DNA from specimens collected decades or even hundreds of years ago is often fragmented and degraded, research has shown that historical DNA can still be used effectively to infer phylogenetic relationships and intra-specific patterns of population genetic structure. This synthesis aims to provide students and conservation practitioners with a solid understanding of the methodological strategies needed to apply genetic tools to natural history museum specimens. Specifically, we offer clear definitions and essential considerations for designing a conservation genomics project that includes both modern and historical samples. We recommend that instructors use this synthesis to introduce the foundational knowledge required for two companion exercises: “The Application of Conservation Museomics Approaches to the Protection of the Iberian Lynx (Lynx pardinus)” and “Designing a Conservation Genetics Project Incorporating DNA from Museum Specimens.”