ROBERTSON, Jeanne/M; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; , ; Cornell University: Distribution of phenotypic diversity in a Neotropical Frog (Agalychnis callidryas)

Species exhibit natural variation in morphology and behavior, often associated with genetic diversity, or geographic distance, or both. Moreover, morphology and behavior change over time, tracking demographic changes in a population. The red-eye tree frog, Agalychnis callidryas, is a widespread and locally abundant species, ranging from M�xico to southern Panam�. Striking phenotypic divergence in leg color, flank color and stripe pattern exists among populations of A. callidryas suggesting biogeographic barriers and dispersal ecology play prominent roles in its evolutionary history. To examine the rate and extent of morphological change a wide-ranging species, I examine 9 populations of A. callidryas from Costa Rica, and 2 populations from Panama, sampling 19-28 individuals from each (N=270). I compare color and pattern analyses from samples of A. callidryas populations from 2004, to a similar survey conducted in 1967 (Savage and Heyer), and report distributional shifts in phenotypic diversity. The extent to which genetic structure co-varies with patterns of morphological and ecological differentiation will provide insight into the relative roles of gene flow in shaping the geographic distribution of this species.