Yes, Gio has stolen the show again in amazing style for his presentation:
"Never underestimate your opponent: Adaptive phenotypic response in a recent amphibian invader"
Seen here Gio accepting the cash prize from HAA chair, Graham Alexander.
We had a great time at Bonamanzi Game Reserve for the 13th Herpetological Association of Africa conference.
In addition to the great photo there were lots of presentations from the MeaseyLab, including INVAXEN work and aSCR:
Estimating the global population size of a species that is hard to find: The case of Rose’s mountain toadlet
FRANCOIS BECKER, RES ALTWEGG , JOHN MEASEY, JASPER SLINGSBY & KRYSTAL A. TOLLEY
Parasite introduction to the endangered western leopard toad: Spill-over or spill-back?
NATASHA KRUGER, LOUIS H. DU PREEZ & JOHN MEASEY
Densities of Arthroleptella lightfooti across the Cape Peninsula: Preliminary results from acoustic spatial capture-recapture
MARIKE LOUW, RES ALTWEGG, ANDREW TURNER, JASPER SLINGSBY, BEN STEVENSON, DAVID BORCHERS & JOHN MEASEY
Who croaked? What the fossil frog bones say
THALASSA MATTHEWS & JOHN MEASEY
Counting chirps: Acoustic monitoring of cryptic frogs
JOHN MEASEY, BEN STEVENSON, TANYA SCOTT, RES ALTWEGG & DAVID BORCHERS
Modelling current and future distributions of three African anurans representing different functional groups: An ecophysiology modelling approach
MOHLAMATSANE M. MOKHATLA, DENNIS RÖDDER & JOHN MEASEY
Frog Olympics: Exploring the locomotory ecomorphology of the pyxicephalid radiation in southern Africa
ALEXANDER D. REBELO & JOHN MEASEY
Global realized niche divergence in the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis
DENNIS RÖDDER, FLORA IHLOW, JULIEN COURANT, JEAN SECONDI, ANTHONY HERREL, RUI REBELO, JOHN MEASEY, FRANCESCO LILLO, F. ANDRÉ DE VILLIERS, CHARLOTTE DE BUSSCHERE & THIERRY BACKELJAU
The relative tadpole vulnerability of Xenopus tadpoles to X. laevis predators
COREY J. THORP, JAMES R. VONESH & JOHN MEASEY
Frog metapopulation dynamics in the Western Cape
ANDREW A. TURNER, JOHN MEASEY & KRYSTAL A. TOLLEY
Never underestimate your opponent: Adaptive phenotypic response in a recent amphibian invader
GIOVANNI VIMERCATI, SARAH J. DAVIES & JOHN MEASEY
Impacts of climate change on the global invasion potential of the African clawed frog Xenopus laevis
FLORA IHLOW, JULIEN COURANT, JEAN SECONDI, ANTHONY HERREL, RUI REBELO, JOHN MEASEY, FRANCESCO LILLO, F. ANDRÉ DE VILLIERS, SOLVEIG VOGT, THIERRY BACKELJAU & DENNIS RÖDDER
There are a growing number of impact classification schemes for invasive species. Here we use invasive amphibians to compare how scores match. See the paper in NeoBiota here.
Classification of alien species’ impacts can aid policy making through evidence based listing and management recommendations. We highlight differences and a number of potential difficulties with two scoring tools, the Environmental Impact Classification of Alien Taxa (EICAT) and the Generic Impact Scoring System (GISS) using amphibians as a case study. Generally, GISS and EICAT assessments lead to very similar impact levels, but scores from the schemes are not equivalent. Small differences are attributable to discrepancies in the verbal descriptions for scores. Differences were found in several impact categories. While the issue of disease appears to be related to uncertainties in both schemes, hybridisation might be inflated in EICAT. We conclude that GISS scores cannot directly be translated into EICAT classifications, but they give very similar outcomes and the same literature base can be used for both schemes.
We had an amazing time focussed around finding tree agamas (Acanthocercus atricollis) for Nick's project. The first week at Bonamanzi was a total failure with only 3 agamas seen after rain finally came (during the HAA conference).
However, once we moved to Mtenzini there were lots of agamas to be had, and we developed a cruising style around the neighbourhood which netted us >20 animals in a couple of days.
Note the presence of special guest star Dennis Rödder. Dennis joined us for the whole trip and we had a lotta fun. Also seen here are the HAA twins (Alex & Gio), Nyala braai (thanks to interrupting poachers at Bonamanzi) and Ma'Rake - of the golf course, Mtenzini.
There's a time and a place to try a new synchronised swimming routine. The time was a Wednesday afternoon, and the place was an empty pool in a Kwa-Zulu Natal resort. The chlorine level was exceptionally high, and it took great determination from the lab team to bring you the following YouTube extravaganza.
OK, so it's not an everyday event that the lab tries a synchronised swimming routine. But when they do, it's worth a blog entry.