The Minds Changing Lives

One giant leap forward for the preservation of Australia’s last amphibians

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Episode notes

Despite surviving not one, but two extinction events in its 200-million-year evolutionary history, modern day threats such as fire and disease, might have pushed Australia’s last surviving amphibian – the frog - to its limits. Thanks to the innovative approach taken by the University of Newcastle’s Conservation Science Research Group, this doesn’t have to be where the story ends. Dr Rose Upton tells host Shahni Wellington of the group’s ground-breaking methodology, delving into her work in cryopreservation and how it’s safeguarding the genetic diversity of frog species for years to come. We also meet Dr Chad Beranek, whose post-Black Summer Bushfires research offers surprising insights into population health. Plus, PhD candidate Nadine Nolan sheds light on the life-cycle of frogs and the vital role citizen science play in species preservation. 

 

To find out more about Frog Find click here. To find out more about The Australian Museum’s Frog ID, click here.

 

Read more about the Conservation Science Research Group here.

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