Brains Matter

Professor Richard Wassersug is from the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology from Dalhousie University in Canada. Much of his research and study was and is in the area of herpetology, or the study of amphibians. I talked to Professor Wassersug about herpetology, and the importance of understanding this area of biology. Topics discussed include:

– The surprising old view of tadpole and frog evolution
– Structures of the mouths of tadpoles and frogs
– How do these creatures live?
– What is affecting frog and tadpole populations?
– What is causing these impacts?
– Why is it important to understand what can stress a tadpole?
– History of the cane toad in Australia
– The impact of introduced species
– What is the role of frogs in the ecosystem?
– Predators and their impacts on frogs
– Media perceptions of frogs, toads and amphibians
– How are we affecting the environment for frogs and toads?
– How big were frogs and toads in the past?
– The infamous frog tasting experiment!

Today’s listener of the episode is Jason Hameister from the Sydney, Australia.

Download MP3 of Ep 120

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