Science Café Raleigh: Where Have All the Frogs Gone?

Hi Café Enthusiasts,

This month’s Science Café (description below) will be held on November 16th at The Irregardless Cafe. We will be meeting Dr. Bryan Stuart and discussing the status of amphibian populations around the world. Dramatic changes are currently happening globally with diverse populations of frogs and salamanders. It is a time when many new species are being discovered and simultaneously we are also mysteriously losing many species to extinction. Dr. Stuart will discuss current herpetological research that is helping us understand what is happening with the world’s amphibian biodiversity. I hope that many of you can come – it should be a very informative discussion.

Where Have All the Frogs Gone?

Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Time: 6:30-8:30pm with discussion beginning at 7:00 followed by Q&A

Location: The Irregardless Café, 901 W. Morgan Street, Raleigh, 833-8898

Since the 1980s, dramatic reductions in amphibian populations (including population crashes and mass localized extinctions) have been noted from locations all over the world. Currently, the loss of these animals (especially frogs) is thought to be one of the most critical threats to global biodiversity. Many of the causes are still poorly understood, and the topic is the subject of much ongoing research. Join us to discuss what is known and what is yet to be known about the global loss of such an important group of animals.

About our Speaker:

Bryan Stuart is currently the Curator of Herpetology at the NC Museum of Natural Sciences. In 2006, Stuart received his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois-Chicago working in a collaborative program with the Field Museum. He remains a Research Associate and close collaborator with the Field Museum and also completed a two-year postdoctoral program at UC-Berkeley before joining the Museum staff here in Raleigh. Stuart has authored and co-authored numerous publications about reptiles and amphibians in several prominent scientific journals, such as Herpetologica and Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. He travels often and extensively in Southeast Asia as well as Africa for his current research and study of herpetological biodiversity.

This will be our final science café for 2010, with our next café being held in January 2011.

As always, it helps so much if you can send me an email letting me know if you will be coming to the event (katey DOT ahmann AT ncdenr DOT gov). Having an approximate participant count helps us communicate with the restaurant so that they can be prepared for serving our group.