SIT alum discovers new frog species in Madagascar
June 5th, 2024 | Africa, Alumni, Careers, Research, SIT Study Abroad
In a time when it seems every corner of the globe has been thoroughly explored, it can be surprising to find that some places—like Madagascar—still boast such a remarkable rainbow of animal life that new species get discovered regularly. And that includes discoveries from SIT Study Abroad students.
Hugh Gabriel (Macalester College ’23) chose SIT in part because it was the only organization he knew of that would help him study abroad in Madagascar, a destination that stood out to him as a “hot spot for amphibian diversity,” and because it is partly French-speaking (though the SIT program includes Malagasy language instruction). So, in 2022, he attended SIT’s Madagascar: Biodiversity and Natural Resources Management program.
I got such a great taste of what it means to be a publishing academic, and what it means to do research in the field and the lab. Without SIT, I never would have had those experiences.
When Gabriel began his independent study project (ISP) research, program director Andolalao Rakotoarison (whom students often refer to as Ando) connected him with an accomplished mentor, Miguel Vences. “He was able to give me advice on where to study for my ISP and what kind of species there were data gaps in,” he said.
It’s a testament to Madagascar’s incredible biodiversity that Gabriel’s search for data gaps took him to just one tree. “These frogs live their entire life cycle within one tree,” he explained. “But what we didn’t know was how many species could live alongside each other in one tree. I went into the jungle with that as my research.”
After he’d caught and looked at many individual frogs, he received expert guidance. In looking at that sampling, Gabriel realized, “There was at least one species I found that didn’t look like anything in the guidebook. So, I sent Miguel pictures, and we decided that yes, this was most likely a new species.”
It’s unexpected, especially for undergraduates, to find an entirely new species. But remarkably, Gabriel joined several other lucky SIT students who’ve also discovered new frogs (though they were a world away, in Ecuador). Part of the reason it’s unexpected is that it requires very close observation. As Gabriel explained, “It’s one thing to see a frog that looks kind of weird, and another to actually identify it as a new species.” But thanks to SIT’s connecting him with frog experts, he was able to make the key observations.
I felt really supported. And the day-to-day host family was great. These were some of the best teachers I’ve had, and some of the best connections that I’ve made.
As unusual as it is to find a new species, Gabriel’s observations led him even farther than he expected.
"There were actually three new species! The first one was the most obvious. I realized there was nothing else like this. It’s smaller than similar frogs, and the color’s different.”
The other two weren’t as obviously different, but with help from other scientists and through genetic analysis, it became clear. “It can be hard to see the differences at first,” he said. “These frogs were smaller than my thumb, a sort of brown color, and they have a lot of different splotching and colors and so on.”
Now that genetic analysis has revealed the new species, it’s possible to focus more on their minute differences. “You can see differences in things like the size of toes, what kind of teeth they have, the coloration on a vocal sac—small details, but really effective in differentiating them.”
Gabriel credited much of his work to SIT’s program. “I felt like I was in really good hands.” SIT staff connected him with Malagasy speakers who knew the spots to go to to find frogs, and to the frog researchers who guided him. “I felt really supported. And the day-to-day host family was great. These were some of the best teachers I’ve had, and some of the best connections that I’ve made.
“Ando was great at organizing stuff, but she is also a top scientist, and knows how to approach a research question and who to connect. All the students had interesting ISPs and got great connections. I was not an exception. As an undergrad, I felt really privileged to be able to do all that I did.”
Gabriel’s SIT research became part of a co-authored January 2024 publication in Zootaxa. These days, he’s working in environmental education for the Bell Museum in Minnesota. He hopes to continue his scientific work. Grad school, he says, is on the horizon. “I got such a great taste of what it means to be a publishing academic, and what it means to do research in the field and the lab. Without SIT, I never would have had those experiences.”