3D Imaging of Amphibians

In 2015 4-VA awarded Dr. David McLeod and Dr. Guohua Cao a grant called Using μCT to Study Amphibian Morphology and Systematics. The collaboration brought together expertise from the fields of amphibian morphology and systematics (Dr. McLeod) and high-resolution x-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging technology (Dr. Cao). The use of 3D imaging in the study of amphibian morphology and systematics represents an emerging field of research that is revealing novel insights into the structure, function, and evolution of these organisms. From a global perspective, this research is important because amphibians are model organisms in a variety of studies, are considered sensitive indicators of environmental change, and are key players in ecosystems around the world. The grant positioned both JMU and VT to apply for federal NSF and/or NIH funding as well as future 4-VA scale-up funding to continue and expand the project.