In rivers regulated by dams, a large water release can be disastrous for frogs. The foothill yellow-legged frog population has been wiped out from more than half of its historic range along California’s coast and central valley- an area that contains 800 damns. Many biologists see this tiny amphibian as a canary in the coalmine – an early indication of an ecosystem gone wrong. By studying the DNA of these frogs scientists are examining how big and healthy the remaining populations are.
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How is a tadpole like a short-sleeved white tee shirt? The answer lies in the Alameda Creek outside San Francisco, California, USA. Ari Daniel Shapiro wades into the issue of dams and biodiversity with two biologists sampling the DNA of this threatened frog in order to save it.
