Carnegie Museum of Natural History

One of the Four Carnegie Museums of Pittsburgh

Discoverers Expedition Vilcabamba 2016: Ayacucho

Dr. Santiago Castroviejo talking about the wonders of glassfrogs (Centrolenidae)
Dr. Santiago Castroviejo talking about the wonders of glassfrogs (Centrolenidae)
A poster of the non-profit Pro Fauna Silvestre Ayacucho, signaling the event.
A poster of the non-profit Pro Fauna Silvestre Ayacucho, signaling the event.
Members of the expedition are introduced by the dean of science of the University of San Cristobal de Huamanga.
Members of the expedition are introduced by the dean of science of the University of San Cristobal de Huamanga.
Students of the University of San Cristobal de Huamanga listening to our presentations.
Students of the University of San Cristobal de Huamanga listening to our presentations.

February 26, 2016

After leaving Vilcabamba, we stopped in Ayacucho where we were invited to give talks at the Cultural Center of the University of San Cristobal de Huamanga. The event was organized by Pro Fauna Silvestre Ayacucho, a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and conservation of nature. I gave a talk about the role that natural history museums are playing in conservation through Biodiversity Inventories, and provided a brief overview of the results of our expedition. Dr. Santiago Castroviejo, from the Potificia Universidade Catolica do Rio Grande do Sul, presented new results on the evolutionary history of glass frogs (Centrolenidae).

José Padial and his team of researchers traveled to the remote Vilcabamba mountains of Peru in the pursuit of biodiversity research. He blogs and sends photos as often as possible capturing his expedition and his journey home.