About This Project
I am studying caecilians from São Tomé because I want to understand why and how they have evolved bright yellow coloration.
Ask the Scientists
Join The DiscussionWhat is the context of this research?
What is the evolutionary and ecological significance of bright coloration in caecilians?
What is the significance of this project?
Caecilians are among the least-studied tetrapods on Earth, and I am one of few scientists studying them. My curiosity may reveal a key piece of how conspicuous coloration evolves across vertebrates.
What are the goals of the project?
I aim to understand how and why bright coloration evolved in São Tomé caecilians by investigating its function, genetic basis, and production.
Budget
Funds from the Science Foundation will support costs for travel to São Tomé, transportation around São Tomé, 2 field assistants, food, and housing for 2 months. The budget described here is based on actual costs from my first field season in São Tomé, back in Summer 2025.
Project Timeline
I plan on spending 2 months in São Tomé from May-July to conduct fieldwork and data collection.
May 20, 2027
Travel to São Tomé
May 24, 2027
Obtain collection permits and meet with field assistants
May 31, 2027
Set up and carry out clay model experiment
Jun 21, 2027
Collect caecilians for analyses of chemical defense toxins and biofluourescence
Jul 12, 2027
Obtain export permits
Meet the Team
John Nguyen
PhD candidate in my third year of graduate school.
I care about science because it inspires us to keep asking questions and deepens our sense of connection to the world around us.
Lab Notes
Nothing posted yet.
Additional Information
One of the joys of studying animal coloration is that it draws on many fields of science. I model animal vision to investigate how predators may perceive yellow coloration, drawing on psychophysics, neuroscience, and vision science. I characterize the pigments responsible for yellow coloration using analytical chemistry and investigate potential defensive toxins using biochemistry. I also study the genomic basis of yellow coloration using genomics approaches.
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