I've been watching political videos for an hour. How refreshing to hear something intelligent for a change. She is making a difference. You are appreciated young lady. Please keep up the great work.
This is my first view of Get To Know A Scientist. Ms. Ford is a remarkably good ambassador for her toads and science in general. I wish I had teachers with her enthusiasm, individuality, and expertise when I was a kid. I did eventually develop a curiosity and appreciation of science, but I missed out on a lot of the enjoyment of learning new things and the beauty of our physical universe. Bravo, Jessica. I’ll wager the world will be hearing more of your work.
I love hearing and seeing scientists get excited about their own field. Thanks for giving her a platforms to talk about and introduce this field to us!
This is AMAZING!! Thank you Jessica for being such an inspiration. Im a STEM major that does not fit the stereotypical image or description. Im currently working on my degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Im on a STEM scholarship funded by the NSF, for underrepresented groups in STEM. I can not wait to be out in the field playing in the mud studying and researching what I love!! This is truly inspiring and such a great cause!! ^_^
12:00 my Grinch heart grew three sizes! Actually, I'm no Grinch, but a Lake Erie resident with a couple of research scientists in my family, and your enthusiasm reminds me of their path of exploration. Congratulations, Jess! You will go far in your pond!
That was a great video, thank you Jessica for sharing your work! Last year you gave a seminar at Dawson College in which I happened to be in the audience, and I can guarantee it left everyone attending greatly inspired. A friend of mine actually decided to study biology after listening to your talk! Good luck on the rest of your PhD and thank you again, for both the video and the seminar!
I am delighted that you enjoyed the video and my talk at Dawson last year, I had so much fun during that talk! And It makes me so happy that your friend decided to study biology after my talk, wish them luck from me. Good luck in your studies!
Science explained succinctly and clearly with enthusiasm and passion by a very engaging young lady. I'm sure your work will be an inspiration for some youngsters to take an interest in a perhaps less obvious branch of science. Thank you Ms Forde
this was my favorite class in college . i love lizards . the great smoky mountains is the #1 place for salamanders and the Atlanta zoo has a wonderful herpetology house ... this love seems to be genetic , as my little girl began to love turtles all on her own . i am so proud of her
Hello Dave. As usual, more great content. I just found this series and really diggin' it. Thanks again for all your efforts and for making society a little wiser everyday.
Great work, Jessica! You've become my new, most favorite "Toad Lady!" I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind responding here? 1. The world map you showed had these acronyms: "CRX" and "EV." Can you explain what these acronyms mean in the context of world toad population? 2. For your herpetological experiments (I'm supposing there's more than one?), what are your typical dependent and independent variables, and what are your core hypotheses? Sorry for the persnickety questions, but I'm genuinely interested in how your work follows the scientific method and how you will organize your findings for your PhD defense. Thanks for sharing this important work with us and I wish you continued success! RIBBIT!
Hi Glenn, so glad you like my work! 1. "CRX" is the the number of extinct, extinct in the wild or critically endangered species, and "EV" is the number of endangered or vulnerable species. So in that map, on each area you see red and orange circles above a number in a box. That number in the box is the total number of amphibians that we know of in that area, and the number in the circles are the amount of amphibians that fall into the CRX (very bad) and EV (still bad) categories. So it means amphibians are in trouble all over the world! Roughly a third of the world's amphibian population is threatened with extinction, so they need our help! You can read more about that map and more from amphibiaweb, they are a great resource and where I found that map: amphibiaweb.org/declines/ 2. Oh there are so many! I will give you an example of one from the video. So we test the effect that independent variables have on dependent variables. When I am trying to determine how much algae is in the tanks, my independent variable is the presence of tadpoles, since I manipulate that across tanks, and my dependent variable is something called chlorphyll a. Chlorophyll a is a pigment in algae cells, and so we can measure the concentration of that in the water, which basically tells us how green the water is and how much algae there is. Since the tadpoles eat the algae, my hypothesis is that if tadpoles are present, then there will be less chlorophyll a in those tanks than if they are absent. Then there are other questions that follow that hypothesis, like, will there be more peripthyon or phytoplankton, if the amount of algae will go up and down through time, things like that. Thanks for your questions!
Love what youre doing, all too often, people ignore conservation of animals like reptiles and amphibians that are not as conventionally "cute" great to see more awareness
I found an Australian graceful green tree frog at about 1.2 inches length, hiding under a single long skinny section of a palm frond. I work in a public sales nursery, one of the largest in Australia. We are required by law to protect it, and one of my colleagues takes the time to house and quarantine it, before shipping north, where the Dypsis Lutescens (golden cane palm) we sell are sourced from. We are in New South Whales, where the weather is much milder, compared to tropical Queensland, where the frog is endemic. It was the first time that I have seen one, and it was amazingly beautiful. I also have around my yard, Pearson’s Tree frogs, aka the cackling frog or hammer frog, so called for its jack hammer rhythm, and raspy cackling like sound. I’m in a particularly well vegetated part of south Sydney, with a creek line not far. They breed in my neighbours disused and swamp like pool, and I’ve saved many that have come in to the houses from open doors. I’ve also seen thousands of small 1-2inch toads (not cane toads) crossing a long country road at night, which had long grass and scrub either side of the road. Up near the border of Queensland and New South Whales, I’ve seen tiny little frogs that live in short grass, literally the size of a fingernail, at a homestead in Bungalong national park. One of my favourite frogs that I’ve been lucky to see a handful of times in suburban Sydney, is the Sydney Marsh Frog. I love it’s earthy browns, mixed with straight & thin geometric black lines, and black mottling. There is an interesting Australian Dream Time story of a giant frog which drank and drank and drank all of the water from many rivers, causing a long drought, until finally it couldn’t hold the water that it had greedily over-drunk, and spurted it all back out, creating a huge lake. The artwork of the giant frog, was something I was completely captured by as a child. There is my contribution of interesting frog stuff from my life.
@@eyebleaching9215 I do have a youtube channel! Right now it is videos I upload for conferences or classes I help teach, but there's playlists of me doing scicomm for other channels like this one too! Happy for you to check it out :)
I hit the "like button" because it was informative, and how could you not fall in love with this Lady's passion for todes. My only problem was the map with different numbers, that didn't tell what they related to. What are they?
I have frogs and toads and salamanders on my property. I have created habitat and moved some tadpoles. This year Mr. Ribet D. Frog has taken residence in my greenhouse after his metamorphosis in my aquaponics setup. I look forward to expanding my system in the hopes of inviting Ms. Riva D. To my home.
I would love to meet a scientist working in the field of agriculture, hell i dream one day ill have something worth presenting here, i hope you are still around when that happens as i would be proud to do it
That was super interesting. Please do an entomologist or an ornithologist next, they have the same type of appeal to kids who grew up fascinated by the critters in their own backyards.
@@ProfessorDaveExplains Oh cool, somehow I missed all that even though I'm subscribed and youtube should have notified me. Thanks Professor Dave, now I have some catching up to do. Love your work!
Hello Jessica mam , i just saw the whole video and really admired your field of study. I have a question that might sound silly and basic , but couldn't hold my horse to ask it out : These tadpoles undergoes metamorphosis , that means enormous changes not only in exterior but also interior and some structures like gill and tail gets degenerated and replaced by more complex structure like lungs . Their feeding behaviour , ecological niche also gets changed ., Do you think the environment where the tadpoles are hatched and nurtured play some kind of role in the metamorphosis ? Why the frogs needs to be changed they can live their whole life as an tadpole ?
Great question! Tadpoles actually absorb things from their environment when undergoing metamorphosis, like the chemicals they need to make bones. The environment also plays an important role because when the tadpoles undergo metamorphosis, they can't eat! They have to survive on the amount of energy stored in their tail as they absorb it. If there wasn't enough food in the environment where they hatched, then they may not have enough energy to undergo metamorphosis. There's lots of reasons why people think frogs have a tadpole stage! Some say it is to reduce competition with the adults, others say they can get more food quicker as tadpoles. Not all frogs actually have tadpoles though, so it is an interesting question! They can't be tadpoles their whole lives because they can't breed as tadpoles, they don't have any gonads or anything yet, so they wouldn't be able to make more tadpoles and continue the population.
In the ponds with and without tadpoles, you see significant differences in algae biomass. I certainly see how the presence/absence of tadpoles in a mesocosm can dramatically change algae. But in terms of the ponds, did the ponds differ only in tadpole presence, or were there also differences in other primary consumers that feed upon algae? If the toad-less ponds were also lacking other consumers of algae, how can one tell if the lack of toads was the main factor limiting algae populations, vs lack of other consumers, in the ponds? As a thought experiment; if the mesocosms had numerous consumers of algae, but some had toads and others no toads, would you expect the same dramatic changes in algae?
Those are great questions! Lots of things can affect the amount of algae in ponds, like nutrients, depth, temperature, and as you said, other consumers. Between the natural ponds, we didn't see any significant differences in things like nutrients and temperature, at least with the parameters we measured, and the ponds are roughly the same depth at their deepest point. There aren't really other periphyton consumers in these shallow, sandy ponds that the toads prefer to breed in, but there are phytoplankton consumers, like zooplankton. So would other things affect the amount of algae? Yes! But in the same way? Probably not. Other studies have found that tadpoles aren't functionally redundant, so other species don't occupy their role in the system when they disappear. Since tadpole presence was the main difference between these ponds, that is why we think they are the cause of this difference in algal biomass, which makes sense because they eat it. To answer your thought experiment, I think that there would still be dramatic differences in the algae, but that those differences may be in things like the community composition of the algae and what kind is present, especially if some of the other consumers selectively eat one kind of algae. It is important to remember that algae isn't just one plant, it is lots of different species all living together and competing for resources. If tadpoles are able to consume things like filamentous algae but other consumers can't, then no toads would still lead to more of that kind of algae, for example. There's lots of aspects to consider, that is what makes this such a fun system to work on!
@@jessicaford6768 I was considering critters like snails, which feed heavily upon algae, at least the filamentous forms, or invertebrates that feed upon phytoplankton. You say, “Other studies have found that tadpoles aren't functionally redundant”; I wonder if all species have some overlap with others, so that the ecosystem responses can be partially replaced by competitors. I am thinking of Richard Shines’ work on mosquito and tadpole competition for algae; “Diets of these tadpoles and mosquito larvae overlap considerably, potentially leading to competition for food. Laboratory experiments show that, in both study systems, mosquitoes reduced the growth rates of tadpoles, and tadpoles reduced the growth rates and survival of mosquito larvae.” As for mesocosms, they can get pretty convoluted as soon as there are as few as two or three consumer species; I recall experiments where the mesocosms had treatments of larval amphibians only, amphibians and predatory fish, and the same with pesticides added (an insecticide). They (Kirby et al., 201X), found that while fish suppressed the tadpoles (not surprisingly), and that insecticides also altered the behaviour of tadpoles (making them more susceptible to predation), when exposed to both pesticides and fish, the tadpoles did better with the pesticides, as the negative effects on the fish was greater than the negative effects of the pesticides on the tadpoles. I am certainly not saying that your interpretation is wrong, but I am suggesting that some caution is needed in applying inference based upon observed results, as there are alternative hypotheses that can have similar outcomes. I am surprised you respond on RUclips! I just assumed this would be a dead end for my comment…
@@pauritus1635 Thanks so much for those resources! It is definitely important to use caution interpreting these results, especially with how my simplified mesocosm system may apply to natural systems. I appreciate your in depth reply. Some studies such as Whiles et al, 2013 found that tadpoles weren't always functionally replaced, so it may depend on the system. Always more to look at! I check youtube comments from time to time as I am always happy to talk toads.
Man thank you for posting this. As a bio myself and not chem. I wonder what mechanisms of chromosome gene activation (‘ethylation, ly 4 phospho etc) involve in activating a full grown appendage. I know it’s not exactly what the video is about but it made me think. Edit: I again stress I’m only an epigenetics/cell biology guy. Teach me for free?
There's LOTS that goes into metamorphosis and growing limbs! You can check out a cool paper called "Gene expression changes at metamorphosis induced by thyroid hormone in Xenopus laevis tadpoles" by Das et al, 2006.
I didn't know this term at all. Damn I hate reptiles so much and it's hard for me to understand how some people can be so drawn to them they make full careers about them. I'll watch the video our of curiosity for what is unimaginable to me!
Sad people will watch this with a Bible/Quran in hand and say “bullshit!” This is awesome work that is so incredibly interesting. I love hearing people talk about what they research because you can tell that these people are studying what they love and to see people share that love is so awesome.
I watched it with a Bible and I hugged the Bible. I am so happy. The research is fantastic. And knowing that she helped saved the toad from extinction made my Christian heart grow warm. Okay I am weird, but God is over the Natural world and He said the toad was good.
@@Joemamahahahaha821 But if you read it with a higher understanding you find out it doesn't. We are understanding more and more, which does not change the themes of the Bible just makes them complete.
@@guywithfuzzyface uhh, then where does the Bible mention anything that can be interpreted as evolution? It leaves no room for any ancestors of Adam of Eve. Also, what language were Adam and Eve and the snake all speaking?
Can you place tadpoles in a mesocosm (sp?) that has become infested with the algae and have them clean it or is there too much algae? If you can, how quickly will they restore the water to what it would be if they had been there the whole time?
You can, and they will eat that algae, but it depends on what stage the tadpoles are at! If they are at an early stage in their development, they can get caught in the algae and get stuck! At later stages though, when they are bigger, they can eat that algae. I've only tried this once with later stage tadpoles, and they returned the mesocosm to a state where it looked like the other mesocosms in just a week! But that is a mesocosm which is a lot smaller than a pond, so it warrants more study. IF, however, that algae has grown because of a nutrient spike (like fertilizer got dumped in a pond), instead of it just lacking a herbivore to graze it, then that can cause low oxygen and high ammonia, and that can kill the tadpoles.
They sure are! But as tadpoles, they don't really have a skeleton yet. They don't have any bones at all, just cartilage, and most of it is in their head. Pretty much their whole tail is just muscle. During metamorphosis, they get a cartilage skeleton that then turns into bones! Pretty amazing.
I just had a discussion with my mom as to what a snake expert is called I confused it with hepatologist knowing a hematologist is reared to blood do snakes have livers will they need a hepatologist would a hepatologist refer a case to a hepatologist
@@ProfessorDaveExplains I'd love diversity and inclusion, if that's what the terms actually meant. They never mean diversity of thought, or inclusion of right-wingers. Perfect example of semantic overload.
i like the video, but the ending spoils it a bit. calling yourself a "brilliant scientist" is a kinda red flag. imo scientists shouldn't have such high ego. sounds like someone that wouldn't admit to being wrong every now and then.
Why does everything have to be about politics today? Just do your work and research no matter what color or gender you are. You talking about inclusion and all that makes me think you care more about identity politics than your actual scientific field. As if anyone actually prevented you from studying what you want.
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I've been watching political videos for an hour. How refreshing to hear something intelligent for a change. She is making a difference. You are appreciated young lady. Please keep up the great work.
This is my first view of Get To Know A Scientist. Ms. Ford is a remarkably good ambassador for her toads and science in general.
I wish I had teachers with her enthusiasm, individuality, and expertise when I was a kid. I did eventually develop a curiosity and appreciation of science, but I missed out on a lot of the enjoyment of learning new things and the beauty of our physical universe.
Bravo, Jessica. I’ll wager the world will be hearing more of your work.
I love hearing and seeing scientists get excited about their own field. Thanks for giving her a platforms to talk about and introduce this field to us!
As I watch the video I just root more and more for the toads and their environment
@@eyebleaching9215 I love toads
@@eyebleaching9215 10/10
I remember this series. It is great to see that it's back
This is AMAZING!! Thank you Jessica for being such an inspiration. Im a STEM major that does not fit the stereotypical image or description. Im currently working on my degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Im on a STEM scholarship funded by the NSF, for underrepresented groups in STEM. I can not wait to be out in the field playing in the mud studying and researching what I love!! This is truly inspiring and such a great cause!! ^_^
I'm so glad you find this inspiring! Know that you have a place here in STEM and we are lucky to have you. Good luck with your degree!
That's pretty awesome! These series are great as they give curious people an insight as to what specific scientists do.
12:00 my Grinch heart grew three sizes!
Actually, I'm no Grinch, but a Lake Erie resident with a couple of research scientists in my family, and your enthusiasm reminds me of their path of exploration. Congratulations, Jess! You will go far in your pond!
That was a great video, thank you Jessica for sharing your work! Last year you gave a seminar at Dawson College in which I happened to be in the audience, and I can guarantee it left everyone attending greatly inspired. A friend of mine actually decided to study biology after listening to your talk! Good luck on the rest of your PhD and thank you again, for both the video and the seminar!
I am delighted that you enjoyed the video and my talk at Dawson last year, I had so much fun during that talk! And It makes me so happy that your friend decided to study biology after my talk, wish them luck from me. Good luck in your studies!
Awesome video. where would the world be without curious folk like Jessica? Keep up the research! Way to make an impact!
Science explained succinctly and clearly with enthusiasm and passion by a very engaging young lady. I'm sure your work will be an inspiration for some youngsters to take an interest in a perhaps less obvious branch of science. Thank you Ms Forde
Thank you Jessica for telling us about your research!
My God, that is so impressive. Thank you so much for sharing. I really enjoyed your presentation. And thank you to professor Dave for putting you on.
this was my favorite class in college . i love lizards . the great smoky mountains is the #1 place for salamanders and the Atlanta zoo has a wonderful herpetology house ... this love seems to be genetic , as my little girl began to love turtles all on her own . i am so proud of her
More please. Thanks for leveraging your platform to promote others' work as established or upcoming scientists.
Hello Dave. As usual, more great content. I just found this series and really diggin' it. Thanks again for all your efforts and for making society a little wiser everyday.
Great work, Jessica! You've become my new, most favorite "Toad Lady!" I have a couple of questions, if you don't mind responding here?
1. The world map you showed had these acronyms: "CRX" and "EV." Can you explain what these acronyms mean in the context of world toad population?
2. For your herpetological experiments (I'm supposing there's more than one?), what are your typical dependent and independent variables, and what are your core hypotheses?
Sorry for the persnickety questions, but I'm genuinely interested in how your work follows the scientific method and how you will organize your findings for your PhD defense.
Thanks for sharing this important work with us and I wish you continued success!
RIBBIT!
Hi Glenn, so glad you like my work!
1. "CRX" is the the number of extinct, extinct in the wild or critically endangered species, and "EV" is the number of endangered or vulnerable species. So in that map, on each area you see red and orange circles above a number in a box. That number in the box is the total number of amphibians that we know of in that area, and the number in the circles are the amount of amphibians that fall into the CRX (very bad) and EV (still bad) categories. So it means amphibians are in trouble all over the world! Roughly a third of the world's amphibian population is threatened with extinction, so they need our help! You can read more about that map and more from amphibiaweb, they are a great resource and where I found that map: amphibiaweb.org/declines/
2. Oh there are so many! I will give you an example of one from the video. So we test the effect that independent variables have on dependent variables. When I am trying to determine how much algae is in the tanks, my independent variable is the presence of tadpoles, since I manipulate that across tanks, and my dependent variable is something called chlorphyll a. Chlorophyll a is a pigment in algae cells, and so we can measure the concentration of that in the water, which basically tells us how green the water is and how much algae there is. Since the tadpoles eat the algae, my hypothesis is that if tadpoles are present, then there will be less chlorophyll a in those tanks than if they are absent. Then there are other questions that follow that hypothesis, like, will there be more peripthyon or phytoplankton, if the amount of algae will go up and down through time, things like that.
Thanks for your questions!
@@jessicaford6768 Fantastic! Thanks, Jessica. Godspeed on your PhD work and enjoy your Holiday season. All the best.
Love what youre doing, all too often, people ignore conservation of animals like reptiles and amphibians that are not as conventionally "cute" great to see more awareness
Pfff, those baby toads are absolutely adorable! :D
i love amphibians and you taught me something new and very interesting. wonderful
after Money heist's professor you are the second best professor i know !
"Get to Know a Scientist" sounds like a great series, im gonna watch it all, lets GO! (:
All of your videos are the best for me to study, just hearing your voice kinda helps me concentrate and think more logically
Super interesting watch!
Cheers to ur work, keep on with that enthusiasm:) really really important!
That was a great video, thank you Jessica for sharing your work👍thank you so much for sharing this video🥰🥰Big like 🥰
Nice idea Dave! Very interresting Jessica! I also have to say that i love this passion in the eye of a scientist.
Fascinating!
I found an Australian graceful green tree frog at about 1.2 inches length, hiding under a single long skinny section of a palm frond.
I work in a public sales nursery, one of the largest in Australia.
We are required by law to protect it, and one of my colleagues takes the time to house and quarantine it, before shipping north, where the Dypsis Lutescens (golden cane palm) we sell are sourced from. We are in New South Whales, where the weather is much milder, compared to tropical Queensland, where the frog is endemic.
It was the first time that I have seen one, and it was amazingly beautiful.
I also have around my yard, Pearson’s Tree frogs, aka the cackling frog or hammer frog, so called for its jack hammer rhythm, and raspy cackling like sound.
I’m in a particularly well vegetated part of south Sydney, with a creek line not far.
They breed in my neighbours disused and swamp like pool, and I’ve saved many that have come in to the houses from open doors.
I’ve also seen thousands of small 1-2inch toads (not cane toads) crossing a long country road at night, which had long grass and scrub either side of the road.
Up near the border of Queensland and New South Whales, I’ve seen tiny little frogs that live in short grass, literally the size of a fingernail, at a homestead in Bungalong national park.
One of my favourite frogs that I’ve been lucky to see a handful of times in suburban Sydney, is the Sydney Marsh Frog.
I love it’s earthy browns, mixed with straight & thin geometric black lines, and black mottling.
There is an interesting Australian Dream Time story of a giant frog which drank and drank and drank all of the water from many rivers, causing a long drought, until finally it couldn’t hold the water that it had greedily over-drunk, and spurted it all back out, creating a huge lake.
The artwork of the giant frog, was something I was completely captured by as a child.
There is my contribution of interesting frog stuff from my life.
Thanks for helping out those toads!
Jessica needs her own RUclips channel. I'd be the first one to sub. This is so flipping interesting
She has one! She's responding to various comments here so you should be able to find her RUclips, especially while there aren't many comments yet
@@eyebleaching9215 I do have a youtube channel! Right now it is videos I upload for conferences or classes I help teach, but there's playlists of me doing scicomm for other channels like this one too! Happy for you to check it out :)
@@jessicaford6768 just subscribed! Thanks
I am working towards this path as well!
Fantastic. Finally a girl who is not afraid of bugs.
Thank you.😊
I hit the "like button" because it was informative, and how could you not fall in love with this Lady's passion for todes. My only problem was the map with different numbers, that didn't tell what they related to. What are they?
I have frogs and toads and salamanders on my property. I have created habitat and moved some tadpoles. This year Mr. Ribet D. Frog has taken residence in my greenhouse after his metamorphosis in my aquaponics setup. I look forward to expanding my system in the hopes of inviting Ms. Riva D. To my home.
HERP GANG
I love this series!
Cheers, Jess!
I would love to meet a scientist working in the field of agriculture, hell i dream one day ill have something worth presenting here, i hope you are still around when that happens as i would be proud to do it
love this series!
That was super interesting. Please do an entomologist or an ornithologist next, they have the same type of appeal to kids who grew up fascinated by the critters in their own backyards.
An entomologist already did one and it's amazing! Towards the beginning of this playlist.
@@ProfessorDaveExplains Oh cool, somehow I missed all that even though I'm subscribed and youtube should have notified me.
Thanks Professor Dave, now I have some catching up to do. Love your work!
Fowler's toads are endangered in Ontario? Wow, here they're so common!
Great content
Hello Jessica mam , i just saw the whole video and really admired your field of study. I have a question that might sound silly and basic , but couldn't hold my horse to ask it out : These tadpoles undergoes metamorphosis , that means enormous changes not only in exterior but also interior and some structures like gill and tail gets degenerated and replaced by more complex structure like lungs . Their feeding behaviour , ecological niche also gets changed ., Do you think the environment where the tadpoles are hatched and nurtured play some kind of role in the metamorphosis ?
Why the frogs needs to be changed they can live their whole life as an tadpole ?
Great question! Tadpoles actually absorb things from their environment when undergoing metamorphosis, like the chemicals they need to make bones. The environment also plays an important role because when the tadpoles undergo metamorphosis, they can't eat! They have to survive on the amount of energy stored in their tail as they absorb it. If there wasn't enough food in the environment where they hatched, then they may not have enough energy to undergo metamorphosis.
There's lots of reasons why people think frogs have a tadpole stage! Some say it is to reduce competition with the adults, others say they can get more food quicker as tadpoles. Not all frogs actually have tadpoles though, so it is an interesting question! They can't be tadpoles their whole lives because they can't breed as tadpoles, they don't have any gonads or anything yet, so they wouldn't be able to make more tadpoles and continue the population.
Damn. Amazing vid.
Scientist: Did you know frogs are cool?
Iwould love to know more about POC scientists!
You kick ass !
Please feature Erica aka Gutsick Gibbon (primatologist) and ElectroBOOM (electrical engineer)!
Actually I did ask Erica to do one! She may do it.
Awesome Thanks!
In the ponds with and without tadpoles, you see significant differences in algae biomass. I certainly see how the presence/absence of tadpoles in a mesocosm can dramatically change algae. But in terms of the ponds, did the ponds differ only in tadpole presence, or were there also differences in other primary consumers that feed upon algae? If the toad-less ponds were also lacking other consumers of algae, how can one tell if the lack of toads was the main factor limiting algae populations, vs lack of other consumers, in the ponds?
As a thought experiment; if the mesocosms had numerous consumers of algae, but some had toads and others no toads, would you expect the same dramatic changes in algae?
Those are great questions! Lots of things can affect the amount of algae in ponds, like nutrients, depth, temperature, and as you said, other consumers. Between the natural ponds, we didn't see any significant differences in things like nutrients and temperature, at least with the parameters we measured, and the ponds are roughly the same depth at their deepest point. There aren't really other periphyton consumers in these shallow, sandy ponds that the toads prefer to breed in, but there are phytoplankton consumers, like zooplankton. So would other things affect the amount of algae? Yes! But in the same way? Probably not. Other studies have found that tadpoles aren't functionally redundant, so other species don't occupy their role in the system when they disappear.
Since tadpole presence was the main difference between these ponds, that is why we think they are the cause of this difference in algal biomass, which makes sense because they eat it.
To answer your thought experiment, I think that there would still be dramatic differences in the algae, but that those differences may be in things like the community composition of the algae and what kind is present, especially if some of the other consumers selectively eat one kind of algae. It is important to remember that algae isn't just one plant, it is lots of different species all living together and competing for resources. If tadpoles are able to consume things like filamentous algae but other consumers can't, then no toads would still lead to more of that kind of algae, for example.
There's lots of aspects to consider, that is what makes this such a fun system to work on!
@@jessicaford6768 I was considering critters like snails, which feed heavily upon algae, at least the filamentous forms, or invertebrates that feed upon phytoplankton. You say, “Other studies have found that tadpoles aren't functionally redundant”; I wonder if all species have some overlap with others, so that the ecosystem responses can be partially replaced by competitors. I am thinking of Richard Shines’ work on mosquito and tadpole competition for algae; “Diets of these tadpoles and mosquito larvae overlap considerably, potentially leading to competition for food. Laboratory experiments show that, in both study systems, mosquitoes reduced the growth rates of tadpoles, and tadpoles reduced the growth rates and survival of mosquito larvae.”
As for mesocosms, they can get pretty convoluted as soon as there are as few as two or three consumer species; I recall experiments where the mesocosms had treatments of larval amphibians only, amphibians and predatory fish, and the same with pesticides added (an insecticide). They (Kirby et al., 201X), found that while fish suppressed the tadpoles (not surprisingly), and that insecticides also altered the behaviour of tadpoles (making them more susceptible to predation), when exposed to both pesticides and fish, the tadpoles did better with the pesticides, as the negative effects on the fish was greater than the negative effects of the pesticides on the tadpoles.
I am certainly not saying that your interpretation is wrong, but I am suggesting that some caution is needed in applying inference based upon observed results, as there are alternative hypotheses that can have similar outcomes.
I am surprised you respond on RUclips! I just assumed this would be a dead end for my comment…
@@pauritus1635 Thanks so much for those resources! It is definitely important to use caution interpreting these results, especially with how my simplified mesocosm system may apply to natural systems. I appreciate your in depth reply. Some studies such as Whiles et al, 2013 found that tadpoles weren't always functionally replaced, so it may depend on the system. Always more to look at!
I check youtube comments from time to time as I am always happy to talk toads.
Man thank you for posting this. As a bio myself and not chem. I wonder what mechanisms of chromosome gene activation (‘ethylation, ly 4 phospho etc) involve in activating a full grown appendage. I know it’s not exactly what the video is about but it made me think. Edit: I again stress I’m only an epigenetics/cell biology guy. Teach me for free?
There's LOTS that goes into metamorphosis and growing limbs! You can check out a cool paper called "Gene expression changes at metamorphosis induced by thyroid hormone in Xenopus laevis tadpoles" by Das et al, 2006.
interesting video!
Very cool
I didn't know this term at all. Damn I hate reptiles so much and it's hard for me to understand how some people can be so drawn to them they make full careers about them. I'll watch the video our of curiosity for what is unimaginable to me!
Wicked cool!
Sad people will watch this with a Bible/Quran in hand and say “bullshit!”
This is awesome work that is so incredibly interesting. I love hearing people talk about what they research because you can tell that these people are studying what they love and to see people share that love is so awesome.
I watched it with a Bible and I hugged the Bible. I am so happy. The research is fantastic. And knowing that she helped saved the toad from extinction made my Christian heart grow warm. Okay I am weird, but God is over the Natural world and He said the toad was good.
@@guywithfuzzyface good to know cuz the Bible pretty much spits in the face of any evolution research unfortunately if you read it literally
@@Joemamahahahaha821 But if you read it with a higher understanding you find out it doesn't. We are understanding more and more, which does not change the themes of the Bible just makes them complete.
Oh, that theme is love.
@@guywithfuzzyface uhh, then where does the Bible mention anything that can be interpreted as evolution? It leaves no room for any ancestors of Adam of Eve. Also, what language were Adam and Eve and the snake all speaking?
professor dave you need more subs
The thumbnail confused me. Had no clue why a Herpes-Expert would stand in the swamp.
I only came for the chemistry jesus thing, i regret nothing
😂😂😂😂 such a good meme. Dave is such a great guy really
Can you place tadpoles in a mesocosm (sp?) that has become infested with the algae and have them clean it or is there too much algae? If you can, how quickly will they restore the water to what it would be if they had been there the whole time?
You can, and they will eat that algae, but it depends on what stage the tadpoles are at! If they are at an early stage in their development, they can get caught in the algae and get stuck! At later stages though, when they are bigger, they can eat that algae. I've only tried this once with later stage tadpoles, and they returned the mesocosm to a state where it looked like the other mesocosms in just a week! But that is a mesocosm which is a lot smaller than a pond, so it warrants more study.
IF, however, that algae has grown because of a nutrient spike (like fertilizer got dumped in a pond), instead of it just lacking a herbivore to graze it, then that can cause low oxygen and high ammonia, and that can kill the tadpoles.
Didn’t know herpes specialists existed, awesome.
Tadpoles are vertebrates? I just realized that lol
They sure are! But as tadpoles, they don't really have a skeleton yet. They don't have any bones at all, just cartilage, and most of it is in their head. Pretty much their whole tail is just muscle. During metamorphosis, they get a cartilage skeleton that then turns into bones! Pretty amazing.
@@jessicaford6768 Wait, you look familiar....
Hi Jess, live long and teach as many that are willing to learn. Thank you for your science efforts. May my wife and I have your number?
I just had a discussion with my mom as to what a snake expert is called I confused it with hepatologist knowing a hematologist is reared to blood do snakes have livers will they need a hepatologist would a hepatologist refer a case to a hepatologist
Snakes DO have livers, so they could, in theory, need a hepatologist, hematologist, and herpetologist
@@jessicaford6768 now that would be awesome! A hematologist with a focus on hematology
YEE
Highland Pasco Dart Frog 👍
I live in ON 😀
🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠🤠
Chemistry Jesus 😶!!😆
Save Long Points turtles, snakes, frogs! Too many are ran over on the causeway. Signs do nothing, need 3 foot speed bumps!
Natterjack Toads 👍
😁👍
Were are your debunking videos?
In the debunking playlist.
Wow 😳 nice work😁 if you call it work .
Toadally
a what a tologist?
I'd let her study my snake, if you know what I mean.
underrepresented group you mean females
You had me up until diversity and inclusion.
Right, who the hell wants those...
@@ProfessorDaveExplains I'd love diversity and inclusion, if that's what the terms actually meant. They never mean diversity of thought, or inclusion of right-wingers. Perfect example of semantic overload.
Who’s excluding you, bud? Do you really mean you’re upset about not being to exclude groups you don’t like any longer?
i like the video, but the ending spoils it a bit. calling yourself a "brilliant scientist" is a kinda red flag. imo scientists shouldn't have such high ego. sounds like someone that wouldn't admit to being wrong every now and then.
Disappointed she doesn't study herpes
Why does everything have to be about politics today? Just do your work and research no matter what color or gender you are. You talking about inclusion and all that makes me think you care more about identity politics than your actual scientific field.
As if anyone actually prevented you from studying what you want.
Are you saying she's not allowed to promote topics she's passionate about because you get triggered?