As part of the MHUA specimen collection, we have been also storing amphibians and reptiles tissues for genetic research and so far we harbor one of the largest specimen-vouchered tissue collection in the country. Our research interests are to understand the patterns and processes that have led to the high diversification in the Neotropical fauna. By combining morphological and molecular data with statistical phylogenetics, historical demography methods and ecological niche modeling, we aim to uncover the complex processes of lineage diversification in the Colombian herpetofauna. We also maintain active collaboration with national and international researchers aiming to make inferences across larger spatial and taxonomic scales.

Publications

Guarnizo, C.E., J.M. Daza, N.R. Pinto-Sánchez. 2018. Biogeografía y filogeografía: dos herramientas para entender el origen de la diversidad del bosque seco en Colombia. En: Biología de Anfibios y Reptiles del Bosque Seco. In press.

Saldarriaga-Córdoba, M., C.L. Parkinson, J.M. Daza, W. Wüster, M. Sasa. 2017. Phylogeography of the Central American lancehead Bothrops asper (Serpentes: Viperidae). PloS ONE 12(11): e0187969. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187969

Restrepo, A., Velasco, J.A., Daza, J.M. 2017. Extinction risk or lack of sampling in an endangered species: genetic structure and environmental suitability of the neotropical frog Pristimantis penelopus (Anura: Craugastoridae). Papeis Avulsos de Zoología 57:1-15.

Molina-Zuluaga, C., E Cano, A. Restrepo, M. Rada, & J.M. Daza. 2017. Out of Amazonia: the unexpected trans-Andean distribution of Cochranella resplendens (Lynch and Duellman, 1978) (Anura: Centrolenidae). Zootaxa 4238 (2): 268–274. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4238.2.8

Ornelas JF, Sosa V, Soltis DE, Daza J.M., González C, Soltis PS, Gutiérrez-Rodríguez C, de los Monteros AE, Castoe TA, Bell C 2013. Comparative Phylogeographic Analyses Illustrate the Complex Evolutionary History of Threatened Cloud Forests of Northern Mesoamerica. PLoS ONE 8: e56283

Daza JM, Castoe TA, Parkinson CL. 2010. Using regional comparative phylogeographic data from snake lineages to infer historical processes in Middle America. Ecography 33: 343-354.

Degner JF, Silva DM, Hether TD, Daza JM, Hoffman EA. 2010. Fat frogs, mobile genes: unexpected phylogeographic patterns for the ornate chorus frog (Pseudacris ornata). Molecular Ecology 19: 2501-2515.

Castoe TA, Daza JM, Smith EN, Sasa MM, Kuch U, Campbell JA, Chippindale PT, Parkinson CL. 2009. Comparative phylogeography of pitvipers suggests a consensus of ancient Middle American highland biogeography. Journal of Biogeography 36: 88-103.

Daza JM, Smith EN, Páez VP, Parkinson CL. 2009. Complex evolution in the Neotropics: The origin and diversification of the widespread genus Leptodeira (Serpentes: Colubridae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 53:653-667.