Pedro Peloso

Pedro Peloso is the epitome of a modern field biologist, planning, studying and making connections that help us understand our world. His work in herpetology focuses on frogs and involves everything from organizing field expeditions to less-understood areas of Amazonia, describing species discovered during these expeditions and using state-of-the-art techniques that yield insights about genetic and morphological evolution.

Amphibians, and frogs in particular, face threats from habitat loss, diseases and climate change. Peloso has worked to educate people about his work and the importance of conserving the rainforest and its flora and fauna. His remarkable nature photography and contributions to science communication, both in Portuguese and English, has helped engage community members and researchers in this very important work.

Peloso has focused on studying how genetic structure correlates with the evolution of morphology in several groups of amphibians. By focusing on the hyperdiverse Amazonian frog fauna, his analyses provide an excellent picture of diversity and speciation in a complex and ancient environment. Although in an early stage of his career, he has participated in over 15 field expeditions, published more than 40 scientific papers and named 32 new species (29 amphibians and 3 lizards). His contributions have critical importance in highlighting the biodiversity of tropical rainforests and the importance of preserving them in the face of human encroachment and deforestation in a rapidly changing planet.