This $498,267 federal Project Grant, awarded on August 1, 2024 by the National Science Foundation's (NSF) Biological Sciences program (CFDA 47.074), supports research to examine the impacts of climate change on color morph variation in the Eastern red-backed salamander. The primary goals are to: 1) investigate how co-adapted morphological traits of color morphs change over space and time in relation to climate fluctuations; 2) study the links between color morph and physiology under different temperature conditions; and 3) test for variation in color morph behavioral responses to increasing temperatures. The project will be carried out by the University of Dayton Research Institute Division, a prominent provider of research services to federal agencies. Undergraduate students will play a key role in data collection and gain practical skills in areas such as bioinformatics, field work, and laboratory-based studies of animal behavior and physiology. The research findings are expected to provide insights into how the existence of multiple color morphs within a species may support resilience to rapid environmental changes.
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