An innate childhood curiosity for reptiles and amphibians led Kennedy Hunter (BIO '26) into her backyard to catch toads or visit the library to read books about lizards. Now, as a college student, Hunter has taken her explorations to the field where she has traded her childhood tools for specialized ones, performing advanced data analysis. “You go out and you spend the whole day just looking for reptiles. It’s so fun,” she says with a smile.
Working with Allison Whiting, the herpetology curator for the BYU Bean Life Science Museum, Hunter studies cryptic frogs from New Guinea, and her research won her first place in the biology category at the 2025 Life Sciences Research Conference.
Cryptic species are distinct biological species that look the same to the naked eye but are genetically and reproductively distinct. Hunter’s project aimed to discover if there were cryptic frog species within the subfamily Pelodryadinae. “We have all these museum specimens from Papua New Guinea,” she explains. “We went through and sequenced the DNA of all the tissue samples to define them into different groups.” Hunter and Whiting also compared the physical characteristics of the frogs, combining DNA barcoding with hands-on analysis to determine differences in samples.
Their study confirmed that great diversity exists within Pelodryadinae, opening the door to several new research routes. Hunter’s experience studying genetic variance and evolution has enhanced both her scientific prowess and her faith in God. “People classically think of evolution as something that's very separate from religion,” Hunter says. “But you really see the details of the Creator in everything. It makes it really hard to think that there wasn't a guiding hand behind it.”
Beyond frogs, Hunter has a second ongoing project targeting cryptic lizards in western North America, which aims to investigate the existence of a new species. She intends to continue her research with Dr. Randy Klabacka as a graduate student in 2026. She wants to pursue a PhD in herpetology, to fulfill her dream of becoming a full-time curator for reptiles and amphibians at a museum.
Hunter is boldly chasing her dreams, just as she chased frogs when she was young. Though her future seemed cryptic at times, she’s never been more grateful that she chose to follow her passion and recommends others do the same, regardless of what their obsession might be. “Every experience is valuable,” Hunter encourages. “It’s all good. Just get out there and experience it.”
