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(Reference retrieved automatically from Web of Science through information on FAPESP grant and its corresponding number as mentioned in the publication by the authors.)

Phylogenetic systematics of egg-brooding frogs (Anura: Hemiphractidae) and the evolution of direct development

Author(s):
Castroviejo-Fisher, Santiago [1, 2] ; Padial, Jose M. [3] ; De La Riva, Ignacio [4] ; Pombal, Jr., Jose P. [5] ; Da Silva, Helio R. [6] ; Rojas-Runjaic, Fernando J. M. [2, 7] ; Medina-Mendez, Esteban [8] ; Frost, Darrel R. [1]
Total Authors: 8
Affiliation:
[1] Amer Museum Nat Hist, Div Vertebrate Zool Herpetol, New York, NY 10024 - USA
[2] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande PUCRS, Lab Sistemat Vertebrados, BR-90619900 Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil
[3] Carnegie Museum Nat Hist, Sect Amphibians & Reptiles, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 - USA
[4] Museo Nacl Ciencias Nat CSIC, Dept Biodivers & Evolutionary Biol, Madrid 28006 - Spain
[5] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacl, Dept Vertebrados, BR-20940040 Rio De Janeiro, RJ - Brazil
[6] Univ Fed Rural Rio de Janeiro, Inst Biol, BR-23897970 Seropedica, RJ - Brazil
[7] Fdn La Salle Ciencias Nat, Museo Hist Nat La Salle, Caracas 1010A - Venezuela
[8] Univ Los Andes, Dept Ciencias Biol, Inst Genet, Bogota 4976 - Colombia
Total Affiliations: 8
Document type: Journal article
Source: Zootaxa; v. 4004, n. 1, p. 1+, AUG 20 2015.
Web of Science Citations: 21
Abstract

Egg-brooding frogs (Hemiphractidae) are a group of 105 currently recognized Neotropical species, with a remarkable diversity of developmental modes, from direct development to free-living and exotrophic tadpoles. Females carry their eggs on the back and embryos have unique bell-shaped gills. We inferred the evolutionary relationships of these frogs and used the resulting phylogeny to review their taxonomy and test hypotheses on the evolution of developmental modes and bell-shaped gills. Our inferences relied on a total evidence parsimony analysis of DNA sequences of up to 20 mitochondrial and nuclear genes (analyzed under tree-alignment), and 51 phenotypic characters sampled for 83% of currently valid hemiphractid species. Our analyses rendered a well-resolved phylogeny, with both Hemiphractidae (sister of Athesphatanura) and its six recognized genera being monophyletic. We also inferred novel intergeneric relationships {[}((Cryptobatrachus, Flectonotus), (Stefania, (Fritziana, (Hemiphractus, Gastrotheca))))], the non-monophyly of all species groups previously proposed within Gastrotheca and Stefania, and the existence of several putative new species within Fritziana and Hemiphractus. Contrary to previous hypotheses, our results support the most recent common ancestor of hemiphractids as a direct-developer. Free-living aquatic tadpoles apparently evolved from direct-developing ancestors three to eight times. Embryos of the sister taxa Cryptobatrachus and Flectonotus share a pair of single gills derived from branchial arch I, while embryos of the clade including the other four genera have two pairs of gills derived from branchial arches I and II respectively. Furthermore, in Gastrotheca the fusion of the two pairs of gills is a putative synapomorphy. We propose a revised taxonomy concordant with our optimal topologies. (AU)

FAPESP's process: 12/10000-5 - A multi-disciplinary approach to the study of amphibian diversification
Grantee:Taran Grant
Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants