The Green Clade grows: A phylogenetic analysis of Aplastodiscus (Anura; Hylidae)

Author(s)

Berneck, Bianca V. M. ^[1] ; Haddad, Cello F. B. ^[1] ; Lyra, Mariana L. ^[1] ; Cruz, Carlos A. G. ^[2] ; Faivovich, Julian ^{[3, 4]}

Affiliation

^[1] Univ Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, Campus Rio Claro, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Univ Fed Rio de Janeiro, Dept Vertebrados, Museu Nacl, Rio de Janeiro, RJ - Brazil

^[3] Consejo Nacl Invest Cient & Tecn, Div Herpetol, Museo Argentino Ciencias Nat Bernardino Rivadavia, RA-1033 Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[4] Univ Buenos Aires, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, Dept Biodiversidad & Biol Expt, RA-1053 Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution; v. 97, p. 213-223, APR 2016.
• Web of Science Citations: 6

Abstract

Green tree frogs of the genus Aplastodiscus occur in the Atlantic Forest and Cerrado biomes of South America. The genus comprises 15 medium-sized species placed in three species groups diagnosed mainly by cloacal morphology. A phylogenetic analysis was conducted to: (1) test the monophyly of these species groups; (2) explore the phylogenetic relationships among putative species; and (3) investigate species boundaries. The dataset included eight mitochondria] and nuclear gene fragments for up to 6642 bp per specimen. The results strongly support the monophyly of Aplastodiscus and of the A. albofrenatus and A. perviridis groups. Aplastodiscus sibilatus is the sister taxon of all other species of Aplastodiscus, making the A. albosignatus Group non-monophyletic as currently defined. At least six unnamed species are recognized for Aplastodiscus, increasing the diversity of the genus by 40%. A fourth species group, the A. sibilatus Group is recognized. Aplastodiscus musicus is transferred from the A. albofrenatus Group to the A. albosignatus Group, and A. callipygius is considered a junior synonym of A. albosignatus. Characters related to external cloacal morphology reveal an interesting evolutionary pattern of parallelisms and reversions, suggesting an undocumented level of complexity. We analyze, in light of our phylogenetic results, the evolution of reproductive biology and chromosome morphology in Aplastodiscus. (C) 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 05/56756-0 - Phylogenetic studies on hylid frogs: from the trunk to the tips
• Grantee: Julian Faivovich
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Young Investigators Grants
• 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
• FAPESP's process: 08/50928-1 - Speciation of frogs in high-altitude environments
• Grantee: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 06/52088-5 - Phylogenetic studies on hylid frogs: from the trunk to the tips
• Grantee: Julian Faivovich
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Young Researchers
• FAPESP's process: 13/20423-3 - Relationships among major clades of Hyloidea (Anura: Neobatrachia): one of the main unresolved problems of the phylogeny of Anura
• Grantee: Boris Leonardo Blotto Acuña
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• FAPESP's process: 13/50741-7 - Diversity and conservation of Brazilian amphibians
• Grantee: Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad
• Support Opportunities: BIOTA-FAPESP Program - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 13/18807-8 - Topics in phylogeography of Aplastodiscus (Amphibia; Anura; Hylidae)
• Grantee: Bianca von Muller Berneck
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral