Systematics of spiny-backed treefrogs (Hylidae: Osteocephalus): an Amazonian puzzle

Author(s):Show less -

Jungfer, Karl-Heinz ^[1] ; Faivovich, Julian ^{[2, 3]} ; Padial, Jose M. ^[4] ; Castroviejo-Fisher, Santiago ^{[5, 6]} ; Lyra, Mariana M. ^[7] ; Berneck, Bianca V. M. ^[7] ; Iglesias, Patricia P. ^[8] ; Kok, Philippe J. R. ^{[9, 10]} ; MacCulloch, Ross D. ^[11] ; Rodrigues, Miguel T. ^[12] ; Verdade, Vanessa K. ^[13] ; Torres Gastello, Claudia P. ^[14] ; Carlos Chaparro, Juan ^[15] ; Valdujo, Paula H. ^[16] ; Reichle, Steffen ^[17] ; Moravec, Jiri ^[18] ; Gvozdik, Vaclav ^[18] ; Gagliardi-Urrutia, Giussepe ^[19] ; Ernst, Raffael ^[20] ; De la Riva, Ignacio ^[21] ; Means, Donald Bruce ^[22] ; Lima, Albertina P. ^[23] ; Celsa Senaris, J. ^[24] ; Wheeler, Ward C. ^[25] ; Haddad, Celio F. B. ^[7]

Affiliation:Show less -

^[1] Univ Koblenz Landau, Inst Integrated Sci, Dept Biol, D-56070 Koblenz - Germany

^[2] Univ Buenos Aires, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, Dept Biodiversidad & Biol Expt, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

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

^[4] Carnegie Museum Nat Hist, Sect Amphibians & Reptiles, Pittsburgh, PA 15213 - USA

^[5] Amer Museum Nat Hist, Dept Herpetol, New York, NY 10024 - USA

^[6] Pontificia Univ Catolica Rio Grande do Sul, Lab Sistemat Vertebrados, Porto Alegre, RS - Brazil

^[7] Univ Estadual Paulista, Dept Zool, Inst Biociencias, BR-13506900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[8] Univ Buenos Aires, Fac Ciencias Exactas & Nat, Dept Ecol, Inst Ecol Genet & Evoluc Buenos Aires, IEGEBA CONI, Buenos Aires, DF - Argentina

^[9] Vrije Univ Brussel, Dept Biol, Amphibian Evolut Lab, B-1050 Brussels - Belgium

^[10] Royal Belgian Inst Nat Sci, Dept Vertebrates, B-1000 Brussels - Belgium

^[11] Royal Ontario Museum, Dept Nat Hist, Toronto, ON M5S 2C6 - Canada

^[12] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Zool, Inst Biociencias, BR-05508090 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[13] Univ Fed ABC, Ctr Ciencias Nat & Humanas, BR-09210971 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[14] Univ Nacl Mayor San Marcos, Dept Herpetol, Museo Hist Nat, Lima 14 - Peru

^[15] Univ Nacl San Antonio Abad Cusco, Museo Hist Nat, Cuzco - Peru

^[16] Univ Sao Paulo, Dept Ecol, Inst Biociencias, BR-05508900 Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[17] Fdn Conservac Bosque Chiquitano, Santa Cruz - Bolivia

^[18] Natl Museum, Dept Zool, Prague 9 - Czech Republic

^[19] Inst Invest Amazonia Peruana, Programa Invest Biodiversidad Amazon, Iquitos - Peru

^[20] Senckenberg Nat Hist Collect Dresden, Museum Tierkunde, D-01109 Dresden - Germany

^[21] CSIC, Museo Nacl Ciencias Nat, Dept Biodivers & Evolutionary Biol, E-28006 Madrid - Spain

^[22] Coastal Plains Inst & Land Conservancy, Tallahassee, FL 32303 - USA

^[23] Inst Nacl de Pesquisas da Amazonia, BR-69011970 Manaus, Amazonas - Brazil

^[24] Inst Venezolano Invest Cient, Ctr Ecol, Lab Ecol & Genet Poblac, Caracas 1020A - Venezuela

^[25] Amer Museum Nat Hist, Div Invertebrate Zool, New York, NY 10024 - USA

• Document type: Review article
• Source: ZOOLOGICA SCRIPTA; v. 42, n. 4, p. 351-380, JUL 2013.
• Web of Science Citations: 50

Abstract

Spiny-backed tree frogs of the genus Osteocephalus are conspicuous components of the tropical wet forests of the Amazon and the Guiana Shield. Here, we revise the phylogenetic relationships of Osteocephalus and its sister group Tepuihyla, using up to 6134bp of DNA sequences of nine mitochondrial and one nuclear gene for 338 specimens from eight countries and 218 localities, representing 89% of the 28 currently recognized nominal species. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal (i) the paraphyly of Osteocephalus with respect to Tepuihyla, (ii) the placement of Hyla' warreni as sister to Tepuihyla, (iii) the non-monophyly of several currently recognized species within Osteocephalus and (iv) the presence of low (<1%) and overlapping genetic distances among phenotypically well-characterized nominal species (e.g. O.taurinus and O.oophagus) for the 16S gene fragment used in amphibian DNA barcoding. We propose a new taxonomy, securing the monophyly of Osteocephalus and Tepuihyla by rearranging and redefining the content of both genera and also erect a new genus for the sister group of Osteocephalus. The colouration of newly metamorphosed individuals is proposed as a morphological synapomorphy for Osteocephalus. We recognize and define five monophyletic species groups within Osteocephalus, synonymize three species of Osteocephalus (O.germani, O.phasmatus and O.vilmae) and three species of Tepuihyla (T.celsae, T.galani and T.talbergae) and reallocate three species (Hyla helenae to Osteocephalus, O.exophthalmus to Tepuihyla and O.pearsoni to Dryaderces gen. n.). Furthermore, we flag nine putative new species (an increase to 138% of the current diversity). We conclude that species numbers are largely underestimated, with most hidden diversity centred on widespread and polymorphic nominal species. The evolutionary origin of breeding strategies within Osteocephalus is discussed in the light of this new phylogenetic hypothesis, and a novel type of amplexus (gular amplexus) is described. (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: 07/51956-6 - Diversity patterns and distribution of Amphibians in Brazilian Cerrado
• Grantee: Paula Hanna Valdujo
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate