We studied the foot musculature of the fossorial family Odontophrynidae (composed of the genera Macrogenioglottus, Odontophrynus, and Proceratophrys) plus several outgroup taxa from Hyloidea and other burrowing taxa from across Anura. We found novel character-states supporting the monophyly of Odontophrynus, Proceratophrys, and Odontophrynus + Macrogenioglottus. The character-states observed in O. cultripes support conflicting phylogenetic positions within Odontophrynus. A comparison of some novel character-states with a diverse sample of burrowing taxa suggests that some modifications of the foot musculature might be involved in digging.

We describe two new species of Proceratophrys allied to the P. appendiculata species complex by the presence of single and long palpebral appendages and a triangular rostral appendage. Proceratophrys izecksohni sp. nov. is characterized by having small to medium size (SVL 32.1-54.2 mm in males), elongated hindlimbs (thigh length plus tibia length corresponding to more than 90% of snout-vent length), a broad head (head width corresponding to 55% of the snout-vent length), and by the light brown gular region and a cream colored ventral surface with scattered brown dots. Proceratophrys belzebul sp.nov. is characterized by its medium size (SVL 40.5-51.3 mm in males), by the absence of contact between the nasals bones and between the nasals and frontoparietals, by a very reduced iliac projection, by having frontoparietal bones very depressed and broad rostrally, by the smooth surface of the squamosal and nasal, by shallow, inconspicuous ventral pits on the maxillae, and by the females presenting the gular region dark brown. The two new species were previously confused with P. appendiculata for which we provide a new diagnosis. A molecular analysis based on mitochondrial and nuclear genes recovers a monophyletic Proceratophrys with high support, and the two new species in a clade with P. appendiculata and P. tupinamba. The data also reinforce the idea that the species groups presently admitted to the genus are not monophyletic.

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DNA barcoding helps to identify species, especially when identification is based on parts of organisms or life stages such as seeds, pollen, wood, roots or juveniles. However, the implementation of this approach strongly depends on the existence of complete reference libraries of DNA sequences. If such a library is incomplete, DNA-based identification will be inefficient. Here, we assess if DNA barcoding can already be implemented in species-rich tropical regions. We focus on the tree flora of São Paulo state, Brazil, which contains more than 2000 tree species. Using new DNA sequence data and carefully assembled GenBank accessions, we assembled 12,113 sequences from ten different regions. The ITS, rbcL, psbA-trnH, matK and trnL regions were better represented within the available sequences for São Paulo tree flora. Currently, only 58% of the São Paulo tree flora currently have at least one barcoding sequence available. However, these species represent on average 89% of the trees in São Paulo state forests. Therefore, conservation-oriented and ecological studies can already benefit from DNA barcoding to obtain more accurate species identifications. We present which taxa remain underrepresented for the São Paulo tree flora and discuss the implications of this result for other species-rich tropical regions.

Ikakogi is a behaviorally and morphologically intriguing genus of glassfrog. Using tadpole morphology, vocalizations, and DNA, a new species is described from the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta (SNSM), an isolated mountain range in northern Colombia. The new taxon is the second known species of the genus Ikakogi and is morphologically identical to I . tayrona (except for some larval characters) but differs by its genetic distance (14.8% in mitochondrial encoded cytochrome b MT-CYB ; ca. 371 bp) and by the dominant frequency of its advertisement call (2928–3273 Hz in contrast to 2650–2870 Hz in I . tayrona ). They also differ in the number of lateral buccal floor papillae, and the position of the buccal roof arena papillae. Additionally, the new species is differentiated from all other species of Centrolenidae by the following traits: tympanum visible, vomerine teeth absent, humeral spines present in adult males, bones in life white with pale green in epiphyses, minute punctuations present on green skin dorsum, and flanks with lateral row of small, enameled dots that extend from below eye to just posterior to arm insertion. We describe the external and internal larval morphology of the new species and we redescribe the larval morphology of Ikakogi tayrona on the basis of field collected specimens representing several stages of development from early to late metamorphosis. We discuss the relevance of larval morphology for the taxonomy and systematics of Ikakogi and other centrolenid genera. Finally, we document intraspecific larval variation in meristic characters and ontogenetic changes in eye size, coloration, and labial tooth-rows formulas, and compare tadpoles of related species. Ikakogi tayrona has been proposed as the sister taxon of all other Centrolenidae; our observations and new species description offers insights about the ancestral character-states of adults, egg clutches, and larval features in this lineage of frogs.

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The chondrocranium and hyobranchial morphology are described for the tadpoles of five species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro. The chondrocranium of P. appendiculata, P. boiei, P. laticeps and P. tupinamba are very similar and can be distinguished from that of P. cristiceps by: 1) less developed processus muscularis; 2) thinner palatoquadrate; 3) broadest ethmoidal region; 4) longer cornua trabeculae; and 5) morphology f the suprarostral cartilages. A morphological variation among Proceratophrys boiei is described. It reveals the existence of at least three distinct evolutionary lineages under this name. A brief comparison with other cycloramphid species is also provided.

Sociedade Brasileira de Zoologia | www.sbzoologia.org.br | www.scielo.br/zool All content of the journal, except where identified, is licensed under a Creative Commons attribution-type BY-NC.The Neotropical genus Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920 currently consist of 36 species distributed in Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay (FROST 2014). The species of Proceratophrys have been clustered in species groups or complexes based on overall morphological similarity (LYNCH 1971, IZECKSOHN et al. 1998, GIARETTA et al. 2000, KWET & FAIVOVICH 2001, PRADO & POMBAL 2008.Species without palpebral appendages are assigned to the Proceratophrys bigibbosa and P. cristiceps species groups. Species of the Proceratophrys cristiceps group occur in open and dry environments of Cerrado and Caatinga. They are characterized by the absence of post-ocular swellings (GIARETTA et al. 2000, CRUZ et al. 2012, GODINHO et al. 2013. The thirteen species included in the group are: P. aridus Cruz, Nunes & Juncá, 2012; P. bagnoi, Brandão, Caramaschi, Vaz-Lima & Campos, 2013; P. branti, Brandão, Caramaschi, Vaz-Lima & Campos, 2013; P. caramaschii Cruz, Nunes & Juncá, 2012; P. carranca Godinho, Moura, Lacerda & Feio, 2013; P. concavitympanum Giareta, Bernarde & Kokubum, 2000; P. cristiceps (Müller, 1883); P. cururu Eterovick & Sazima, 1998; P. dibernardoi, Brandão, Caramaschi, Vaz-Lima & Campos, 2013; P. goyana (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1937); P. huntingtoni Ávila, Pansonato & Strüssmann, 2012; P. moratoi (Jim & Caramaschi, 1980); P. rotundipalpebra, Martins & Giaretta, 2013; P. strussmannae Ávila, Kawashita-Ribeiro & Morais, 2011; and P. vielliardi Martins & Giaretta, 2011.Proceratophrys bigibbosa group is found in southern and southeastern Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay. The species in this group are characterized by a blunt and short snout, by the presence of a post-ocular swelling, and a large marginal row of tubercles on the eyelid (KWET & FAIVOVICH 2001). Currently four species are assigned to the group: P. avelinoi Mercadal de Barrio & Barrio, 1993; P. bigibbosa (Peters, 1872); P. brauni Kwet & Faivovich, 2001; and P. palustris Giaretta & Sazima, 1993. Species with a long and single palpebral appendage are placed in the Proceratophrys appendiculata and P. boiei groups (IZECKSOHN et al. 1998, PRADO & POMBAL 2008, CRUZ & NAPOLI 2010, DIAS et al. 2013a. The species of the P. boiei group occur primarily in the Atlantic Forest, from Paraíba to Santa Catarina states (PRADO & POMBAL 2008): P. boiei (Wied-Neuwied, 1824); P. paviotii Cruz, Prado & Izecksohn, 2005; and P. renalis (Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920).Proceratophrys appendiculata species group is found only in Atlantic Forest, from Bahia to Santa Catarina states (IZECKSOHN et al. 1998, CRUZ & NAPOLI 2010, DIAS et al. 2013a). The ten included species, listed below, are characterized by the presence of a triangular rostral appendage: P. appendiculata (Günther, 1873); P. belzebul Dias, Amaro, Carvalho-e-Silva & Rodrigues, 2013; P. izecksohni Dias, Amaro, Carvalho-e-Silva & Rodrigues, 2013; P. latic...