A new brevicipitid species (Brevicipitidae: Callulina) from the fragmented forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Loader, Simon P.; Measey, G. John; Sá, Rafael O. de; Malonza, Patrick K.

doi:10.11646/zootaxa.2123.1.3

Cited by 11 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 10 publications

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“…The monophyly of Breviceps is strongly supported by molecular (e.g. Loader et al ., , ; Frost et al ., ; Roelants et al ., ) and morphological (Parker, ) evidence, and we assume that the incomplete sampling of Breviceps is unlikely to unduly influence the results of our study (Appendix S1).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and stability of Eastern Afromontane forests: evidence from brevicipitid frogs

Loader

Ceccarelli

Menegon

et al. 2014

Journal of Biogeography

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Aim The persistence and stability of habitats through time are considered predictors of high levels of biodiversity in some environments. Long‐term habitat persistence and stability may explain the species‐rich, endemic forest fauna and flora of the Eastern Afromontane Biodiversity Region (EABR). Using complementary phylogenetic and biogeographical approaches, we examine evolutionary patterns in EABR brevicipitid frogs. Using these data, we test whether brevicipitid history reflects patterns of long‐term forest persistence and/or stability across the EABR. Location East Africa. Methods A dated phylogeny for brevicipitids was constructed using two nuclear and three mitochondrial markers. Alternative diversification models were used to determine signal for constant or varying net diversification rates. Using our dated tree, we identified areas of high phylogenetic diversity (PD), and inferred ancestral areas using likelihood and Bayesian approaches. Results Brevicipitids have a long history, with generic diversification among extant lineages pre‐dating the Oligocene (> 33 Ma). Ancestral‐area reconstructions indicate the presence of brevicipitids in the EABR since the Oligocene, and support a scenario of palaeoendemics surviving in EABR refugia. Ancestral‐area reconstructions indicate that the central Eastern Arc Mountains (EAM) formed the initial centre of diversification of forest brevicipitids. Measures of PD show that diversity varies across the EABR but is highest in the EAM. Constant net diversification rate in brevicipitids is a significantly better fit than alternative, rate‐variable models. Main conclusions The degree of persistence of forest habitats appears to be a contributing factor to the varying levels of diversity across the EABR in brevicipitids (and other organisms). In contrast to the Southern Highlands and Ethiopian Bale Mountains, the EAM stands out as an area that enabled the constant accumulation of brevicipitid species over a long period of time.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Persistence and stability of Eastern Afromontane forests: evidence from brevicipitid frogs

Loader

Ceccarelli

Menegon

et al. 2014

Journal of Biogeography

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“…GenBank accession numbers are given in . An alignment of concatenated partial 12S , 16S , and cyt b sequences was assembled, based mostly on both newly generated data and that published in Loader et al. (2009).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Measurements were taken to the nearest 0.1 mm using digital calipers. Following Loader et al. (2009), the measurements taken are: ED, horizontal eye diameter; ETD, eye–tympanum distance; HL, upper arm length; HW, head width at level of jaw articulation; IN, internarial distance; IOD, interorbital distance; LF3, length of finger 3, measured from the distal edge of the basal subarticular tubercle; LT4, length of toe 4, measured from the proximal edge of the basal subarticular tubercle; NED, nostril–eye distance; NLD, nostril–lip distance; SUL, snout–urostyle length; TD, horizontal tympanum diameter; TL, tibiofibula length; TSL, length of tarsus; WDF3, width of disc of finger 3; WDTF3, width of finger 3 at level of distal subarticular tubercle.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Callulina species are highly distinctive brevicipitid frogs, with granular warty skin, truncated toe and finger tips, and which are often found climbing on vegetation (e.g. de Sá, Loader & Channing, 2004; Loader et al. , 2009) in the moist forests of the Eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania and Kenya.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Further additions to this distribution were made during the 2004 Global Amphibian Assessment, namely the montane forests of Ukaguru, Rubeho, and Nguu (IUCN, 2009). Recent taxonomic work has revealed that some of these isolated populations represent distinct species, and two have been formally described: the West Usambara Callulina kisiwamsitu de Sá et al ., 2004 and Taita Hills Callulina dawida Loader et al. , 2009.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Three new species of Callulina (Amphibia: Anura: Brevicipitidae) highlight local endemism and conservation plight of Africa's Eastern Arc forests

Loader

Gower

Ngalason

et al. 2010

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

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Material ascribed to the genus Callulina from north-east Tanzania and south-east Kenya is assessed. Three new species of Callulina are described from the North (Callulina laphami sp. nov.) and South (Callulina shengena sp. nov. and Callulina stanleyi sp. nov.) Pare Mountains in Tanzania. The species are diagnosed based on morphological, acoustic, and molecular data. A new key to the species of Callulina is provided. Based on an interpretation of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) red list, we suggest that the three species will qualify as critically endangered, because of their small distributions and the ongoing threat to their habitat. We reveal the high local endemism of Callulina in the northern part of the Eastern Arc Mountains, with each species restricted to no more than one mountain (fragment) block. This high local endemism in Callulina is probably widespread across the Eastern Arc, raising further conservation concern for this group of amphibians. Based on new molecular phylogenetic data for Callulina, we discuss biogeographical relationships among northeast Tanzanian mountains, and evolutionary patterns in Eastern Arc breviciptids.

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Dispersal and speciation of East African mountain bushcrickets of the genus Phlesirtes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini) related to climate fluctuations

Hemp

Kuechler

Kehl

et al. 2018

Systematic Entomology

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A phylogeny of the genus Phlesirtes Bolivar is presented, based on new sequence data of three genes (16S rDNA, COI, H3). Species of the genus Phlesirtes (subtribe Karniellina of the Tribe Conocephalini) occupy habitats of montane to afroalpine grasslands in East Africa. Phlesirtes is the most species‐rich genus of the subtribe Karniellina, a group of small flightless Ensifera restricted to eastern Africa. Taken together, the biogeographical patterns seen in Phlesirtes and its molecular phylogeny suggest a migration scenario: the mountain ranges acting as stepping stones, enabling a spread of Phlesirtes ancestors during periods of favourable climatic conditions in the past. The Pleistocene inland volcanoes, such as Mt Kenya or Mt Kilimanjaro, allow us to date speciation processes within the genus Phlesirtes. It is suggested that cooler humid periods of the past 3 Ma boosted speciation of Phlesirtes in East Africa.

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A new brevicipitid species (Brevicipitidae: Callulina) from the fragmented forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya

Cited by 11 publications

References 10 publications

Persistence and stability of Eastern Afromontane forests: evidence from brevicipitid frogs

Persistence and stability of Eastern Afromontane forests: evidence from brevicipitid frogs

Three new species of Callulina (Amphibia: Anura: Brevicipitidae) highlight local endemism and conservation plight of Africa's Eastern Arc forests

Dispersal and speciation of East African mountain bushcrickets of the genus Phlesirtes (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Conocephalinae, Conocephalini) related to climate fluctuations

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