A new frog family (Anura: Terrarana) from South America and an expanded direct-developing clade revealed by molecular phylogeny

Abstract

Three frogs of a new species found in cloud forests on two nearby mountains in Guyana were included in a molecular phylogeny of 17 nuclear and mitochondrial genes (10,739 aligned sites) that revealed that their closest relative is Terrarana (Brachycephalidae, Craugastoridae, Eleutherodactylidae, and Strabomantidae) and their next-closest relative is Hemiphractidae (marsupial frogs). We place these frogs in a new family, genus, and species which is strongly supported as the basal clade within Terrarana: Ceuthomantidae n. fam., Ceuthomantis smaragdinus n. gen, n. sp. Morphological evidence supports the placement of two other species from the Guiana Highlands, Pristimantis aracamuni (BarrioAmorós & Molina) and P. cavernibardus (Myers & Donnelly), in the new family and genus. This close phylogenetic relationship of terraranans and marsupial frogs, nearly all of which have direct development, supports an hypothesis that direct development evolved early in the evolution of this huge clade (~1000 species), for which we propose the unranked taxonomic epithet Orthobatrachia.

Biodiversity hotspots and Ocbil theory

“…Dated molecular phylogenetic studies of frogs and lizards conform to the predictions and timing of these sequential Neogene uplifts (Kok 2013). Moreover, some Pantepui endemics undoubtedly diversified earlier, consistent with the Gondwanan Heritage/Lost World hypotheses, e.g., Terrarana tepui tree frogs in the recently described family Ceuthomantidae (Heinicke et al 2009). Givnish et al (2011) concluded that 'Bromeliads arose in the Guayana Shield ca.…”

“…Some recent discoveries include the Terrarana tepui tree frogs of the Pantepui, placed in a new family (Ceuthomantidae - Heinicke et al 2009), the s p o o n -w i n g e d l a c e w i n g s ( N e u r o p t e r a : Nemopteridae: Nemopterinae) of the GCFR and SWAFR (Sole et al 2013). and recent elucidation of the phylogenetic relationships of the monotypic Medusagynaceae trees of Seychelles (Schneider et al 2014).…”

Molecular phylogenetic relationships and phenotypic diversity in miniaturized toadlets, genus Brachycephalus (Amphibia: Anura: Brachycephalidae)

“…The New World frogs recently classified as the Terrarana comprise five monophyletic clades which are formally recognized as the families Brachycephalidae, Ceuthomantidae, Craugastoridae, Eleutherodactylidae, and Strabomantidae (Hedges et al, 2008;Heinicke et al, 2009). The species of Terrarana share an advanced reproductive mode characterized by terrestrial breeding and direct development of terrestrial eggs that bypass the tadpole stage and hatch into froglets (Lynch and Duellman, 1997).…”

“…The species of Terrarana share an advanced reproductive mode characterized by terrestrial breeding and direct development of terrestrial eggs that bypass the tadpole stage and hatch into froglets (Lynch and Duellman, 1997). Direct development and the production of small, isolated clutches are life-history traits that contribute to promoting population structuring (Dubois, 2004) and are likely to explain the high diversity of the Terrarana, which currently comprise 1000 species (Hedges et al, 2008;Heinicke et al, 2009). …”

A new species of Pristimantis (Amphibia, Anura, Craugastoridae) from a montane forest of the Pui Pui Protected Forest in central Peru (Región Junín)

“…The format for the description follows Lynch and Duellman (1997), except that the term dentigerous processes of vomers is used instead of vomerine odontophores (Duellman et al 2006), and diagnostic characters are those of Duellman and Lehr (2009). Taxonomic classification follows Hedges et al (2008) and Heinicke et al (2009), except that we followed Pyron and Wiens (2011) for family placement, and Padial et al (2014) for names of Pristimantis species groups. Specimens were fixed in 96% ethanol and stored in 70% ethanol.…”