A phylogenetic analysis of Pseudopaludicola (Anura) providing evidence of progressive chromosome reduction

Abstract

Here, we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Neotropical genus Pseudopaludicola focusing on species relationships including 11 of the 17 known species of Pseudopaludicola; several samples of Pseudopaludicola are not assigned to any species; and 34 terminal species as an outgroup. The study was based on the analysis of approximately 2.3 kb of the sequence of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, tRNAval and 16S rRNA genes through maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction approaches. Our results showed that Pseudopaludicola is a well‐supported monophyletic group organized into four major clades and confirmed that the assemblage of species that lack T‐shaped terminal phalanges is paraphyletic with respect to the P. pusilla Group. Chromosomal data mapped on the cladogram showed a direct correlation among the four clades and observed chromosome numbers (2n = 22, 20, 18 and 16) with a progressive reduction in the chromosome number. Overall, our findings suggest that some taxonomic changes are necessary and reinforce the need for a revision of the genus Pseudopaludicola.

Ultrastructure variation in the spermatozoa ofPseudopaludicolafrogs (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae), with brief comments on its phylogenetic relevance

“…(2) Pseudopaludicola sp. 2 (Serra do Cipó) and P. giarettai were not included in the cladogram of Veiga‐Menoncello et al (), although they were included here due to having 2 n = 18 chromosomes and tail morphology equal to that of the other members of this clade. Axoneme (ax), axial fiber (af), juxta‐axonemal fiber (jf), paraxonemal rod (pr), undulating membrane (um).…”

“…These authors confirmed the considerable variation in diploid chromosome numbers originally observed by Beçak () and Batistic (), confirming the existence of four distinct groups, with 2 n = 16, 2 n = 18, 2 n = 20, and 2 n = 22. The molecular phylogeny of Veiga‐Menoncello et al () identified four clades that were consistent with these four chromosomal groups. This study also confirmed the monophyly of the genus Pseudopaludicola and the paraphyly of the species with simple phalanges in comparison with the pusilla group.…”

“…Given the paucity of data on the ultrastructure of the spermatozoa in Pseudopaludicola , this study provides a comparative analysis of the species that have simple and T‐shaped terminal phalanges, that attempts to correlate the characters of the spermatozoa with the four clades or chromosomal groups (2 n = 16, 18, 20, and 22) identified in the molecular phylogeny of Veiga‐Menoncello et al ().…”

First record of Pseudopaludicola pocoto Magalhães, Loebmann, Kokubum, Haddad & Garda, 2014 (Anura, Leptodactylidae, Leiuperinae) in Bahia state, northeastern Brazil, with further data on its advertisement call

“…Lynch (1989) proposed the Pseudopaludicola pusilla (Ruthven, 1916) species group for P. boliviana Parker, 1927, P. ceratophyes Rivero & Serna, 1985, P. llanera Lynch, 1989, and P. pusilla, which share the morphological feature of T-shaped terminal phalanges. In subsequent analyses, Lobo (1995) and Veiga-Menoncello et al (2014) corroborated the monophyly of the P. pusilla group.…”

“…Pseudopaludicola is recognized as monophyletic based on external morphological (Lynch 1989;Lobo 1995), such as the presence of a hypertrophied antebrachial tubercle, osteological (Lobo 1995), and molecular evidence (Veiga-Menoncello et al 2014). Lynch (1989) proposed the Pseudopaludicola pusilla (Ruthven, 1916) species group for P. boliviana Parker, 1927, P. ceratophyes Rivero & Serna, 1985, P. llanera Lynch, 1989, and P. pusilla, which share the morphological feature of T-shaped terminal phalanges.…”