Phylogenetic relationships and morphology of the Pristimantis leptolophus species group (Amphibia: Anura: Brachycephaloidea), with the recognition of a new species group in Pristimantis Jiménez de la Espada, 1870

Abstract

We evaluate the monophyly and phylogenetic relationships of the Pristimantis leptolophus species group and describe its external morphology, osteology, and some myological characteristics. We also compare the P. leptolophus species group to other related species groups. The P. leptolophus group is not monophyletic due to the inclusion of P. acatallelus, formerly believed to be part of the P. devillei group. The revised P. leptolophus group is composed of nine named species and six unnamed species. Based on our results, we recognize a new species group, the P. boulengeri species group, composed of eight species, many of which were previously assigned to the P. lacrimosus species group.

Three new species of frogs of the genus Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) with a redefinition of the P. lacrimosus species group

“…White circles indicate equivocal state, striped circles indicate distribution outside the Pacific or Amazonian basins (coded as missing data). Shepack et al (2016), Gonzalez-Duran et al (2017), and Ospina-Sarria and Duellman (2019). We exclude P. apiculatus from this group based on its close resemblance to P. calcarulatus (Lynch and Duellman 1997), a species that is not closely related to the P. lacrimosus species group (e.g., Pyron 2014).…”

A new species of terrestrial frog Pristimantis (Strabomantidae) from the upper basin of the Pastaza River, Ecuador

“…Sequences from Diasporus , Eleutherodactylus , Holoaden , Hypodactylus, Ischnocnema , Lynchius , Oreobates , and Strabomantis were also used as external groups. GenBank sequences employed correspond to data previously reported by Darst and Cannatella (2004), Faivovich et al (2005), Elmer et al (2007), Heinicke et al (2007, 2009, 2015), Hedges et al (2008), Arteaga-Navarro and Guayasamin (2011), Fouquet et al (2012), Kok et al (2012, 2018), Lehr et al (2012, 2017), Lehr and Von May (2017), Pinto-Sánchez et al (2012), Arteaga et al (2013, 2016), Barrio-Amorós et al (2013), Crawford et al (2013), Zhang et al (2013), Ortega-Andrade and Venegas (2014), Rivera-Prieto et al (2014), Hutter and Guayasamin (2015), Rivera-Correa and Daza (2015), Chávez and Catenazzi (2016), de Oliveira et al (2017), García-R. et al (2012), Shepack et al (2016), Székely et al (2016), González-Durán et al (2017), Guayasamin et al 2015, Guayasamin et al 2017, Jablonski et al (2017), von May et al (2017), Mahecha et al (unpub. ).…”

Pristimantis achupalla sp. n., a new minute species of direct-developing frog (Amphibia, Anura, Strabomantidae) inhabiting bromeliads of the montane forest of the Amazonian Andes of Puno, Peru

“…The previously defined Pristimantis lacrimosus species group was non-monophyletic group (Rivera-Correa & Daza, 2016Gonzalez-Duran et al, 2017;Ron et al, 2020), but its redefinition by Ron et al (2020), who included Pristimantis lacrimosus in their matrix, corresponds with clade B, sensu Rivera-Correa & Daza (2016); and includes P. acuminatus, P. amaguanae, P. aureolineatus, P. bromeliaceus, P. crucifer, P. ecuadorensis, P. enigmaticus, P. eremitus, P. galdi, P. jorgevelosai, P. lacrimosus, P. limoncochensis, P. mendax, P. mindo, P. nankints, P. nyctophylax, P. olivaceus, P. omeviridis, P. ornatissimus, P. pluvialis, P. pulchridormientes, P. romeroae, P. schultei, P. subsigillatus, P. tantanti, P. zorro (Ron et al, 2020;Rivera-Correa & Daza, 2020). Currently, the distribution of P. lacrimosus species group comprehends Central America, Colombia, the Guianas, Ecuador, Peru and Bolivia.…”