Systematics of spiny‐backed treefrogs (Hylidae:Osteocephalus): anAmazonian puzzle

Abstract

. (2013). Systematics of spiny-backed treefrogs (Hylidae: Osteocephalus): an Amazonian puzzle. -Zoologica Scripta, 42, 351-380. Spiny-backed tree frogs of the genus Osteocephalus are conspicuous components of the tropical wet forests of the Amazon and the Guiana Shield. Here, we revise the phylogenetic relationships of Osteocephalus and its sister group Tepuihyla, using up to 6134 bp of DNA sequences of nine mitochondrial and one nuclear gene for 338 specimens from eight countries and 218 localities, representing 89% of the 28 currently recognized nominal species. Our phylogenetic analyses reveal (i) the paraphyly of Osteocephalus with respect to Tepuihyla, (ii) the placement of 'Hyla' warreni as sister to Tepuihyla, (iii) the non-monophyly of several currently recognized species within Osteocephalus and (iv) the presence of low (<1%) and overlapping genetic distances among phenotypically well-characterized nominal species (e.g. O. taurinus and O. oophagus) for the 16S gene fragment used in amphibian DNA barcoding. We propose a new taxonomy, securing the monophyly of Osteocephalus and Tepuihyla by rearranging and redefining the content of both genera and also erect a new genus for the sister group of Osteocephalus. The colouration of newly metamorphosed individuals is proposed as a morphological synapomorphy for Osteocephalus. We recognize and define five monophyletic species groups within Osteocephalus, synonymize three species of Osteocephalus (O. germani, O. phasmatus and O. vilmae) and three species of Tepuihyla (T. celsae, T. galani and T. talbergae) and reallocate three species (Hyla helenae to Osteocephalus, O. exophthalmus to Tepuihyla and O. pearsoni to Dryaderces gen. n.). Furthermore, we flag nine putative new species (an increase to 138% of the current diversity). We conclude that species numbers are largely underestimated, with most hidden diversity centred on widespread and polymorphic nominal species. The evolutionary origin of breeding strategies within Osteocephalus is discussed in the light of this new phylogenetic hypothesis, and a novel type of amplexus (gular amplexus) is described. Corresponding author: Karl-Heinz Jungfer, Institute of Integrated Sciences, Department of Biology, University of Koblenz-Landau, Universit€ atsstr. 1, 56070 Koblenz, Germany. E-mail: khjungfer@aol.com Juli an Faivovich, Divisi on Herpetolog ıa, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 'Bernardino Rivadavia'-CONICET, Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Departamento de Biodiversidad y Biologia Experimental, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina. E-mail: julian@macn.gov.ar Jos e M. Padial, Section of Amphibians and Reptiles, Carnegie Museum of Natural History, 4400 Forbes Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA, 15213-4080 Systematics of spiny-backed treefrogs K.-H. Jungfer et al. IntroductionTreefrogs of the genus Osteocephalus constitute an important component of the amphibian fauna of the Amazonian and Guianan regions of South America. Their distributions...

High Species Richness of Scinax Treefrogs (Hylidae) in a Threatened Amazonian Landscape Revealed by an Integrative Approach

“…However, at a regional scale (PMIR and EBMR), the proportion of unidentified Scinax species is more than twice as high (82%) as the estimates for the Neotropics. The increase in the known Scinax species richness from the PMIR and EBMR (450%) is the highest increase in Amazonian frog diversity ever reported, being greater than estimates proposed in studies involving the genera Engystomops (150–250% [5]), Hypsiboas (200–350% [5]), Osteocephalus (37.5%–300% [3, 69]), and Pristimantis (200% [71]). Despite the cryptic diversity [7, 21] and the complex taxonomic history of several Scinax species, the high proportion of undescribed species found in the region of PMIR and EBMR is mainly due to (1) integration of different lines of evidence in the species identification process, and (2) the fact that the region represents one of the most poorly-studied areas in Brazilian Amazonia [72].…”

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“…Although striking, the severe underestimation of taxonomic diversity observed in Amazophrynella and the existence of multiple lineages in Amazophrynella minuta is nothing particular to this group. Examples of other Amazonian species complexes include Rhinella margaritifera and Scinax ruber , Pristimantis ockendeni , Pristimantis fenestratus , Engystomops petersi , Hybsiboas fasciatus , Dendropsophus minutus and Osteocephalus taurinus (Fouquet et al 2007; Elmer and Canatella 2008; Padial et al 2009; Funk et al 2011; Caminer and Ron 2014; Gehara et al 2014, Jungfer et al 2013). …”

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“…GenBank sequences were originally published by Darst and Cannatella (2004), Faivovich et al (2005), Salducci et al (2005), Wiens et al (2005), Moen and Wiens (2009), Moravec et al (2009), Salerno et al (2012), Jungfer et al (2013), and Salerno et al (2015). Samples of Phyllomedusinae were included as outgroups ( Agalychnis spurrelli , Phyllomedusa tomopterna , and Phyllomedusa perinesos ).…”