TY - JOUR

T1 - Genetic variability and partial integrative revision of Platypelis frogs (Microhylidae) with red flash marks from eastern Madagascar

AU - Glaw, Frank

AU - Scherz, Mark D.

AU - Rakotoarison, Andolalao

AU - Crottini, Angelica

AU - Raselimanana, Achille P.

AU - Andreone, Franco

AU - Köhler, Jörn

AU - Vences, Miguel

N1 - Funding Information: The fieldwork was carried out in the framework of cooperation accords among the Departément de Biologie Animale, Université d’Antananarivo, the Association Nationale pour la Gestion des Aires Protegées, the Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig, the Zoological Museum, University of Amsterdam, and the Zoologische Staatssammlung München. Permits for collection and export of specimens were kindly issued by the Ministère des Eaux et Forêts of Madagascar. We thank M.C. Bletz, S. Faravelli, J. Forster, P.-S. Gehring, George, K. Glaw, T. Glaw, D. J. Harris, C. R. Hutter, H. Lava, J. Noël, M. Pabijan, D. Prötzel, O. Rami-lison, L. Randriamanana, F. M. Ratsoavina, A. Razafimanantsoa, J. H. Razafindraibe, G. M. Rosa, D. Salvi, E. Scanarini, and J. H. Velo for assistance in the field. Fieldwork was supported by grants of the Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (to FG), Volkswagen Foundation (to FG and MV), the Saint Louis Zoo’s Field Research for Conservation program (FRC# 12-12) of the Wildcare Institute (to AC and FA), and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (to MV and MDS). Examination of specimens in the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle, Paris by MV was supported by a COL-PARSYST grant. Portuguese National Funds through FCT (Foundation for Science and Technology) supported the Investigador FCT grant to AC (IF/00209/2014) and the IF/00209/2014/CP1256/ CT0011 Exploratory Research Project. Publisher Copyright: © 2020 Senckenbergische Naturforschende Gesellschaft. All rights reserved.

PY - 2020

Y1 - 2020

N2 - We studied the genetic variability of Platypelis species (Anura: Microhylidae) with red flash marks from Madagascar based on mitochondrial (16S rRNA) and nuclear (RAG1) genes. Our molecular phylogenetic results suggest that the red colour evolved independently in the Platypelis barbouri complex and P. milloti and confirm the validity of a long-known but still undescribed new species from eastern Madagascar. Platypelis ranjomena sp. nov. is distinctly coloured with dark red to purple patches at the base of the forelimbs, in the inguinal region, and on the ventral parts of the hind limbs. It differs from most other arboreal cophylines by this red colour and from its sister species P. barbouri by smooth dorsal skin texture, iris colour, bioacoustics (much longer note duration in advertisement calls), and genetics (strong differences in mitochondrial and nuclear markers). The new species is widespread at low elevations along the east coast from Marojejy in the north to Manombo in the south. However, genetic evidence indicates substantial intraspecific variability among populations, suggesting that the taxonomy of P. ranjomena and the other species in this complex is still incompletely resolved. An individual of P. barbouri from Mahasoa shared a nuclear allele with P. ranjomena, and its call was to some degree intermediate between these species, suggesting a possible case of hybridization in an area that we hypothesize could be a contact zone between the two species. Individuals from Madagascar's northeast hitherto assigned to P. barbouri represent a lineage that is sister to the clade of P. barbouri + P. ranjomena. It is herein identified as a new candidate species (Platypelis sp. Ca11), which occurs in syntopy with P. ranjomena.

AB - We studied the genetic variability of Platypelis species (Anura: Microhylidae) with red flash marks from Madagascar based on mitochondrial (16S rRNA) and nuclear (RAG1) genes. Our molecular phylogenetic results suggest that the red colour evolved independently in the Platypelis barbouri complex and P. milloti and confirm the validity of a long-known but still undescribed new species from eastern Madagascar. Platypelis ranjomena sp. nov. is distinctly coloured with dark red to purple patches at the base of the forelimbs, in the inguinal region, and on the ventral parts of the hind limbs. It differs from most other arboreal cophylines by this red colour and from its sister species P. barbouri by smooth dorsal skin texture, iris colour, bioacoustics (much longer note duration in advertisement calls), and genetics (strong differences in mitochondrial and nuclear markers). The new species is widespread at low elevations along the east coast from Marojejy in the north to Manombo in the south. However, genetic evidence indicates substantial intraspecific variability among populations, suggesting that the taxonomy of P. ranjomena and the other species in this complex is still incompletely resolved. An individual of P. barbouri from Mahasoa shared a nuclear allele with P. ranjomena, and its call was to some degree intermediate between these species, suggesting a possible case of hybridization in an area that we hypothesize could be a contact zone between the two species. Individuals from Madagascar's northeast hitherto assigned to P. barbouri represent a lineage that is sister to the clade of P. barbouri + P. ranjomena. It is herein identified as a new candidate species (Platypelis sp. Ca11), which occurs in syntopy with P. ranjomena.

KW - Amphibia

KW - Anura

KW - Colouration

KW - Cophylinae

KW - Madagascar

KW - Molecular genetics

KW - New species

KW - Platypelis ranjomena

KW - Systematics

U2 - 10.26049/VZ70-2-2020-04

DO - 10.26049/VZ70-2-2020-04

M3 - Journal article

AN - SCOPUS:85087121541

VL - 70

SP - 141

EP - 156

JO - Vertebrate Zoology

JF - Vertebrate Zoology

SN - 1864-5755

IS - 2

ER -