Frogs of the genus Platypelis from the Sorata massif in northern Madagascar: description of a new species and reports of range extensions

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  • Andolalao Rakotoarison
  • Scherz, Mark D.
  • Jörn Köhler
  • Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina
  • Oliver Hawlitschek
  • Steven Megson
  • Miguel Vences
  • Frank Glaw

We describe a new species of arboreal microhylid frog, genus Platypelis, from northeastern Madagascar and report the expansion of distribution ranges of two other species. Platypelis laetus sp. nov. is small to medium-sized (24.3-25.6 mm snout-vent length) compared to other Platypelis, exhibits a greenish colored throat and was found in bamboo forest of the Sorata Massif. Its advertisement call consists of a single short tonal note repeated at regular intervals in long call series. Based on DNA sequences of a fragment of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene, the new species was placed in a clade with Platypelis olgae from the Tsaratanana Massif, and with two other, unconfirmed candidate species from the Sorata Massif and from Andravory, herein named Platypelis sp. Ca12 and Ca13. Molecular divergences among these lineages were substantial, amounting to 7.6-8.1% uncorrected 16S p-distance to the closest nominal species, P. olgae, from which the new species is also distinguished by a lack of allele sharing in the nuclear RAG-1 gene. We also provide new records of Platypelis alticola and P. tsaratananaensis from the Sorata Massif, supported by molecular analysis. This confirms a wider distribution of these two species that previously were considered to be endemic to the Tsaratanana Massif. However, their populations in Sorata were characterized by a certain degree of genetic differentiation from Tsaratanana populations suggesting they require more detailed taxonomic assessment.

Original languageEnglish
JournalZoosystematics and Evolution
Volume96
Issue number1
Pages (from-to)263-274
Number of pages12
ISSN1435-1935
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2020
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Funding Information:
We are grateful to Angeluc Razafimanantsoa and Th?o Rajaofiarison for their assistance in the field, to Meike Kondermann for help with laboratory work, to the Malagasy authorities for issuing permits for research, collection, and export of specimens. This work was carried out in the framework of collaboration accords of the Technische Universit?t Braunschweig and the Zoologische Staatssammlung M?nchen with the Universit? d'Antananarivo, Facult? des Sciences (Mention Zoologie et Biodiversit? Animale), and funded by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (project 11253064) and the BIOPAT initiative (http://www. biopat.de).

Funding Information:
Kondermann for help with laboratory work, to the Malagasy authorities for issuing permits for research, collection, and export of specimens. This work was carried out in the framework of collaboration accords of the Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Zoologische Staatssammlung München with the Uni-versité d’Antananarivo, Faculté des Sciences (Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale), and funded by the Mohamed bin Zayed Species Conservation Fund (project 11253064) and the BIOPAT initiative (http://www. biopat.de).

Publisher Copyright:
© Andolalao Rakotoarison et al.

    Research areas

  • Amphibia, Anura, Cophylinae, Distribution, Microhylidae, Molecular genetics, Platypelis alticola, Platypelis laetus sp. nov., Platypelis tsaratananaensis, Sorata, Systematics

ID: 284286836