Phylogenetic relationships among Rhacophorinae (Rhacophoridae, Anura, Amphibia), with an emphasis on the Chinese species

The partial nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes was determined for 23 Chinese species of Rhaeophoridae (Amphibia: Anura), representing four of the eight recognized genera. Using Buergeriinae as the outgroup, phylogenetic analyses (

A TAXONOMIC REVIEW OF TYLOTOTRITON VERRUCOSUS ANDERSON (AMPHIBIA, CAUDATA, SALAMANDRIDAE)

Generally it has not been recognized that salamanders of two distinctive color morphs currently are assigned to Tylototriton verrucosus Anderson. One form is uniformly dark brown dorsally, with bright orange coloration confined to the ventral edge of the tail; the other has a dark brown to black dorsal ground color with orange dorsolateral warts, an orange vertebral crest, and orange lateral and medial crests on the head. In addition, the limbs and ventrolateral surfaces of the second form have a variable pattern of orange coloration. The brown form occurs in northeastern India, Nepal, northern Burma, Bhutan, northern Thailand, the type locality in extreme western Yunnan, and perhaps in northern Vietnam. The orange-patterned form occurs only in western Yunnan Province, People's Republic of China. The two forms appear to be allopatric but occur close together in the area of the type locality near the Burma border in western Yunnan. There is no evidence of color intergradation in specimens from this region. Analyses of morphometric and meristic characters, however, suggest the possibility of limited genetic exchange between adjacent populations of brown and orange-patterned forms in western Yunnan. The genetic and taxonomic relationships between the two forms is not fully resolved. However, these two highly distinctive forms obviously have evolved along independent trajectories and merit taxonomic recognition. We therefore propose to restrict the concept of Tylototriton verrucosus to the brown form and designate a neotype for that purpose, and we describe a new species to receive the orange-patterned form.

Phylogeny of east Asian bufonids inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences (Anura : Amphibia)

We investigated the relationships of Asian bufonids using partial sequences of mitochondrial DNA genes. Twenty-six samples representing 14 species of Bufo from China and Vietnam and 2 species of Torrentophryne from China were examined. Three samples of Bufo viridis from Armenia and Georgia were also sequenced to make a comparison to its sibling tetraploid species B. danatensis. Bufo americanus, from Canada, was used as the outgroup. Sequences from the 12S ribosomal RNA, 16S ribosomal RNA, cytochrome b, and the control region were analyzed using parsimony. East Asian bufonids were grouped into two major clades. One clade included B. andrewsi, B. bankorensis, B. gargarizans, B. tibetanus, B. tuberculatus, its sister clade B. cryptotympanicus, and the 2 species of Torrentophryne. The second clade consisted of B. galeatus, B. himalayanus, B. melanostictus, and a new species from Vietnam. The placement of three taxa (B. raddei B. viridis, and its sister species, B. danatensis) was problematic. The genus Torrentophryne should be synonymized with Bufo to remove paraphyly. Because B. raddei does not belong to the clade that includes B. viridis and B. danatensis, it was removed from the viridis species group. The species status of B bankorensis from Taiwan is evaluated. (C) 2000 Academic Press.

我国林蛙属(Rana)的分类和系统发育研究(Amphibia: Ranidae)

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Salamandra salamandra (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) in Portugal: not all black and yellow

The fire salamander complex is quite diverse in the Iberian Peninsula where nine subspecies of Salamandra salamandra are currently recognized. Here, we analysed the geographical distribution of the subspecies S. s. gallaica and S. s. crespoi using partial sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene of 168 individuals from 12 locations in Portugal. Our results support the existence of a deep lineage divergence between the two subspecies, with non-overlapping geographical distributions except in two contact zones: one in Sesimbra on the western coast, and another in Alcoutim on the southeastern border with Spain. Moreover, S. s. crespoi displays signs of gene flow among the sampled locations whereas S. s. gallaica shows evidence of some restriction to gene flow. Present-day genetic make-up of S. s. gallaica and S. s. crespoi is a result of past historical events, fine-tuned by contemporary Iberian geoclimate. Humid mountain areas were found to harbour increased genetic diversity possibly acting as past refugia during drier interglacial periods. To analyse wider geographical patterns and lineage splitting events within S. salamandra we performed a Bayesian dating analysis completing our data set with previously published sequences. The observed divergences were associated to successive biogeographic scenarios, and to other Iberian species showing similar trends.

A new species of Dendrophryniscus (Amphibia, Anura, Bufonidae) from the Atlantic Rainforest of southern Bahia, Brazil

A new species of the tree toad genus Dendrophryniscus is described from a rainforest habitat at Parque Nacional de Serra das Lontras, municipality of Arataca, southern Bahia, Brazil. Dendrophryniscus oreites sp. nov. is related to the Atlantic forest brevipollicatus group by hand morphology, skin texture, ventral coloration and bromelicolous habits. The new species differs from related species by having a larger size, warty skin, inner finger reduced with presence of a dark nuptial pad in males, and a yellowish coloration with discrete dorsal pattern. This discovery highlights the importance of southern Bahia in terms of conservation, and for our understanding of the evolution of the frog diversity within the Atlantic Rainforest.

Comparative cytogenetic studies of Bufo ictericus, B. paracnemis (Amphibia, Anura) and an intermediate form in sympatry

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Use of lymphocyte cultures for BrdU replication banding patterns in anuran species (Amphibia)

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Karyotypic Data on 28 Species of Scinax (Amphibia: Anura: Hylidae): Diversity and Informative Variation

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)