A new species of Kurixalus from western Yunnan, China (Anura, Rhacophoridae)

Biogeographic Origin of Kurixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) on the East Asian Islands and Tempo of Diversification within Kurixalus

The ancestral area of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands is under dispute, and two hypotheses exist, namely that distribution occurred only on the Asian mainland (scenario of dispersal) and that wide distribution occurred on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands (scenario of vicariance). In this study, we conducted biogeographic analyses and estimated the lineage divergence times based on the most complete sampling of species, to achieve a more comprehensive understanding on the origin of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands. Our results revealed that the process of jump dispersal (founder-event speciation) is the crucial process, resulting in the distribution of Kurixalus on the East Asian islands, and supported the model of the Asian mainland origin: that Kurixalus on the East Asian islands originated from the Asian mainland through two long-distance colonization events (jump dispersal), via the model of vicariance of a widespread ancestor on both the Asian mainland and the East Asian islands. Our results indicated that choices of historical biogeography models can have large impacts on biogeographic inference, and the procedure of model selection is very important in biogeographic analysis. The diversification rate of Kurixaus has slightly decreased over time, although the constant-rate model cannot be rejected.

Description of a new Kurixalus species (Rhacophoridae, Anura) and a northwards range extension of the genus

Knowledge of biodiversity before species become extinct is paramount to conservation, especially when the relevant species are far from their expected distribution and, thus, likely overlooked. Here, we describe a new Kurixalus species corresponding to a range extension of Kurixalus on the Asian mainland, with the closest population in Taiwan. The species diverged from its closest relative during the Late Pliocene to Pleistocene, ca. 3.06 Mya (HPD 95%: 5.82-0.01), based on calibrations with a relaxed clock species tree of unlinked mtDNA 12S rRNA and nuclear DNA TYR. The status of the newly-described species is also supported by a divergence in call properties and morphometrics. We named the species described here as Kurixalusinexpectatus sp. nov. due to the nature of the discovery, as well as the adjunct distribution of the species relative to its closest congeners. The species was found in Zhejiang Province and it represents a range extension of 663 km for the Kurixalus genus.

Diversity, distribution and molecular species delimitation in frogs and toads from the Eastern Palaearctic

Biodiversity analyses can greatly benefit from coherent species delimitation schemes and up-to-date distribution data. In this article, we have made the daring attempt to delimit and map described and undescribed lineages of anuran amphibians in the Eastern Palaearctic (EP) region in its broad sense. Through a literature review, we have evaluated the species status considering reproductive isolation and genetic divergence, combined with an extensive occurrence dataset (nearly 85k localities). Altogether 274 native species from 46 genera and ten families were retrieved, plus eight additional species introduced from other realms. Independent hotspots of species richness were concentrated in southern Tibet (Medog County), the circum-Sichuan Basin region, Taiwan, the Korean Peninsula and the main Japanese islands. Phylogeographic breaks responsible for recent in situ speciation events were shared around the Sichuan Mountains, across Honshu and between the Ryukyu Island groups, but not across shallow water bodies like the Yellow Sea and the Taiwan Strait. Anuran compositions suggested to restrict the zoogeographical limits of the EP to East Asia. In a rapidly evolving field, our study provides a checkpoint to appreciate patterns of species diversity in the EP under a single, spatially explicit, species delimitation framework that integrates phylogeographic data in taxonomic research.

A new species of Kurixalus (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Guizhou, China

We describe a new species of the genus Kurixalus, Kurixalus raoisp. nov., from Guizhou Province, China, based on morphological and molecular evidence. Phylogenetically, the new species is sister to K. idiootocus, but is distinguishable from all known congeners by a combination of the following characters: small body size (snout-vent length 28.2‒32.2 mm in males; 38.6 mm in female); snout rounded, with no prominence on tip; single internal vocal sac; dorsal surface brown, rough, scattered with several small warts; chin clouded with blackish marking; pair of large symmetrical dark blotches on chest; vomerine teeth present; iris brown; tibiotarsal articulation reaching center of eye; nuptial pad slight; flank rough; mandibular symphysis weak; throat skin granular; and toes moderately webbed, formula I2‒2II1.5‒3III2‒3IV3‒2V. The genetic distances between the new species and K. idiootocus were 2.9% and 5.4% for 16S rRNA and COI, respectively.

A new species of Amolops (Anura: Ranidae) from northern Myanmar

A new species of the genus Amolops, Amolops putaoensis sp. nov., is described from northern Myanmar. The new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: (1) dorsolateral fold distinct; (2) upper-lip stripe white; (3) male body size 37.6-40.2 mm; (4) ground color of dorsal surface brown, flank green, small warts on dorsum; (5) two internal subgular vocal sacs present; (6) HL slightly shorter than HW; (7) two palmar tubercles present, supernumerary tubercles and outer metatarsal tubercle absent; (8) tympanum smaller than half of eye diameter; (9) vomerine teeth present; (10) tibiotarsal articulation reaching beyond snout tip; (11) supratympanic fold indistinct; (12) pineal body present; (13) finger webbing absent, presence of circummarginal groove on tip of first finger; (14) nuptial pads present. The population from Myanmar represented a distinct maternal lineage within the Amolops monticola group and was recovered as a sister taxon to Amolops aniqiaoensis with strong support (100) based on concatenated data. Average uncorrected pairwise distances ( P-distances) between the specimens from Myanmar and other species in the genus ranged from 2.69% (vs. A. aniqiaoensis) to 12.24% (vs. A. indoburmanensis) for 16S rRNA, 6.14% (vs. A. aniqiaoensis) to 15.79% (vs. A. panhai) for COI, and 9.66% (vs. A. aniqiaoensis) to 19.52% (vs. A. afghanus) for ND2.

First record of Theloderma pyaukkya Dever, 2017 (Anura: Rhacophoridae) in China, with range extension of Theloderma moloch (Annandale, 1912) to Yunnan

Theloderma pyaukkya is recorded for the first time in China based on a specimen collected from western Yunnan. Morphologically, the specimen shows good agreement with the original description of T. pyaukkya, and phylogenetically is clustered with the type specimens and holotype of T. pyaukkya from Kachin State (northern Myanmar) with strong support. The taxonomic status of T. pyaukkya from Chin State (western Myanmar) needs further examination. In addition, Theloderma moloch is also recorded in Yunnan for the first time. This brings the number of Theloderma species recorded in Yunnan, China, to seven, namely, T. albopunctatum, T. baibungense, T. bicolor, T. gordoni, T. moloch, T. pyaukkya, and T. rhododiscus.

From mainland to islands: colonization history in the tree frog Kurixalus (Anura: Rhacophoridae)

The origin and colonization history of Kurixalus, a genus of small arboreal tree frogs breeding exclusively in shallow swamps, is under disputed. On the basis of comprehensive sampling program, the evolutionary history of Kurixalus is investigated based on 3 mitochondrial genes. Our results indicate that the genus Kurixalus originated in the Asian mainland and subsequently arrived at its current distribution in Borneo, Taiwan, Ryukyu, and Hainan islands by a series of dispersal events. Moreover, the colonization of Taiwan from mainland Asia has occurred 2 times. The initial colonization of Taiwan occurred at 3.46–8.68 Mya (95% highest posterior density), which rejects the hypothesis that Kurixalus probably originated from Taiwan during the early Oligocene and favors the model of Neogene-origin rather than the model of Quaternary-origin for Taiwanese Kurixalus. Kurixalus eiffingeri has dispersed from Taiwan to the Ryukyus once or 2 times pending more data. Both transoceanic dispersal and landbridge dispersal have played a role in the colonization process; the former resulted in the colonization of Taiwan and the Ryukyus and the latter led to the colonization of Borneo and Hainan.