Rapid karyotypic evolution with high diploid number variation in a rare genus of bromeligenous frogs

Bromeligenous Crossodactylodes is a leptodactylid genus closely related to Paratelmatobius and Scythrophrys. The diploid number in all karyotyped species of these two latter genera is 24, which diverges from the modal diploid number (2n = 22) in the family. Here, we analyzed three species of Crossodactylodes and found karyotypes with 2n = 30, 2n = 32, and 2n = 36, diploid numbers that have not been reported in any other diploid leptodactylid species to date. Reconstruction of the ancestral chromosome number indicated that the diploid number changed from 22 to 24 in the common ancestor of Crossodactylodes, Paratelmatobius, and Scythrophrys, and that progressive increases in diploid number have occurred in Crossodactylodes. The large number of telocentric/subtelocentric chromosomes in karyotypes with higher diploid numbers raises the possibility that centric fissions may have occurred during the evolution of Paratelmatobiinae. Three metacentric chromosomes, probably involved in fission events, were inferred to be present in the common ancestor of all species of Crossodactylodes, but in C. bokermanni. Chromosome mapping of the satellite DNA PcP190 suggests homology between one arm of metacentric chromosome 1 of Crossodactylodes sp. 3 and telocentric chromosome 2 of C. itambe, supporting one of the presumed centric fission events.

Amphibia, Anura, Hylodes babax Heyer, 1982 (Hylodidae), Dendropsophus ruschii (Weygoldt and Peixoto, 1987) and Bokermannohyla ibitipoca (Caramaschi and Feio, 1990) (Hylidae): Distribution extension and geographic distribution map

We report new records for the poorly known species Hylodes babax (fourth record), Dendropsophus ruschii (fourth record) and Bokermannohyla ibitipoca (fifth record), from an Atlantic Forest fragment in the eastern region of the Mantiqueira mountain range in Minas Gerais, Brazil.

Amphibia, Anura, Hylodidae, Megaelosia apuana Pombal, Prado and Canedo, 2003: distribution extension, new state record and geographic distribution map

In this study we report the first record of the giant torrent frog Megaelosia apuana in the state of Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. The finding of this species at Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural (RPPN) Mata do Sossego, municipality of Simonésia, east of Minas Gerais extends its geographic distribution by 120 km from the type locality, and 45 km northwest from its westernmost known record. A geographic distribution map is presented.