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Knowledge of phylogenetic relationships among organisms is essential for anchoring evolutionary studies. Phylogenomic studies use large amounts of genetic data in analyses, which is particularly important for highly phenotypically variable taxa that are difficult to distinguish from one another without the use of genetic data, due to the abundance of homoplasy in morphological characters typically used in morphological classification. Use of genome-scale molecular data has thus become the gold standard for identifying these phylogenetic relationships, specifically in comparison to past studies based on fewer genes. Greater quantities of genetic data, in addition to finer taxon sampling, may lead to different conclusions about phylogenetic relationships among organisms compared to previous studies, necessitating new analyses on organisms when new discoveries of populations and new sources of genetic data arise. Ranitomeya poison frogs (Amphibia: Dendrobatidae) are an Amazonian lineage of dendrobatid frogs consisting of 16 species possessing remarkable diversity in color pattern, range size, and parental care behavior. I present the first phylogeny based on genomic data for all species in Ranitomeya, using maximum likelihood and multi-species coalescent methods. I used ultraconserved elements (UCEs), a genome-scale nuclear marker, as my source of molecular data to construct the tree. I also present divergence time estimations using the MCMCTree program. My results indicate several differences from previous analyses in terms of interspecific relationships. Notably, I find R. toraro and R. defleri constitute different species groups, and recover R. uakarii as paraphyletic. I also designate former populations of R. fantastica from Isla Pongo, Peru and Tarapoto as R. summersi, and transfer the French Guianan R. amazonica populations to R. variabilis. My study clarifies both interspecific and intraspecific relationships within Ranitomeya, and provides key insights into phylogeny that pave the way for future studies testing hypotheses on color pattern evolution and historical biogeography.
Comprises articles on geology, paleontology, mammalogy, ornithology, entomology and anthropology.
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology (MVZ), located on the campus of the University of California, Berkeley, is a leading center of herpetological research in the United States. This monograph offers a brief account of the principal figures associated with the collection and of the most important events in the history of herpetology in the MVZ during its first 93 years, and lists all type specimens of recent amphibians and nonavian reptiles in the collection. Although the MVZ has existed since 1908, until 1945 there was no formal curator for the collection of amphibians and nonavian reptiles. Since that time Robert C. Stebbins, David B. Wake, Harry W. Greene, Javier A. Rodríguez-Robles (in an interim capacity), and Craig Moritz have served in that position. The herpetological collection of the MVZ was begun on March 13, 1909, with a collection of approximately 430 specimens from southern California and as of December 31, 2001, contained 232,254 specimens. Taxonomically, the collection is strongest in salamanders, accounting for 99,176 specimens, followed by "lizards" (squamate reptiles other than snakes and amphisbaenians, 63,439), frogs (40,563), snakes (24,937), turtles (2,643), caecilians (979), amphisbaenians (451), crocodilians (63), and tuataras (3). Whereas the collection's emphasis historically has been on the western United States and on California in particular, representatives of taxa from many other parts of the world are present. The 1,765 type specimens in the MVZ comprise 120 holotypes, three neotypes, three syntypes, and 1,639 paratopotypes and paratypes; 83 of the holotypes were originally described as full species. Of the 196 amphibian and nonavian reptilian taxa represented by type material, most were collected in México (63) and California (USA, 54). The Appendix of the monograph presents a list of curators, graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows, research associates, research assistants, curatorial associates, curatorial assistants, and visiting faculty who have conducted research on the biology of amphibians and reptiles while in residence in the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology as of December 31, 2001.
This book appears at a time when molecular cytogenetics is positioned to make a significant impact upon evolutionary studies, enabling problems of chromosomal structure and change to be critically assessed. It is an up-to-date and comprehensive survey of the cytogenetics of a major class of animals, including all three amphibian orders, with chapters authored by international leaders in the field.Amphibian Cytogenetics and Evolution will be of interest to classical and molecular cytogeneticists, systematicists, evolutionary biologists, herpetologists, and anyone using amphibians in genetic research. Offers the only current and comprehensive survey of amphibian cytogenetics Gives authoritative and in-depth coverage of topics of present interest Reviews general cytogenetic topics Presents new insights into evolutionary changes in chromosome structure and amphibian phylogeny and relationships including: Phylogenetic analysis of chromosome data, Current techniques of cytogenetic analysis, Examination of all three amphibian orders
Cladistic analyses of morphological data support a monophyletic group for Polypedates but do not support a monophyletic group for Rhacophorus. Five groups of Rhacophorus are recognized:(1) Group I: R. appendiculatus; R. verrucosus; R. bisacculus; R. everetti; R. baliogaster and R. cavirostris. DIAGNOSIS: post cloacal region with tubercles and/or papillae; skin on dorsum with glandular warts; tip of fingers and toes round; webbing between fingers III-IV small; dermal ridge running along outer edge of fourth finger crenulated; presence of numerous small papillae on heel; dermal ridge running along outer edge of tarsus crenulated; and webbing on toes medium or large. (2) Group II: R. jarujini; R. lateralis; R. turpes; R. edentulus; R. monticola and R. poecilonotus. DIAGNOSIS: presence of two papillae on heel; inner metatarsal tubercle elongate; and webbing between toe I-II large or complete.(3) Group III: R. hoanglienensis; R. orlovi; R. margaritifer; R. gauni; R. bimaculatus; R. angulirostris; R. baluensis; R. calcaneus and R. pleurostictus. DIAGNOSIS: absence of vomerine ridge; dermal ridge along forearm smooth; absence of dermal ridge or flap running along outer edge of tarsus; webbing between fingers II-III small; and webbing between toe II-III complete.(4) Group IV: R. reinwardtii; R. nigropalmatus; R. malabaricus; R. exechopygus; R. prominanus; R. dulitensis; R. htunwini; R. kio; R. bipunctatus; R. rhodopus; R. annamensis; R. pardalis; R. harrissoni; R. fasciatus; R. rufipes and R. robinsoni. DIAGNOSIS: distance from tip of snout to nostril equal to distance from nostril to eyes; presence of dermal flap along forearm; webbing between fingers II-III almost complete or complete; webbing between fingers III-IV complete; presence of dermal flap running along outer edge of fourth finger; presence of ridge or flap on heel; webbing on toes complete; presence of supra-cloacal fold or flap; post cloacal region with ridge or flap. (5) Group V: R. dennysi; R. feae; R. maximus; R. schlegelii; R. dorsoviridis; R. viridis; R. moltrechti; R. arboreus; R. burmanus; R. arvalis; R. chenfui; R. taipeianus; R. owstoni; R. minimus; R. taronensis; R. duboisi; R. dugritei; and R. omeimontis. DIAGNOSIS: head shape in dorsal view sub-elliptical or semicircular; webbing on hand small or medium; webbing between fingers II-III medium; and snout shape in lateral view round or obtuse.(6) Group VI: Polypedates: P. nasutus; P. eques; P. otilophus; P. megacephalus; P. leucomystax; P. macrotis; P. maculatus; P. zed; P. colletti; P. mutus; and P. cruciger. DIAGNOSIS: presence or absence of co-ossified skin between eyes; webbing between toes I-II long; webbing between fingers III-IV rudimentary; and tympanum shape oval.Genera names available: Group I - Aquixalus; Groups II-V currently are members of genus Rhacophorus but cladistic analysis of morphological data show that groups are different based on several morphological characters; Group III - Leptomantis; Group IV - Rhacophorus.
The overarching goal of this dissertation to show some patterns and processes involved in the diversification of the New World direct-developing frogs. Extant biodiversity is the result of the interplay between the historical processes of diversification, dispersal (or range shifts), and extinction, understanding mechanisms that drive these processes is essential in evolutionary biology. The lineage-specific phylogenetic baggage of species impinges particularities or trends that may ultimately affect their survival, extinction, and diversification. Moreover, the most important mechanisms generating and maintaining species diversity vary depending on the taxonomic, spatial and temporal scale over which they are quantified. The spatial mechanism could be understood at regional scales, the variation in the timing and rate of lineage diversification, and ecological factors, including the current and past expanse of suitable habitat. Whereas at local scales, biotic interactions and trait evolution in community assembly appear to be the most influential. Another way to assess the mechanism underlying the diversification process is by recognizing their characteristics, both intrinsic, e.g., body size, morphological adaptations, or genomic features, and extrinsic, e.g., microhabitat, environmental variation, or range size, both factors play a role in the survival or extinction of the lineage members and are required to understand extant diversity, the diversification process and its current distribution. Our aim is to explore the systematics, biogeography, and phlylogeography at different taxonomic levels of one of the most diverse groups of tetrapods: New World direct-developing frogs.