Phylogenetic relationships of the Boana pulchella Group (Anura: Hylidae)

In this paper we present a phylogenetic analysis of the treefrogs of the Boana pulchella Group with the goals of (1) providing a rigorous test of its monophyly; (2) providing a test of relationships supported in previous studies; and (3) exploring the relationships of the several species not included in previous analyses. The analyses included>300 specimens of 37 of the 38 species currently included in the group, plus 36 outgroups, exemplars of the diversity of Boana and the other genera of the hylid tribe Cophomantini. The dataset included eight mitochondrial genes (12S, 16S, CytB, COI, ND1, tRNA^Ile, tRNA^Leu, and tRNA^Val) and five nuclear genes (RHO, TYR, RAG-1, CXCR4, SIAH1). The phylogenetic analyses recover the monophyly of the B. pulchella Group with lower support than previous studies, as a result of the inclusion of the B. claresignata Group, which is recovered as its sister taxon. Within the B. pulchella Group, the inclusion of almost all species of the group had little impact on previous notions of its phylogeny, except for the rejection of the hypothesized B. polytaenia Clade (B. goiana and B. phaeopleura are nested in the clade here called the B. prasina Clade), which is redefined. Phylogenetic support is strong for five major clades, which collectively include all but three of the species sampled: the B. balzani Clade (B. aguilari, B. balzani, B. gladiator, B. melanopleura, B. palaestes), the redefined B. polytaenia Clade (B. botumirim, B. buriti, B. cipoensis, B. jaguariaivensis, B. leptolineata, B. polytaenia, B. stenocephala, and two undescribed species), the B. prasina Clade (B. bischoffi, B. caingua, B. cordobae, B. goiana, B. guentheri, B. marginata, B. phaeopleura, B. prasina, B. pulchella, and one undescribed species), the B. riojana Clade (B. callipleura, B. marianitae, B. riojana), and the B. semiguttata Clade (B. caipora, B. curupi, B. joaquini, B. poaju, B. semiguttata, B. stellae, and two undescribed species). The monophyly of the B. prasina + B. riojana Clades, and that of the B. polytaenia + B. semiguttata Clades are well-supported. The relationships among these two clades, the B. balzani Clade, B. ericae + B. freicanecae, and B. cambui (representing the deepest phylogenetic splits within the B. pulchella Group) are recovered with weak support. We discuss the phenotypic evidence supporting the monophyly of the B. pulchella Group, and the taxonomy of several species, identifying three new synonyms of Boana polytaenia, one new synonym of Boana goiana, and one new synonym of B. riojana.

High-throughput DNA sequencing of museum specimens sheds light on the long-missing species of the Bokermannohyla claresignata group (Anura: Hylidae: Cophomantini)

The two species of the Bokermannohyla claresignata species group (Anura: Hylidae) have not been collected for the last four decades. It is the only species group of the hyline tribe Cophomantini that has not yet been analysed genetically. Its phylogenetic position is thus uncertain, and it has a combination of adult and larval character states that make this group a crucial missing piece that hinders our understanding of Cophomantini phylogenetics and character evolution. We obtained DNA sequences from a museum larval specimen of Bok. claresignata, using specialized extraction methods and high-throughput DNA sequencing, and combined the molecular phylogenetic results with available phenotypic information to provide new insights into the taxonomy and phylogenetic relationships of its species group. Our phylogenetic results place Bok. claresignata as sister to the Boana pulchella group, supporting its inclusion in Boana, together with Bokermannohyla clepsydra. In light of this new finding, we recognize a newly defined Boana claresignata group to accommodate these species, thus resolving both the polyphyly of Bokermannohyla and the paraphyly of Boana. Considering the phylogenetic relationships of the Boana claresignata group, we also discuss the evolution of suctorial tadpoles and mature oocyte/egg pigmentation in Cophomantini.

Notes on vocalizations of Brazilian amphibians IV: advertisement calls of 20 Atlantic Forest frog species

Bioacoustics is a powerful tool used for anuran species diagnoses, given that advertisement calls are signals related to specific recognition and mate attraction. Thus, call descriptions can support species taxonomy. In spite of that, call descriptions are lacking for many species, delaying advances in biodiversity research. Here, we describe the advertisement calls of 20 anuran species from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. We accessed 50 digital recordings deposited in the Fonoteca Neotropical Jacques Vielliard. Acoustic analyses were carried out in the software Raven pro 1.5. We provide a general comparison of call structure among species inside taxonomic groups and genera. The vocalizations described here belong to poorly known species, which are representatives of six families: Brachycephalidae, Bufonidae, Ceratophryidae, Cycloramphidae, Hylidae, and Phyllomedusidae. Despite this, still there are 163 species of anurans from Atlantic Forest with calls not formally described. Our work represents an important step in providing data for a taxonomic perspective and improving the knowledge of the Atlantic Forest anuran diversity.

Calls of Boanalatistriata (Caramaschi & Cruz, 2004) (Amphibia, Anura, Hylidae), an endemic tree frog from the State of Minas Gerais, Brazil

Bioacoustical data are useful for studying amphibians, especially their conservation, taxonomy, and evolution, among others. Of the 12 species of the Boanapolytaenia clade, only B.buriti and B.latistriata have no published information about their advertisement calls. We recorded four males of B.latistriata in its type locality at Parque Nacional do Itatiaia, south-eastern Brazil. We used a Roland R26 digital recorder with a Sennheiser ME-67 microphone and analysed the recordings using the Raven Pro 1.5 software. We recorded two different types of calls (call A and call B). Both were composed of one pulsed note and presented a slightly ascending-descending frequency modulation. Call A was more frequent, having durations between 0.042 and 0.093 s with the dominant frequency ranging from 3375.0 to 3937.5 Hz, and was composed of 11 to 21 pulses separated by intervals that were not fully silent. Call B had durations between 0.711 and 1.610 s, with dominant frequency from 3281.2 to 3750.0 Hz, and was composed of 11 to 29 pulses separated by fully silent intervals. Among the B.polytaenia clade, the calls of B.latistriata are more similar to those of B.bandeirantes, B.beckeri, B.polytaenia, and B.aff.beckeri. The calls of B.latistriata differ from these species in its lower dominant frequency. Boanalatistriata present a short, single-note call with a lower pulse period (call A) and a long call with higher pulse period (call B), which differ from the other species of the clade. The coefficients of variation for the various bioacoustical attributes were calculated within- and between-males and these have been discussed. We also report a fight event between two males of B.latistriata. This is the first report of a fight in members of the B.polytaenia clade.