(Anura, Microhylidae) from the Sorata Massif in Northern Madagascar
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Extreme Miniaturization of a New Amniote Vertebrate and Insights Into the Evolution of Genital Size in Chameleons
www.nature.com/scientificreports OPEN Extreme miniaturization of a new amniote vertebrate and insights into the evolution of genital size in chameleons Frank Glaw1*, Jörn Köhler2, Oliver Hawlitschek3, Fanomezana M. Ratsoavina4, Andolalao Rakotoarison4, Mark D. Scherz5 & Miguel Vences6 Evolutionary reduction of adult body size (miniaturization) has profound consequences for organismal biology and is an important subject of evolutionary research. Based on two individuals we describe a new, extremely miniaturized chameleon, which may be the world’s smallest reptile species. The male holotype of Brookesia nana sp. nov. has a snout–vent length of 13.5 mm (total length 21.6 mm) and has large, apparently fully developed hemipenes, making it apparently the smallest mature male amniote ever recorded. The female paratype measures 19.2 mm snout–vent length (total length 28.9 mm) and a micro-CT scan revealed developing eggs in the body cavity, likewise indicating sexual maturity. The new chameleon is only known from a degraded montane rainforest in northern Madagascar and might be threatened by extinction. Molecular phylogenetic analyses place it as sister to B. karchei, the largest species in the clade of miniaturized Brookesia species, for which we resurrect Evoluticauda Angel, 1942 as subgenus name. The genetic divergence of B. nana sp. nov. is rather strong (9.9‒14.9% to all other Evoluticauda species in the 16S rRNA gene). A comparative study of genital length in Malagasy chameleons revealed a tendency for the smallest chameleons to have the relatively largest hemipenes, which might be a consequence of a reversed sexual size dimorphism with males substantially smaller than females in the smallest species. -
Plethodontohyla Laevis (Boettger, 1913) and Transfer of Rhombophryne Alluaudi (Mocquard, 1901) to the Genus Plethodontohyla (Amphibia, Microhylidae, Cophylinae)
Zoosyst. Evol. 94(1) 2018, 109–135 | DOI 10.3897/zse.94.14698 museum für naturkunde Resurrection and re-description of Plethodontohyla laevis (Boettger, 1913) and transfer of Rhombophryne alluaudi (Mocquard, 1901) to the genus Plethodontohyla (Amphibia, Microhylidae, Cophylinae) Adriana Bellati1,*, Mark D. Scherz2,*, Steven Megson3, Sam Hyde Roberts4, Franco Andreone5, Gonçalo M. Rosa6,7,8, Jean Noël9, Jasmin E. Randrianirina10, Mauro Fasola1, Frank Glaw2, Angelica Crottini11 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, I-27100 Pavia, Italy 2 Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany 3 School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK 4 SEED Madagascar, Studio 7, 1A Beethoven Street, London, W10 4LG, UK 5 Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Sezione di Zoologia, Via G. Giolitti, 36, I-10123, Torino, Italy 6 Department of Biology, University of Nevada, Reno, Reno NV 89557, USA 7 Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent’s Park, London, NW1 4RY, UK 8 Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes (CE3C), Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Bloco C2, Campo Grande, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal 9 Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group, BP 442, Morafeno, Toamasina 501, Madagascar 10 Parc Botanique et Zoologique de Tsimbazaza, BP 4096, Antananarivo 101, Madagascar 11 CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, Nº 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal http://zoobank.org/AFA6C1FE-1627-408B-9684-F6240716C62B Corresponding author: Angelica Crottini ([email protected]) Abstract Received 26 June 2017 The systematics of the cophyline microhylid frog genera Plethodontohyla and Rhom- Accepted 19 January 2018 bophryne have long been intertwined, and their relationships have only recently started Published 2 February 2018 to become clear. -
Blumgart Et Al 2017- Herpetological Survey Nosy Komba
Journal of Natural History ISSN: 0022-2933 (Print) 1464-5262 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/tnah20 Herpetological diversity across intact and modified habitats of Nosy Komba Island, Madagascar Dan Blumgart, Julia Dolhem & Christopher J. Raxworthy To cite this article: Dan Blumgart, Julia Dolhem & Christopher J. Raxworthy (2017): Herpetological diversity across intact and modified habitats of Nosy Komba Island, Madagascar, Journal of Natural History, DOI: 10.1080/00222933.2017.1287312 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2017.1287312 Published online: 28 Feb 2017. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 23 View related articles View Crossmark data Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=tnah20 Download by: [BBSRC] Date: 21 March 2017, At: 02:56 JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 2017 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/00222933.2017.1287312 Herpetological diversity across intact and modified habitats of Nosy Komba Island, Madagascar Dan Blumgart a, Julia Dolhema and Christopher J. Raxworthyb aMadagascar Research and Conservation Institute, BP 270, Hellville, Nosy Be, Madagascar; bDivision of Vertebrate Zoology, American, Museum of Natural History, New York, NY, USA ABSTRACT ARTICLE HISTORY A six month herpetological survey was undertaken between March Received 16 August 2016 and September 2015 on Nosy Komba, an island off of the north- Accepted 17 January 2017 west coast of mainland Madagascar which has undergone con- KEYWORDS fi siderable anthropogenic modi cation. A total of 14 species were Herpetofauna; conservation; found that have not been previously recorded on Nosy Komba, Madagascar; Nosy Komba; bringing the total island diversity to 52 (41 reptiles and 11 frogs). -
LARVAL FORMS in ECHINODERMATA in Echinoderms
LARVAL FORMS IN ECHINODERMATA In echinoderms eggs and sperms are released in water and fertilization takes place in water forming zygote. Echinoderms are deuterostomes and hence cleavage is radial, holoblastic and indeterminate. The larvae hatch in water and feed and grow through successive larval stages to become adults. The larvae of echinoderms are bilaterally symmetrical but lose symmetry during metamorphosis. Different classes of echinoderms show structurally different larval stages and their comparisons can reveal their evolutionary ancestry. LARVAE OF ASTEROIDEA There are three larval stages in Asteroidea in the course of their development to adult stage. Early bipinnaria appears like hypothetical dipleurula. It has oval body without arms and ciliary bands for locomotion. It has well developed alimentary canal for feeding and grows to become bipinnaria. Bipinnaria larva possesses 5 pairs of ciliated arms which do not have any skeletal support inside. These arms are used for swimming in water while feeding on planktons. Preoral and postoral ciliary bands are also present. This larva resembles auricularia larva of Holothuroidea in general appearance. Brachiolaria larva is formed after 6-7 weeks of life and growth of bipinnaria. This larva is sedentary and remains attached to a hard substratum for which it possesses three brachiolarian arms having adhesive discs at the tip. Ciliated arms get reduced and become thin and functionless, while mouth, anus and gut are well developed. It has axocoel, hydocoel and somatocoel that later on give rise to water vascular system Development of starfish takes place inside the sedentary brachiolaria which ruptures and releases tiny starfish into water. LARVAE OF HOLOTHUROIDEA Class Holothuroidea demonstrate two larval stages, namely, auricularia and doliolaria larvae. -
IMPACT REPORT Center for Conservation in Madagascar
IMPACT REPORT 2018 Center for Conservation in Madagascar IMPACT REPORT Center for Conservation in Madagascar In-Country Location The primary geographic scope of the MFG’s conservation fieldwork and research consists of 1) Parc Ivoloina and 2) Betampona Natural Reserve. 1. Parc Ivoloina is a former forestry station that has been transformed into a 282-hectare conservation education, research and training center. Located just 30 minutes north of Tamatave (Figure 1), Parc Ivoloina is also home to a four-hectare zoo that only exhibits endemic wildlife. 2. Betampona Natural Reserve is a 2,228-hectare rainforest fragment that contains high levels of plant and animal diversity (Figure 2). Recent research has Photo 1: Diademed sifaka in Betampona Natural Reserve shown Betampona to be a small center of endemism Background Summary for both amphibian and reptile species. There is little doubt that the MFG’s continual research presence Founded in 2004, the Center for Conservation in has protected Betampona from large-scale habitat Madagascar is one of the original centers of the loss and poaching. Saint Louis Zoo WildCare Institute. The basis of the Center is the Madagascar Fauna and Flora Group Figure 1. Primary locations of MFG presence (MFG), which is an international non-governmental in Madagascar. organization that collaborates with and supports in-country staff to achieve its conservation mission. The Zoo has invested expertise and funding in this organization since its inception in 1988. The Saint Louis Zoo has assumed chairmanship of the MFG twice; first with Dr. Jeffrey Bonner, President & CEO of the Saint Louis Zoo, from 2003 to 2006, and second under Dr. -
A New Critically Endangered Frog Named After 'The Man from the Floodplain Full of Frogs' 25 May 2020
A new Critically Endangered frog named after 'the man from the floodplain full of frogs' 25 May 2020 after him. The discovery, made by an international team of scientists from CIBIO (Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources) of the University of Porto, Zoological Society of London, University of Lisbon, University of Brighton, University of Bristol, University of Antananarivo and Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, is published in the open-access peer-reviewed journal ZooKeys. The new species is reliably known only from a few specimens collected in three forest patches of the Sahamalaza region, an area severely threatened by fire, drought and high levels of forest clearance. Life colouration of Stumpffia froschaueri sp. nov., dorsolateral view of holotype ZSM 169/2019 (ACZCV 0940) from Anketsakely (Anabohazo Forest). Credit: Gonçalo M. Rosa A new species proposed to be classified as Critically Endangered of miniaturised stump-toed frog of the genus Stumpffia, found in Madagascar, is named Stumpffia froschaueri after "the man from the floodplain full of frogs", Christoph Froschauer. The namesake of the new frog is famous for being the first, and European wide renowned, printer from Zürich, famous for printing "Historia animalium" and the "Zürich Bible". Life colouration of Stumpffia froschaueri sp. nov., Christoph Froschauer's (ca. 1490—April 1564) dorsolateral view of paratype ZSM 166/2019 (ACZCV family name means "the man from the floodplain 0939) from Ankarafa Forest. Credit: Gonçalo M. Rosa full of frogs", and the printer used to sign his books with a woodcut, showing frogs under a tree in a landscape. Amongst his publications are works by Zwingli, Bullinger, Gessner, Erasmus von "In Anketsakely and Ankarafa this species has Rotterdam and Luther, and as a gift for his art, the been found only in areas with relatively undisturbed printer was given citizenship in Zürich in 1519. -
3Systematics and Diversity of Extant Amphibians
Systematics and Diversity of 3 Extant Amphibians he three extant lissamphibian lineages (hereafter amples of classic systematics papers. We present widely referred to by the more common term amphibians) used common names of groups in addition to scientifi c Tare descendants of a common ancestor that lived names, noting also that herpetologists colloquially refer during (or soon after) the Late Carboniferous. Since the to most clades by their scientifi c name (e.g., ranids, am- three lineages diverged, each has evolved unique fea- bystomatids, typhlonectids). tures that defi ne the group; however, salamanders, frogs, A total of 7,303 species of amphibians are recognized and caecelians also share many traits that are evidence and new species—primarily tropical frogs and salaman- of their common ancestry. Two of the most defi nitive of ders—continue to be described. Frogs are far more di- these traits are: verse than salamanders and caecelians combined; more than 6,400 (~88%) of extant amphibian species are frogs, 1. Nearly all amphibians have complex life histories. almost 25% of which have been described in the past Most species undergo metamorphosis from an 15 years. Salamanders comprise more than 660 species, aquatic larva to a terrestrial adult, and even spe- and there are 200 species of caecilians. Amphibian diver- cies that lay terrestrial eggs require moist nest sity is not evenly distributed within families. For example, sites to prevent desiccation. Thus, regardless of more than 65% of extant salamanders are in the family the habitat of the adult, all species of amphibians Plethodontidae, and more than 50% of all frogs are in just are fundamentally tied to water. -
Zootaxa,Discovery of the Genus Plethodontohyla
Zootaxa 1577: 61–68 (2007) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2007 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Discovery of the genus Plethodontohyla (Anura: Microhylidae) in dry western Madagascar: description of a new species and biogeographic implications FRANK GLAW1, 5, JÖRN KÖHLER2, PARFAIT BORA3, NIRHY H. C. RABIBISOA3, OLGA RAMILIJAONA3 & MIGUEL VENCES4 1Zoologische Staatssammlung, Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 2Department of Natural History - Zoology, Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Friedensplatz 1, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 3Université d’Antananarivo, Département de Biologie Animale, Madagascar. E-mail: [email protected]; [email protected]; [email protected] 4Division of Evolutionary Biology, Zoological Institute, Technical University of Braunschweig, Spielmannstr. 8, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany. E-mail: [email protected] 5Corresponding author Abstract The cophyline anuran genus Plethodontohyla is considered to be restricted to humid eastern and central Madagascar. Recent surveys of the herpetofauna in the karstic limestone massif "Tsingy de Bemaraha" revealed a distinctive new spe- cies which constitutes the first record of this genus in central-western Madagascar. Plethodontohyla fonetana sp. nov. is characterized by large size (snout-vent length up to 65 mm in females), enlarged fingertips, sinuous dorsal folds, and a reticulated dorsal coloration. It is probably closely related to the other Plethodontohyla species with enlarged fingertips. The discovery of the new species suggests the existence of forest corridor between the eastern rainforest stretch and the relatively dry Tsingy de Bemaraha massif during a period of more humid climate. A continuous strip of gallery forest along a river running from the central high plateau to the west might have been sufficient to allow dispersal to the Bema- raha plateau. -
And Transfer of Rhombophryne Alluaudi
ZOBODAT - www.zobodat.at Zoologisch-Botanische Datenbank/Zoological-Botanical Database Digitale Literatur/Digital Literature Zeitschrift/Journal: Zoosystematics and Evolution Jahr/Year: 2018 Band/Volume: 94 Autor(en)/Author(s): Bellati Adriana, Scherz Mark D., Megson Steven, Roberts Sam Hyde, Andreone Franco, Rosa Goncalo M., Noel Jean, Randrianirina Jasmin E., Fasola Mauro, Glaw Frank, Crottini Angelica Artikel/Article: Resurrection and re-description of Plethodontohyla laevis (Boettger, 1913) and transfer of Rhombophryne alluaudi (Mocquard, 1901) to the genus Plethodontohyla (Amphibia, Microhylidae, Cophylinae) 109-135 Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence (CC-BY); original download https://pensoft.net/journals Zoosyst. Evol. 94(1) 2018, 109–135 | DOI 10.3897/zse.94.14698 museum für naturkunde Resurrection and re-description of Plethodontohyla laevis (Boettger, 1913) and transfer of Rhombophryne alluaudi (Mocquard, 1901) to the genus Plethodontohyla (Amphibia, Microhylidae, Cophylinae) Adriana Bellati1,*, Mark D. Scherz2,*, Steven Megson3, Sam Hyde Roberts4, Franco Andreone5, Gonçalo M. Rosa6,7,8, Jean Noël9, Jasmin E. Randrianirina10, Mauro Fasola1, Frank Glaw2, Angelica Crottini11 1 Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Via Ferrata 1, I-27100 Pavia, Italy 2 Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany 3 School of Science and the Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, M1 5GD, UK 4 SEED Madagascar, Studio 7, 1A Beethoven Street, -
Recurrent Ecological Adaptations Revealed Through a Molecular Analysis of the Secretive Cophyline Frogs of Madagascar
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 34 (2005) 315–322 www.elsevier.com/locate/ympev Recurrent ecological adaptations revealed through a molecular analysis of the secretive cophyline frogs of Madagascar Franco Andreonea,d,¤, Miguel Vencesb,d, David R. Vieitesb,d, Frank Glawc, Axel Meyerd a Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, 10123 Torino, Italy b Institute of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, Zoological Museum, Mauritskade 61, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands c Zoologische Staatssammlung, Münchhause 21, D-81247 München, Germany d Lehrstuhl für Zoologie/Evolutionsbiologie, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany Received 28 November 2003; revised 25 August 2004 Communicated by Adalgisa Caccone Abstract The cophyline microhylid frogs of Madagascar show a wide range of habitat specialization, ranging from terrestrial/burrowing and semi-arboreal to entirely arboreal species. The classiWcation of these frogs is thus far mainly based upon morphological, largely osteological, characters that might be homoplastic. Using 1173 bp of DNA sequences from the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes, we here present a molecular phylogeny for 28 species of all known genera, except for the genus Madecassophryne. The result- ing maximum likelihood tree contained four major clades: one represented by the genus Anodonthyla, the second by Cophyla and Platypelis, the third by several terrestrial and semi-arboreal species of the genus Plethodontohyla, and the fourth by species of the genera StumpYa, Plethodontohyla, and Rhombophryne. The results conWrm that several cophyline lineages adapted independently to similar habitats, with multiple shifts among terrestriality and arboreality. The direction of these shifts cannot be ascertained due to unclariWed relationships among the most basal lineages, but for one terrestrial species (Anodonthyla montana), it is most parsimoni- ous to assume that it evolved from arboreal ancestors. -
1704632114.Full.Pdf
Phylogenomics reveals rapid, simultaneous PNAS PLUS diversification of three major clades of Gondwanan frogs at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary Yan-Jie Fenga, David C. Blackburnb, Dan Lianga, David M. Hillisc, David B. Waked,1, David C. Cannatellac,1, and Peng Zhanga,1 aState Key Laboratory of Biocontrol, College of Ecology and Evolution, School of Life Sciences, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510006, China; bDepartment of Natural History, Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611; cDepartment of Integrative Biology and Biodiversity Collections, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712; and dMuseum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 Contributed by David B. Wake, June 2, 2017 (sent for review March 22, 2017; reviewed by S. Blair Hedges and Jonathan B. Losos) Frogs (Anura) are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates The poor resolution for many nodes in anuran phylogeny is and comprise nearly 90% of living amphibian species. Their world- likely a result of the small number of molecular markers tra- wide distribution and diverse biology make them well-suited for ditionally used for these analyses. Previous large-scale studies assessing fundamental questions in evolution, ecology, and conser- used 6 genes (∼4,700 nt) (4), 5 genes (∼3,800 nt) (5), 12 genes vation. However, despite their scientific importance, the evolutionary (6) with ∼12,000 nt of GenBank data (but with ∼80% missing history and tempo of frog diversification remain poorly understood. data), and whole mitochondrial genomes (∼11,000 nt) (7). In By using a molecular dataset of unprecedented size, including 88-kb the larger datasets (e.g., ref. -
Lumping Or Splitting in the Cophylinae (Anura: Microhylidae) and the Need for a Parsimony of Taxonomic Changes: a Response to Peloso Et Al
SALAMANDRA 53(3) 479–483 15 August 2017 CorrespondenceISSN 0036–3375 Correspondence Lumping or splitting in the Cophylinae (Anura: Microhylidae) and the need for a parsimony of taxonomic changes: a response to Peloso et al. (2017) Mark D. Scherz1,2, Miguel Vences1, Andolalao Rakotoarison1, Franco Andreone3, Jörn Köhler4, Frank Glaw2 & Angelica Crottini5 1) Zoologisches Institut, Technische Universität Braunschweig, Mendelssohnstraße 4, 38106 Braunschweig, Germany 2) Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB), Münchhausenstr. 21, 81247 München, Germany 3) Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali, Via G. Giolitti, 36, 10123 Torino, Italy 4) Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, Friedensplatz 1, 64283 Darmstadt, Germany 5) CIBIO, Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Campus Agrário de Vairão, Rua Padre Armando Quintas, N 7, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal Corresponding author: Mark D. Scherz, e-mail: [email protected] Manuscript received: 10 May 2017 Accepted: 21 May 2017 by Stefan Lötters Peloso et al. (2016) published a phylogenomic study on the Te Bayesian Inference (BI) phylogeny of Scherz et al. anuran family Microhylidae, in which they used sequences (2016) showed that (1) Platypelis and Cophyla are mono- from previous work (e.g., van der Meijden et al. 2007, de phyletic genera; (2) one lineage of Stumpfa (S. helenae Sá et al. 2012) together with newly generated DNA sequenc- Vallan, 2000) rendered Stumpfa paraphyletic with re- es of seven gene fragments for 142 microhylids, plus ge- spect to Rhombophryne; this species was transferred to the nomic data (66 loci) for a selection of 48 taxa. Although the new genus Anilany Scherz, Vences, Rakotoarison, An- study was mainly focussed on inter-subfamily relationships, dreone, Köhler, Glaw & Crottini, 2016 described in they took taxonomic action at genus-level in three sub- Scherz et al.