A New Species of Rain Frog from Namaqualand, South Africa (Anura: Brevicipitidae: Breviceps)

Total Page:16

File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb

A New Species of Rain Frog from Namaqualand, South Africa (Anura: Brevicipitidae: Breviceps) Zootaxa 3381: 62–68 (2012) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ Article ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2012 · Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) A new species of Rain Frog from Namaqualand, South Africa (Anura: Brevicipitidae: Breviceps) ALAN CHANNING Biodiversity and Conservation Biology Department, University of the Western Cape, Private Bag X17, Bellville, 7525, South Africa. E-mail: [email protected] Abstract Breviceps branchi sp. nov. is described from coastal Namaqualand, South Africa. It is most similar to Breviceps na- maquensis in colour pattern and overall form, from which it differs by hand and foot morphology and 16S rRNA sequence. Key words: Breviceps, new species, Namaqualand, 16S rRNA, South Africa Introduction The genus Breviceps is known from South Africa northwards to Kenya, and as far west as Angola, with the closely related Balebreviceps found in Ethiopia (IUCN 2011). There are presently 15 species recognised (Frost 2011). The early taxonomy of the genus Breviceps was reviewed by Power (1926), by which time seven species were already known, including the Namaqualand endemics, B. macrops and B. namaquensis. Power (1926) discussed a number of characters that might be useful in separating species of rain frogs. On the basis of differences in 16S rRNA and morphology, I describe a new species of Breviceps from Namaqualand. Material and methods Sampling. A single specimen was collected in Namaqualand, South Africa. A small tissue sample was removed from thigh muscle, and the specimen was fixed in formalin for 24 h, then transferred to 70% ethanol for deposition in the herpetological collection of the Museum für Naturkunde, Leibniz Institute for Research on Evolution and Biodiversity at the Humboldt University, Berlin (ZMB). The specimen was compared to B. macrops, B. gibbosus and the types and additional material of B. namaquensis. Measurements. The following measurements were taken and descriptors recorded: Snout-urostyle length SUL, head width at angle of mouth (HW), interorbital distance measured across the top of the head (IO), eyelid length (EL), distance between the anterior corners of the eyes (EE), internarial distance (NN), length of inner meta- tarsal tubercle (IMT), length of median flange on inner metatarsal tubercle (FGL), length of first toe from inner metatarsal tubercle (T1), length of foot from tip of fourth toe including the outer metatarsal tubercle (F), length of hand from tip of third finger including the palmar tubercle (H), number of tubercles under the third finger (F3T). DNA extraction, amplification and sequencing. Tissues were digested using standard Proteinase-K protocol, and DNA was extracted using phenol-chloroform (Hillis et al. 1996). A 550 bp fragment of the mt 16S gene was amplified using the primers 16SaR-F and 16SbR-R of Kocher et al. (1989), as modified by Bossuyt & Milinko- vitch (2000). Forward and reverse strands were sequenced. Purification and sequencing of both strands was carried out by the Central Analytical Facility of Stellenbosch University. Both sequences were checked against the chro- matograms, trimmed, and combined into a single contig for each fragment using Sequencher 4.9 (GeneCodes Cor- poration). Sequences were checked using BLAST to confirm their placement in the genus (http:// blast.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/). The sequence is deposited in GenBank, accession number JQ965934. A comparative sequence from B. namaquensis was determined and deposited in GenBank, accession number JQ965933. 62 Accepted by M. Vences: 24 May 2012; published: 6 Jul. 2012 A comparison of the 16S rRNA sequence was made with those of B. macrops (Channing & Wahlberg 2011), B. namaquensis (this study), B. fuscus (Van der Meijden et al. 2005) and B. mossambicus (Van der Meijden et al. 2005, Loader et al. 2004, Frost et al. 2006, Greenbaum et al. 2011) which were available in GenBank. Results Breviceps branchi sp. nov. Branch's rain frog Figs. 1 & 3 Holotype. A male, ZMB 77781, field number AC 3053 (Fig 1), collected at the gate to the diamond security area 600 m west of the Holgat River bridge that carries traffic from Port Nolloth to Alexander Bay in Namaqualand, South Africa, 16 October 2008, 28°55'58.4" S; 16°46'08.9" E. For comparison a specimen of Breviceps namaquen- sis is included in Figure 1. The type locality is shown in Figure 2. Diagnosis. A brevicipitid frog, placed in the genus Breviceps as it does not have squared terminal discs on the phalanges as Callulina; nor a red V on the head and strong transverse ridges posteriorly on the palate as Splaeophryne; nor strongly granular skin and a downturned vent as Probreviceps (Channing & Howell 2006). The latter three genera are restricted to montane forests on the eastern side of the continent, while Breviceps is wide- spread and common in arid areas in the western parts of the continent. The new species most closely resembles Breviceps namaquensis in form and colour pattern, from which it can- not be distinguished on differences in body proportions, such as the ratios of HW/SUL, F/SUL, and EE/HW. Based on the description of the type series of Breviceps namaquensis (Power 1926), the following differences are appar- ent (B. namaquensis values in parentheses): Interorbital space 40% of upper eyelid (50%), fourth finger 50% length of second (60–80%), double subarticular tubercles under third and fourth toes (single conical tubercles), soles of feet granulated (smooth), inner metatarsal tubercle well developed, 20 degrees to axis of fourth toe (not well devel- oped, 30–50 degrees), body with even granulations (smooth at least anteriorly), four spots mid-dorsally (two spots), elongated patch on either side of vertebral line in sacral region (spot on either side). B. branchi sp. nov. is further distinguished from B. namaquensis by the many small granules under the fourth toe (23) compared to the 4–9 of B. namaquensis. The third finger is also more granulated, with 24 small tubercles under the third finger, but no more than 10 in B. namaquensis (Fig. 3). The dark band under the eye extends back to the arm insertion, but does not reach the arm in most B. namaquensis. I examined all the specimens of B. namaquensis in South African institutions (see material listed below), and found that this species never has such granular digits. The granular fingers and toes separate this species from B. acutirostris, B. adspersus, B. bagginsi, B. fichus, B. fuscus, B. gibbosus, B. macrops, B. montanus, B. mossambicus, B. rosei, B. sopranus, B. sylvestris and B. verrucosus when compared to the illustrations in Du Preez & Carruthers (2009) and Channing & Minter (2004). The 16S mt rRNA fragment differs by 4.5% from B. namaquensis, 5.2% from B. macrops, 8.0% from B. fus- cus, and 13% from B. mossambicus. This is within the range of differences between other congeneric species of amphibians (Fouquet et al. 2007). Description of the Holotype. A male, snout-urostyle length 41.3 mm. Top of head smooth, upper eyelid slightly granular, with six pale tubercles along margin of eyelid. Lower eyelid white with transparent patches and fine dark speckling. Snout protruding and angular in outline, nostrils thin slits with pale patch on the outer rim. Internostril distance 2 mm. Measurements (mm) of the holotype and a summary of the measurement of 14 B. namaquensis (in parentheses) follow: SUL 41.3 (19.5–51.9, mean 37.1); HW 12.1 (8.2–14.6, mean 12.5); NN 2.0 (1.7–2.5, mean 2.1); IO 2.4 (2.1–4.5, mean 3.6); EL 6.0 (4.8–7.6, mean 6.4); EE 6.6 (4.4–8.5, mean 7.1); IMT 3.8 (1.3–4.7, mean 3.3); FGL 1.9 (0.9–2.8, mean 1.9); T1 5.6 (2.7–7.2, mean 5.2); F 13.8 (7.2–17.5, mean 13.4); H 9.9 (5.5–12.9, mean 10.0); F3T 24 (2–10, mean 6.6). Fingers well developed, smooth above. Relative finger lengths 3>2>1>4. Fingers with double subarticular and supernumerary tubercles, with 24 tubercles under the third finger (Fig. 3). Palm very granulated. Inner metacarpal tubercle double, rounded, only slightly protruding. Outer metacarpal tubercle flat, divided. Toes well developed, smooth above, but very granulated below. Double subarticular tubercles present on toes 2, 3, and 4. Only the tip of toe 1 extends beyond the fleshy webbing and sole. Fleshy webbing between toes 3 and 4 extends beyond the level NEW SPECIES OF BREVICEPS FROM NAMAQUALAND Zootaxa 3381 © 2012 Magnolia Press · 63 of toe 2. Inner metatarsal tubercle elongated, protruding, aligned at 20° to the fourth toe axis. Outer metatarsal tubercle well developed, almost in line with the inner metatarsal tubercle. Throat and ventrum with minute white asperities, and a transparent belly patch. Sides of body with numerous small, white-tipped glands, each with three or more openings. There are 18 of these glands counted along a straight line between arm and leg. FIGURE 1. A—Holotype of Breviceps branchi sp. nov (ZMB 77781), Photo courtesy K. Wahlberg, B—Breviceps namaquen- sis from Farm Brasil, Namaqualand, South Africa (ZMB 77780). 64 · Zootaxa 3381 © 2012 Magnolia Press CHANNING FIGURE 2. Map showing the collecting locality (square symbol) of Breviceps branchi sp. nov. AB–Alexander Bay, PN–Port Nolloth, South Africa. Map courtesy Google Earth. Colour in life. The back is a pale yellow-brown, with darker brown markings. There are paired pale paradorsal patches, with a pale bar from eye to eye over the head. A dark band runs from below the eye to the arm insertion. Numerous small white glandular warts are present on the skin, most conspicuous along the sides (Fig.
Recommended publications
  • Amphibians in Zootaxa: 20 Years Documenting the Global Diversity of Frogs, Salamanders, and Caecilians
    Zootaxa 4979 (1): 057–069 ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/ Review ZOOTAXA Copyright © 2021 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4979.1.9 http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:972DCE44-4345-42E8-A3BC-9B8FD7F61E88 Amphibians in Zootaxa: 20 years documenting the global diversity of frogs, salamanders, and caecilians MAURICIO RIVERA-CORREA1*+, DIEGO BALDO2*+, FLORENCIA VERA CANDIOTI3, VICTOR GOYANNES DILL ORRICO4, DAVID C. BLACKBURN5, SANTIAGO CASTROVIEJO-FISHER6, KIN ONN CHAN7, PRISCILLA GAMBALE8, DAVID J. GOWER9, EVAN S.H. QUAH10, JODI J. L. ROWLEY11, EVAN TWOMEY12 & MIGUEL VENCES13 1Grupo Herpetológico de Antioquia - GHA and Semillero de Investigación en Biodiversidad - BIO, Universidad de Antioquia, Antioquia, Colombia [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5033-5480 2Laboratorio de Genética Evolutiva, Instituto de Biología Subtropical (CONICET-UNaM), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Químicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Misiones, Posadas, Misiones, Argentina [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2382-0872 3Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas - Fundación Miguel Lillo, 4000 San Miguel de Tucumán, Argentina [email protected]; http://orcid.org/0000-0002-6133-9951 4Laboratório de Herpetologia Tropical, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Rodovia Jorge Amado Km 16 45662-900 Ilhéus, Bahia, Brasil [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4560-4006 5Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, 1659 Museum Road, Gainesville, Florida, 32611, USA [email protected]; https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1810-9886 6Laboratório de Sistemática de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Av.
    [Show full text]
  • A Case Study: Building Resilience in Rangelands Through a Natural Resource Management Model
    A CASE STUDY: BUILDING RESILIENCE IN RANGELANDS THROUGH A NATURAL RESOURCE MANAGEMENT MODEL Ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation: strengthening the evidence and informing policy Halcyone Muller Heidi-Jayne Hawkins Sarshen Scorgie November 2019 Contents Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 4 Materials and methods .................................................................................................... 6 Climate and biophysical characteristics of the study area ............................. 6 Socio-economic characteristics of the study area ............................................. 7 Socio-economic survey .............................................................................................. 7 Biophysical study design ........................................................................................... 7 Statistics .......................................................................................................................... 8 Results .................................................................................................................................. 10 Socio-economic survey ............................................................................................. 10 Biophysical study ......................................................................................................... 11 Discussion .........................................................................................................................
    [Show full text]
  • Breviceps Adspersus” Documents B
    Herpetology Notes, volume 14: 397-406 (2021) (published online on 22 February 2021) Phylogenetic analysis of “Breviceps adspersus” documents B. passmorei Minter et al., 2017 in Limpopo Province, South Africa Matthew P. Heinicke1,*, Mohamad H. Beidoun1, Stuart V. Nielsen1,2, and Aaron M. Bauer3 Abstract. Recent systematic work has shown the Breviceps mossambicus species group to be more species-rich than previously documented and has brought into question the identity of many populations, especially in northeastern South Africa. We obtained genetic data for eight specimens originally identified as B. adspersus from Limpopo Province, South Africa, as well as numerous specimens from the core range of B. adspersus in Namibia and Zimbabwe. Phylogenetic analysis shows that there is little genetic variation across the range of B. adspersus. However, most of our Limpopo specimens are not B. adspersus but rather B. passmorei, a species previously known only from the immediate vicinity of its type locality in KwaZulu-Natal. These new records extend the known range of B. passmorei by 360 km to the north. Our results emphasize the need to obtain fine- scale range-wide genetic data for Breviceps to better delimit the diversity and biogeography of the genus. Keywords. Brevicipitidae, cryptic species, Microhylidae, rain frog, systematics, Transvaal Introduction Breviceps adspersus, with a lectotype locality listed as “Damaraland” [= north-central Namibia], and other The genus Breviceps Merrem, 1820 includes 18 or 19 syntypes from both Damaraland and “Transvaal” [= described species of rain frogs distributed across eastern northeastern South Africa], has a southern distribution, and southern Africa (AmphibiaWeb, 2020; Frost, 2020). ranging from Namibia across much of Botswana, The genus includes two major clades: the gibbosus Zimbabwe, and South Africa to western Mozambique.
    [Show full text]
  • Bell MSC 2009.Pdf (8.762Mb)
    THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE DESERT RAIN FROG (Breviceps macrops) IN SOUTH AFRICA Kirsty Jane Bell A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Scientiae in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape Supervisor: Dr. Alan Channing April 2009 ii THE DISTRIBUTION OF THE DESERT RAIN FROG (Breviceps macrops) IN SOUTH AFRICA Kirsty Jane Bell Keywords: Desert Rain Frog Breviceps macrops Distribution Southern Africa Diamond Coast Environmental influences Genetics Conservation status Anthropogenic disturbances Current threats iii ABSTRACT The Distribution of the Desert Rain Frog (Breviceps macrops) in South Africa Kirsty Jane Bell M.Sc. Thesis, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. The desert rain frog (Breviceps macrops) is an arid adapted anuran found on the west coast of southern Africa occurring within the Sandveld of the Succulent Karoo Biome. It is associated with white aeolian sand deposits, sparse desert vegetation and coastal fog. Little is known of its behaviour and life history strategy. Its distribution is recognised in the Atlas and Red Data Book of the Frogs of South Africa, Lesotho, and Swaziland as stretching from Koiingnaas in the South to Lüderitz in the North and 10 km inland. This distribution has been called into question due to misidentification and ambiguous historical records. This study examines the distribution of B. macrops in order to clarify these discrepancies, and found that its distribution does not stretch beyond 2 km south of the town of Kleinzee nor further than 6 km inland throughout its range in South Africa.
    [Show full text]
  • Explore the Northern Cape Province
    Cultural Guiding - Explore The Northern Cape Province When Schalk van Niekerk traded all his possessions for an 83.5 carat stone owned by the Griqua Shepard, Zwartboy, Sir Richard Southey, Colonial Secretary of the Cape, declared with some justification: “This is the rock on which the future of South Africa will be built.” For us, The Star of South Africa, as the gem became known, shines not in the East, but in the Northern Cape. (Tourism Blueprint, 2006) 2 – WildlifeCampus Cultural Guiding Course – Northern Cape Module # 1 - Province Overview Component # 1 - Northern Cape Province Overview Module # 2 - Cultural Overview Component # 1 - Northern Cape Cultural Overview Module # 3 - Historical Overview Component # 1 - Northern Cape Historical Overview Module # 4 - Wildlife and Nature Conservation Overview Component # 1 - Northern Cape Wildlife and Nature Conservation Overview Module # 5 - Namaqualand Component # 1 - Namaqualand Component # 2 - The Hantam Karoo Component # 3 - Towns along the N14 Component # 4 - Richtersveld Component # 5 - The West Coast Module # 5 - Karoo Region Component # 1 - Introduction to the Karoo and N12 towns Component # 2 - Towns along the N1, N9 and N10 Component # 3 - Other Karoo towns Module # 6 - Diamond Region Component # 1 - Kimberley Component # 2 - Battlefields and towns along the N12 Module # 7 - The Green Kalahari Component # 1 – The Green Kalahari Module # 8 - The Kalahari Component # 1 - Kuruman and towns along the N14 South and R31 Northern Cape Province Overview This course material is the copyrighted intellectual property of WildlifeCampus. It may not be copied, distributed or reproduced in any format whatsoever without the express written permission of WildlifeCampus. 3 – WildlifeCampus Cultural Guiding Course – Northern Cape Module 1 - Component 1 Northern Cape Province Overview Introduction Diamonds certainly put the Northern Cape on the map, but it has far more to offer than these shiny stones.
    [Show full text]
  • A New Species of the Genus Nasikabatrachus (Anura, Nasikabatrachidae) from the Eastern Slopes of the Western Ghats, India
    Alytes, 2017, 34 (1¢4): 1¢19. A new species of the genus Nasikabatrachus (Anura, Nasikabatrachidae) from the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, India S. Jegath Janani1,2, Karthikeyan Vasudevan1, Elizabeth Prendini3, Sushil Kumar Dutta4, Ramesh K. Aggarwal1* 1Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CSIR-CCMB), Uppal Road, Tarnaka, Hyderabad, 500007, India. <[email protected]>, <[email protected]>. 2Current Address: 222A, 5th street, Annamalayar Colony, Sivakasi, 626123, India.<[email protected]>. 3Division of Vertebrate Zoology, Department of Herpetology, American Museum of Natural History, Central Park West at 79th Street, New York NY 10024-5192, USA. <[email protected]>. 4Nature Environment and Wildlife Society (NEWS), Nature House, Gaudasahi, Angul, Odisha. <[email protected]>. * Corresponding Author. We describe a new species of the endemic frog genus Nasikabatrachus,from the eastern slopes of the Western Ghats, in India. The new species is morphologically, acoustically and genetically distinct from N. sahyadrensis. Computed tomography scans of both species revealed diagnostic osteological differences, particularly in the vertebral column. Male advertisement call analysis also showed the two species to be distinct. A phenological difference in breeding season exists between the new species (which breeds during the northeast monsoon season; October to December), and its sister species (which breeds during the southwest monsoon; May to August). The new species shows 6 % genetic divergence (K2P) at mitochondrial 16S rRNA (1330 bp) partial gene from its congener, indicating clear differentiation within Nasikabatra- chus. Speciation within this fossorial lineage is hypothesized to have been caused by phenological shift in breeding during different monsoon seasons—the northeast monsoon in the new species versus southwest monsoon in N.
    [Show full text]
  • Natural History Observations on a Warty Frog: Callulina Dawida (Amphibia: Brevicipitidae) in the Taita Hills, Kenya
    International Scholarly Research Network ISRN Zoology Volume 2012, Article ID 212491, 9 pages doi:10.5402/2012/212491 Research Article Natural History Observations on a Warty Frog: Callulina dawida (Amphibia: Brevicipitidae) in the Taita Hills, Kenya Patrick K. Malonza Section of Herpetology, National Museums of Kenya, P.O. Box 40658, Nairobi 00100, Kenya Correspondence should be addressed to Patrick K. Malonza, [email protected] Received 16 November 2011; Accepted 26 December 2011 Academic Editors: B. I. Crother, P. V. Lindeman, T. Miyata, A. Robins, T. H. Struck, and B. E. Washburn Copyright © 2012 Patrick K. Malonza. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited. Amphibian populations are declining throughout the world, but most of the susceptible species possess particular biological attributes. Understanding these traits plus the environmental factors responsible for declines greatly aids conservation prioritization and planning. This paper examines the natural history observations and ecological characteristics of Callulina dawida, a frog endemic to the montane forests of the Taita Hills, Kenya. Sampling was accomplished by use of standardized pitfall trapping, transects, and time-limited searches. Mean monthly temperature and elevation significantly influenced the species distribution and abundance but mean monthly rainfall did not. The species was rare or absent during the cold season and its abundance increased with elevation. Breeding occurred during the long dry season (June to October) with juveniles being abundant between January and March. Available evidence shows that this species deposits a cluster of large yolk-rich eggs on the forest floor with maternal care and direct development.
    [Show full text]
  • Normal Template
    6 SOCIO-ECONOMIC BASELINE: 6.1 INTRODUCTION The proposed wind farm project is located within the Northern Cape Province, the Namakwa District Municipality (DM) and the Richtersveld Local Municipality (LM). The Namakwa District Municipality is in the western part of the Northern Cape. The province consists of six local municipalities and covers a geographical area of approximately 126, 747 km². It is bordered by the Siyanda and Pixley ka Seme Districts of the Northern Cape Province to the North-East and East, respectively, and by the Western Cape Province to the South (the West Coast, Boland and Central Karoo District Municipalities). The Atlantic Ocean forms the Western boundary, while the Gariep (Orange) River forms the Northern border with Namibia. The Richtersveld LM comprises of the following towns; Port Nolloth, Lekkersing, Kuboes, Sanddrift, Eksteenfontein, Sendelingsdrift and Alexander Bay. The project site is located on communal land that was formerly the Richtersveld “Coloured Reserve” during the Apartheid era. As part of the transformation and land restitution process, the land has since been transferred back to the ‘Richtersveld community’. For the purpose of this study, the geographic areas described in the socio- economic baseline include the Namakwa DM, Richtersveld LM, and the four rural towns that comprise the Richtersveld community (Lekkersing, Kuboes, Sanddrift and Eksteenfontein) given that they are the beneficiaries of the land on which the proposed site will be located. Figure 4.1 shows the directly affected, neighbouring municipalities and the location of the proposed project site. 6.1.1 Local Population Overview – Relevance of Performance Standard 7: Indigenous People The proposed wind farm project will be located on communal land that was given back to the Richtersveld community as part of the transformation process.
    [Show full text]
  • Heritage Exemption Letter
    11 May, 2020 Attention: Ms Natasha Higgitt SAHRA Case Officer Northern Cape South African Heritage Resources Agency (SAHRA) Head Office 111 Harrington Street CAPE TOWN 8001 Dear Ms Higgitt RE: Letter of Recommendation for Exemption of a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for the Pella Bulk Water Pipeline Project, Northern Cape 1. Project Background Black Mountain Mining (Pty) Ltd, part of Vedanta Zinc International (VZI), owns and operates the Gamsberg Zinc Mine. The Gamsberg Zinc Mine as currently approved will produce up to 10 mtpa in an open pit mine together with a concentrator plant and associated infrastructure. Water is currently sourced from the Orange River through an intake pump house located at Pella Drift, almost 30 km to the north east of the Gamsberg Zinc Mine. Currently a total of 28 Ml/day water is pumped through the existing bulk water pipelines. In order to ensure that the pipeline capacity will meet the future water demand and allow for the complete utilization of the currently licensed abstraction volume of 44 Ml/day Black Mountain Mining (Pty) Ltd, in conjunction with Sedibeng Water, is proposing to replace and upgrade the existing old underground pipeline and associated infrastructure (Figure 1 & 2). This new pipeline will be located within the existing servitude and will supply water to the proposed Gamsberg Smelter Project and existing Gamsberg Zinc Mine, Black Mountain Mine and the surrounding towns (including Aggeneys, Pella, Pofadder and local landowners). This servitude was previously assessed by Webley and Halkett (2017), they recorded Stone Age artefact scatters of low significance. The proposed pipeline is currently located within an existing registered servitude, impacted on by the two existing pipelines (one above ground and one underground) and there is a very low likelihood that any sites of significance will be impacted on by the proposed project.
    [Show full text]
  • 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.
    [Show full text]
  • “HARROWFOOT FROGS” (ANURA: NEOBATRACHIA) INFERRED from Breviceps Mossambicus RE-DESCRIPTION (FORMERLY in BREVICIPITIDAE) from TANZANIA
    Journal of Biology and Nature 4(4): 200-205, 2015 ISSN: 2395-5376 (P), ISSN: 2395-5384 (O) International Knowledge Press www.ikpress.org RASTAPODIDAE FAM. NOV. OF “HARROWFOOT FROGS” (ANURA: NEOBATRACHIA) INFERRED FROM Breviceps mossambicus RE-DESCRIPTION (FORMERLY IN BREVICIPITIDAE) FROM TANZANIA NICODEMUS D. MATOJO 1* 1Department of Life Science, Mkwawa University College of Education, University of Dar es Salaam, P.O.Box 2513 Iringa, Tanzania. AUTHOR’S CONTRIBUTION The sole author designed, analyzed and interpreted and prepared the manuscript. Received: 26 th August 2015 Accepted: 31 st October 2015 Published: 24 th November 2015 Original Research Article __________________________________________________________________________________ ABSTRACT A new family comprising “Harrowfoot Frogs” (Anura: Neobatrachia) has been inferred from the Mozambique rain frog, Breviceps mossambicus , also known as flat-faced frog, re-described from Tanzania. Members have football-shaped eyes, horizontal pupils and smooth skin with no paratoid glands, typically like Hemisotidae – the shovelnose frogs also known as snout burrowers. Most importantly, the new family has a distinct heavy framework of keratinous harrow-like digging device on hind foot, correlating to one or two lesser foot tubercles known in the spadefoot toads (Pelobatidae and Scaphiopodidae) and true toads (Bufonidae), respectively. The identified harrow is made up of three forklets trifurcated on metatarsal 2 to 4 of each foot. All frogs with this homology fall under their own group, Rastapodidae
    [Show full text]
  • Mgr. Jiří Brůna
    Přírodovědecká fakulta Masarykovy univerzity Ústav botaniky a zoologie Kotlářská 2 Brno CZ - 61137 MORFOLOGIE A MYOLOGIE POUŠTNÍCH FOREM ŽAB RODU BREVICEPS (ANURA, BREVICIPITIDAE) S OHLEDEM NA JEJICH FYLOGENETICKÉ VZTAHY RIGORÓZNÍ PRÁCE Mgr. Jiří Brůna BRNO 2007 Prohlašuji, že jsem uvedenou práci vypracoval samostatně, jen s použitím citované literatury. ........................................ V Brně dne 15.5. 2007 Jiří Brůna BRŮNA J. 2007. External morphology and myology of the desert forms of Breviceps (Anura, Brevicipitidae) with comments to their phylogenetic relationship. Rigorous thesis. Masaryk University, Brno: 82 pp. Anotace: The phylogenetic relationships of brevicipitid frogs are poorly understood. The first morphology phylogeny for genus Breviceps is presented, including representatives of 8 species (n= 84), and 1 hemisotid genus Hemisus (n=4) as outgroup. The total of 25 morphological characters (synapomorphies) were analysed using Maximum parsimony method - Paup 4.010b. Analysis of the data are consistent with the paraphyly of the Breviceps and forms two sister clades within the genus. Well supported is a monophyly of the clade B. namaquensis and B. macrops grouped with B. rosei as a sister taxon. This group forms a sister clade to the B. gibbosus, B. fuscus and B. verrucosus monophyletic group. Other two species B. adspersus and B. montanus forms a sister clade to this second group. Morphometric study (diameter of the eye) is also described. Breviceps namaquensis and B. macrops possess the biggest eye diameter of the genus and also their six morphological adaptations are presented in this study. Keywords: Anura, Brevicipitidae, Breviceps, morphology, myology, phylogeny, adaptations Touto cestou bych chtěl poděkovat prof. Channingovi (University of the Western Cape, JAR) za poskytnutí zázemí, materiálu a laboratorní techniky včetně cenných rad v průběhu dlouhodobých stáží v Jihoafrické republice (2002-2005).
    [Show full text]