Photography-based taxonomy is inadequate, unnecessary, and potentially harmful for biological sciences

The question whether taxonomic descriptions naming new animal species without type specimen(s) deposited in collections should be accepted for publication by scientific journals and allowed by the Code has already been discussed in Zootaxa (Dubois & Nemésio 2007; Donegan 2008, 2009; Nemésio 2009a–b; Dubois 2009; Gentile & Snell 2009; Minelli 2009; Cianferoni & Bartolozzi 2016; Amorim et al. 2016). This question was again raised in a letter supported by 35 signatories published in the journal Nature (Pape et al. 2016) on 15 September 2016. On 25 September 2016, the following rebuttal (strictly limited to 300 words as per the editorial rules of Nature) was submitted to Nature, which on 18 October 2016 refused to publish it. As we think this problem is a very important one for zoological taxonomy, this text is published here exactly as submitted to Nature, followed by the list of the 493 taxonomists and collection-based researchers who signed it in the short time span from 20 September to 6 October 2016

Thoropa taophora microsatellite genotype data

This file includes genotype data for 438 individuals of the frog species Thoropa taophora. Individuals were genotyped at nine microsatellie loci. Individuals were collected at 17 sampling localities and for each individual the name and GPS point of the locality is included. Additionally, we indicate if the sampling locality was island or coastal

Scinax peixotoi Brasileiro, Haddad, Sawaya & Martins, 2007, sp. n.

Scinax peixotoi sp. n. Scinax perpusillus queimadensis Lutz, 1973 Nomen Nudum Holotype. CFBH 9437 (Fig. 1), adult male, collected at Queimada Grande Island, Municipality of Itanhaém, São Paulo state, Brazil, on 20 January 2002, by C. A. Brasileiro, R. J. Sawaya, and O.V. Marques. Paratopotypes. Collected with the holotype: CFBH 9440, adult female; CFBH 09438­09439, adult males; ZUEC 13240, adult male; ZUEC 13241, adult female; MNRJ 39757, adult male. Collected at Queimada Grande Island by A. R. Hoge and A. T. Leão on 22 June 1947: MZUSP 31283, 31286­31287, 31291, 31293 ­31297, 31299, adult males; MZUSP 312884 ­312885, 312888, adult females. Collected at Queimada Grande Island by R. J. Sawaya on 17 December 2004: MNRJ 39758 adult female. Diagnosis. Scinax peixotoi is a moderate­sized species (males 18.8–20.7 mm SVL, females 22.4–25.1 mm SVL) relative to other species of the Scinax perpusillus group (Peixoto 1987, Duellman & Wiens 1992; Faivovich 2002). The species is characterized by (1) snout protruding in lateral view and subacuminate in dorsal view, (2) canthus rostralis distinct and well defined, (3) head slightly longer than wide, (4) loreal region weakly concave, (5) protruding eyes, (6) internostrils distance similar to eye diameter, (7) tibia + tigh size same or greater than SVL; (8) vestigial webbing between toes I and II, II and III, (9) dorsal skin texture slightly rugose, and (10) in preservative, dorsum silvery­colored. Comparison with other species. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. alcatraz by its smaller size (S. alcatraz males: 19.7–24.4 mm SVL; females 27.0– 29.8 mm SVL), a wider head (SVL/HW S. peixotoi 2.7–3.2, S.alcatraz 2.6–2.9), loreal region more concave, canthus rostralis more evident, smaller and less pronounced eyes, larger distance between nostrils (IND /HW S. peixotoi 0.28–0.39; S. alcatraz 0.21–0.25), more rugose dorsal skin texture, and silvery and more ornamented dorsum. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. arduous by its more robust body shape, less protruding eye, more protruding snout, less wider head (SVL/HW males of S. arduous 2.9–3.4;), loreal region less concave; absence of tubercles on the loreal region, and less metallic dorsum color. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. atratus by its larger size (maximum SVL of males of S. atratus 19.2 mm, maximum SVL of females 20.0 mm; Peixoto, 1988), more robust body shape, more evident canthus rostralis, loreal region more concave, and tibia and thigh with the same size (tibia much larger than thigh in S. atratus);. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. littoreus by its more rugose dorsal skin texture, presence of supratympanic folder (absent in S. littoreous), protrunding snout in lateral view (little truncate in S. littoreous), and silvery and more ornamented dorsal color pattern. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. melloi by its larger size (SVL of males S. melloi, 15.9 –17.00 mm, N = 10), shorter head (SVL/HL S. peixotoi 2.3–2.6; S. melloi 2.5–2.8), larger distance between nostrils (IND /HW S. peixotoi 0.28–0.39; S. melloi 0.23–0.30), more roguse dorsal skin texture, less variable dorsal pattern, and less keratinized inner metacarpal tubercule. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. perpusillus by its more robust body shape, wider head (SVL/HW S. perpusillus 2.6 –3.0; SVL/HW S. peixotoi 2.7–3.2), smaller eye diameter (DO/SVL S. perpusillus 0.12–0.14; S. peixotoi 0.09–0.12), more protrunding snout, presence of supratymapnic folder (absent in S. perpusillus), and distinct dorsal color pattern. Scinax peixotoi differs from S. v­signatus by its more rounded canthus rostralis, less wider (SVL/HW S. v­signatus: 3.3–3.9; SVL/HW S. peixotoi 2.7–3.2) and less long head (SVL/HL S. v­signatus 2.4–2.6; S. peixotoi 2.3– 2.6); smaller eye diameter (DO/SVL S. v­signatus 0.11–0.14); tibia with the same size as the thigh (tibia larger than thigh in S. v­signatus); distinct dorsal color pattern, and no evident v­shaped dark mark on dorsum. The advertisement calls of Scinax peixotoi (see below) differ from those of S. arduous and S. perpusillus recorded at their type­locality (Pombal & Bastos, 2002). The notes in the call of S. peixotoi are considerably shorter and exhibit a lower dominant frequency compared to those of S. arduous (mean note duration 25 ms; mean dominant frequency 4301 Hz). The notes of S. peixotoi are longer and have lower frequency compared to those of S. perpusillus (mean note duration 14 ms; mean dominant frequency 4913 Hz). Description of holotype. Body robust (Fig. 1); head longer than wide; snout protruding in lateral view and subacuminate in dorsal view (Fig. 2 A, B); nostrils rounded, canthus rostralis distinct, slightly rounded; loreal region weakly concave; eye protuberant; tympanum distinct, diameter about half of the eye diameter; weak supratympanic fold from tympanic region to shoulder; discrete subgular vocal sac; tongue round and large; vomerine teeth in two arc shape series; medium­sized, elliptical choannae. Arms slender; forearms slightly robust, outer metacarpal tubercle large and bifid, inner metacarpal tubercle elliptic; subarticular tubercles rounded, single; fingers without webbing; finger lengths IV <I <II <III (Fig. 2 C). Legs robust; tibia longer than thigh; feet with an elliptical inner metatarsal tubercle; round outer metatarsal tubercle; subarticular tubercles rounded, single, toe lengths I <II <V <III <IV (Fig. 2 D); foot webbing formula I­ 2 + II 2 + ­ 3 + III 1 +­ 2 IV 2 ­ ­ 1 +V. Dorsal and ventral skin texture rugose. Color in preservative of the holotype. Dorsum light silvery with a dark brown lateral stripe; tibia and thigh with dark brown transverse stripes; throat with black spots; venter white; undersurfaces of throat, arms, hands, fingers, thighs, tibiae, feet, and toes, white with dark spots. Color in life of the holotype. Dorsum brownish; a dark brown line on the canthus rostralis, upper eyelids, and supratympanic fold; interorbital dark brown line; upper surface of thigh and tibia distinct with dark transversal stripes; hidden portion of shanks with irregular yellow flash color spots. Iris golden with a horizontal black bar. Measurements of the holotype (mm). SVL 20.3, HL 8.2, HW 6.8, ED 2.3, TD 1.1, IOD 2.3, END 2.4, IND 2.2, THL 9.4, TBL 10.4, FL 7.7, HL 5.5. Variation in the type series. In preservative, coloration of dorsum varies from light gray to dark gray. Interorbital bar and dorsal bars sometimes not evident in dark gray individuals. Females larger than males. Adhesive disks more developed in females. Females lack vocal sac and vocal slits. Measurements of 15 males and five females are presented in Table 1. Males (N = 15) Females (N = 5) SD Range SD Range Vocalizations. Calls of two males of Scinax peixotoi were recorded on the night of 17 January 2002 just after a storm, at the same locality the holotype was captured. Thirty calls of those two males were analyzed. Air temperature during recordings was 23 °C. Each call is composed by 3–5 notes (= 3.9 ± 0.7 notes, N = 20 calls), with duration of 9–28 ms (= 17 ± 7 ms; N = 15 notes). Notes consisted of 4–9 pulses (= 6.2 ± 1.4 pulses, N = 30 notes) with duration range of 1–3 ms (= 1.6 ± 0.6 ms, N = 55 pulses). Call duration ranged Natural history. We visited Queimada Grande Island six times during the period of 2001–2005. Visits occurred in January, April, May, and December. We observed calling and reproductive behavior only in January 2002. Males called at night from the leaves of ground bromeliads (ca 40–60 cm in diameter) on a rock outcrop, frequently in a head­up vertical posture. Females were also found on bromeliad leaves. As observed in other species of the S. perpusillus species group (Oliveira and Navas, 2004), S. peixotoi tend to favor clustered bromeliads, as we never observed calling males in isolated plants throughout the island. All type specimens were collected at a single large patch of bromeliads at an altitude of ca. 50 m. Distribution. Scinax peixotoi is known only from Queimada Grande Island (24 29 ’S; 46 41 ’W), a 43 ha island about 33 km from the coast of Itanhaém, in southern coast São Paulo state. Etymology. The specific name honors Oswaldo L. Peixoto, the first herpetologist to recognize S. peixotoi as a distinct species, and for his contributions to our understanding of the Scinax perpusillus group.Published as part of Brasileiro, Cinthia A., Haddad, Celio F. B., Sawaya, Ricardo J. & Martins, Marcio, 2007, A new and threatened species of Scinax (Anura: Hylidae) from Queimada Grande Island, southeastern Brazil, pp. 47-55 in Zootaxa 1391 on pages 48-52, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17525

Data from: Evolutionary history of Scinax treefrogs on land-bridge islands in south-eastern Brazil

AIM: We investigated how Pleistocene refugia and recent (~12,000 years ago) sea level incursions shaped genetic differentiation in mainland and island populations of the Scinax perpusillus treefrog group. LOCATION: Brazilian Atlantic Forest, São Paulo state, southeastern Brazil. METHODS: Using mitochondrial and microsatellite loci, we surveyed population structure and genetic diversity in Scinax from five mainland populations and three land-bridge islands to understand the roles of Pleistocene forest fragmentation and sea level incursions on genetic differentiation. We calculated metrics of relatedness and genetic diversity to assess whether island populations exhibit signatures of genetic drift and isolation. Two of the three island populations in this study have previously been described as new species based on a combination of distinct morphological and behavioural characters, thus we used the molecular datasets to determine whether phenotypic change is consistent with genetic differentiation. RESULTS: Our analyses recovered three distinct lineages or demes comprised of northern mainland São Paulo populations, southern mainland São Paulo populations, and one divergent island population. The two remaining island populations clustered with samples from adjacent mainland populations. Estimates of allelic richness were significantly lower, and estimates of relatedness were significantly higher, in island populations relative to their mainland counterparts. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Fine-scale genetic structure across mainland populations indicates the possible existence of local refugia within São Paulo state, underscoring the small geographic scale at which populations diverge in this species rich region of the Atlantic Coastal Forest. Variation in genetic signatures across the three islands indicates that the populations experienced different demographic processes after marine incursions fragmented the distribution of Scinax perpusillus. Genetic signatures of inbreeding and drift in some island populations indicate that small population sizes coupled with strong ecological selection may be important evolutionary forces driving speciation on land-bridge islands

A new and threatened species of Scinax (Anura: Hylidae) from Queimada Grande Island, southeastern Brazil

We describe a new species of hylid frog, Scinax peixotoi, from Queimada Grande Island, southeastern Brazil. The new species belongs to the Scinax perpusillus species group, in which all known forms inhabit bromeliads, and is diagnosed by the following set of characters: moderate-size (males 18.8-20.7 mm SVL, females 22.4-25.1 mm SVL); canthus rostralis distinct; dorsal skin slightly rugose; and a distinct advertisement call with relatively low dominant frequency. The new species is known from a single population on Queimada Grande, an island of 43 ha, approximately 33 km distant from the coast of São Paulo State, where it inhabits scattered patches of bromeliads. The highly specialized and patchy habitat of S. peixotoi, associated with its small range size, make this species highly susceptible to stochastic or anthropogenic habitat disturbances, which could lead it to extinction. Copyright © 2007 Magnolia Press

Evolutionary history of Scinax treefrogs on land-bridge islands in south-eastern Brazil

Aim We investigated how Pleistocene refugia and recent (c. 12,000 years ago) sea level incursions shaped genetic differentiation in mainland and island populations of the Scinax perpusillus treefrog group. Location Brazilian Atlantic Forest, São Paulo state, south-eastern Brazil. Methods Using mitochondrial and microsatellite loci, we examined population structure and genetic diversity in three species from the S. perpusillus group, sampled from three land-bridge islands and five mainland populations, in order to understand the roles of Pleistocene forest fragmentation and sea level incursions on genetic differentiation. We calculated metrics of relatedness and genetic diversity to assess whether island populations exhibit signatures of genetic drift and isolation. Two of the three island populations in this study have previously been described as new species based on a combination of distinct morphological and behavioural characters, thus we used the molecular datasets to determine whether phenotypic change is consistent with genetic differentiation. Results Our analyses recovered three distinct lineages or demes composed of northern mainland São Paulo populations, southern mainland São Paulo populations, and one divergent island population. the two remaining island populations clustered with samples from adjacent mainland populations. Estimates of allelic richness were significantly lower, and estimates of relatedness were significantly higher, in island populations relative to their mainland counterparts. Main conclusions Fine-scale genetic structure across mainland populations indicates the possible existence of local refugia within São Paulo state, underscoring the small geographic scale at which populations diverge in this species-rich region of the Atlantic Coastal Forest. Variation in genetic signatures across the three islands indicates that the populations experienced different demographic processes after marine incursions fragmented the distribution of the S. perpusillus group. Genetic signatures of inbreeding and drift in some island populations indicate that small population sizes, coupled with strong ecological selection, may be important evolutionary forces driving speciation on land-bridge islands.Microsoft CorporationCornell University Presidential Life Sciences FellowshipNational Science FoundationBiodiversitas/Conservation InternationalFundacao O BoticarioFundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES)Cornell Univ, Dept Ecol & Evolutionary Biol, Ithaca, NY 14853 USAUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias Letras & Ciencias Exatas, Programa Posgrad Biol Anim, BR-15054000 São Paulo, BrazilUniv Estadual Paulista, Inst Biociencias, Dept Zool, BR-13506900 São Paulo, BrazilUniversidade Federal de São Paulo, Dept Ciencias Biol, BR-09972270 São Paulo, BrazilNational Science Foundation: DEB-0542848Web of Scienc

Herpetofauna invasora no Brasil : presente e futuro

Atualmente a lista das espécies da herpetofauna invasora no Brasil é composta por seis espécies de anfíbios, quatro de lagartos e duas tartarugas. A maioria delas foi introduzida a partir da década de 1970 por vias acidentais. Os impactos ecológicos e socioambientais causados por estas espécies são geralmente desconhecidos. Devido ao comércio de animais de estimação de anfíbios e répteis ter alta procura e fi scalização insufi ciente, é necessário atenção especial para evitar introduções e estabelecimento das espécies com histórico de invasão bem-sucedida em outros países. É fundamental monitoramento das populações invasoras já estabelecidas, bem como estudos acerca dos potenciais impactos ecológicos e socioambientais causados por elas para permitir decisões ambientais mais assertivas no âmbito da conservação e manejo

Microsatellites

This file includes the raw allele scores for eight microsatellites collected from 149 samples of the Scinax perpusillus species group (S. perpusillus, S. peixotoi, and S. faivovichi) at several localities in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest