Identities of Colostethus inguinalis (Cope, 1868) and C. panamensis (Dunn, 1933).

24 p. : ill., map ; 26 cm.Includes bibliographical references (p. 21-23).For the past several decades, it has been thought that Colostethus inguinalis (Cope, 1868) (type species of Prostherapis Cope, 1868) is distributed in the Chocó region of western Colombia and throughout much of Panama. This study shows that C. inguinalis is a Colombian endemic known only from the lowlands of the Chocó and Magdalena Valley--an unusual distribution pattern among dendrobatids but one shared with a several other anuran species typically known from the Chocó region. Colostethus cacerensis Rivero, 2000 "1995" is argued to be a junior synonym of C. inguinalis. The available name for the tetrodotoxin-possessing species found in Panama is C. panamensis (Dunn, 1933), which is redescribed. The first record of C. panamensis in Colombia is also reported. Colostethus inguinalis and C. panamensis differ from each other in ventral coloration of adult males and adult females, flank coloration, head coloration, relative tympanum size, and mean adult female snout-vent length. Colostethus latinasus (Cope 1863) (type species of Colostethus Cope, 1866) is most similar to C. panamensis but differs in a variety of characters, including ventral coloration and toe webbing. The exact provenance of the neotype of C. latinasus is unclear, but material that agrees closely with it was collected in Panama in the Serranía de Pirre; specimens previously reported as C. latinasus from Cerro Malí in the Serranía del Darién are not conspecific with that taxon and represent an undescribed species to be named elsewhere. It is doubtful that the Colombian holotype of C. latinasus (lost for over 80 years) was conspecific with the Panamanian neotype, and specimens that agree with the neotype have yet to be discovered in Colombia. Limited data on tadpole transport provide additional evidence for the validity of several species of Colostethus that occur in western Colombia and Central America: nurse frogs of C. panamensis and C. pratti (Boulenger, 1899) appear to be exclusively female, of C. talamancae (Cope, 1875) both sexes have been reported, and of C. flotator (Dunn, 1931), C. nubicola (Dunn, 1924), and Colostethus sp. from Cerro Malí they appear to be exclusively male. The phylogenetic significance of these observations awaits further analysis

Transformation Series as an Ideographic Character Concept

An ideographic concept of character is indispensable to phylogenetic inference. Hennig proposed that characters be conceptualized as “transformation series”, a proposal that is firmly grounded in evolutionary theory and consistent with the method of inferring transformation events as evidence of phylogenetic propinquity. Nevertheless, that concept is usually overlooked or rejected in favor of others based on similarity. Here we explicate Hennig's definition of character as an ideographic concept in the science of phylogenetic systematics. As transformation series, characters are historical individuals akin to species and clades. As such, the related concept of homology refers to a historical identity relation and is not equivalent to or synonymous with synapomorphy. The distinction between primary and secondary homology is dismissed on the grounds that it conflates the concept of homology with the discovery operations used to detect instances of that concept. Although concern for character dependence is generally valid, it is often misplaced, focusing on functional or developmental correlation (both of which are irrelevant in phylogenetic systematics but may be valid in other fields) instead of the historical/transformational independence relevant to phylogenetic inference. As an ideographic science concerned with concrete objects and events (i.e. individuals), intensionally and extensionally defined properties are inconsistent with the individuation of characters for phylogenetic analysis, the utility of properties being limited to communicating results and facilitating future rounds of testing.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/75671/1/j.1096-0031.2004.00003.x.pd

Biological invasions and the acoustic niche: the effect of bullfrog calls on the acoustic signals of white-banded tree frogs

Invasive species are known to affect native species in a variety of ways, but the effect of acoustic invaders has not been examined previously. We simulated an invasion of the acoustic niche by exposing calling native male white-banded tree frogs (Hypsiboas albomarginatus) to recorded invasive American bullfrog (Lithobates catesbeianus) calls. In response, tree frogs immediately shifted calls to significantly higher frequencies. In the post-stimulus period, they continued to use higher frequencies while also decreasing signal duration. Acoustic signals are the primary basis of mate selection in many anurans, suggesting that such changes could negatively affect the reproductive success of native species. The effects of bullfrog vocalizations on acoustic communities are expected to be especially severe due to their broad frequency band, which masks the calls of multiple species simultaneously.Rufford Small Grants Foundation [34.09.09]Rufford Small Grants FoundationConselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologico [305473/2008-5, 476789/2009-5]Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnologic

On the Identity of Sphaenorhynchus platycephalus (Werner, 1894) (Anura: Hylidae)

Sphaenorhynchus platycephalus was briefly described on the basis of a single specimen, with only "S-Amerika" as its locality. Although it has been regarded as a distinct species, compelling evidence is lacking. A comparison of all currently described species of Sphaenorhynchus, including type specimens of several species, allowed us to provide morphological evidence that S. platycephalus and S. orophilus are conspecific, with S. orophilus being a junior synonym of S. platycephalus.Fil: de Araujo Vieira, Katyuscia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; ArgentinaFil: Caramaschi, Ulisses. Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro; BrasilFil: Grillitsch, Heinz. Natural History Museum Vienna; AustriaFil: Grant, Taran. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Faivovich, Julián. Universidad de Buenos Aires; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales “Bernardino Rivadavia”; Argentin

A new species of semiarboreal toad with a Salamander-Like\ud Ear (Anura: Bufonidae: Rhinella)

We describe a new species of the Rhinella acrolopha group (previously Rhamphophryne) from\ud mid-elevations (1800–2500 m) of the Cordillera Occidental of Colombia. It is found exclusively in cloud\ud forest habitats and is not associated with streams or other bodies of water. The species is characterized by\ud possessing eight presacral vertebrae, fusion of the sacrum and urostyle, and nuptial excrescences in adult\ud males, and in lacking conspicuous cranial ornamentation and vocal slits. The most striking characteristic of\ud this species is its middle ear, which lacks a tympanic membrane and annulus but possesses a short stapes that\ud articulates with the palatoquadrate and squamosal in a manner similar to the middle ear of many\ud salamanders. A population of this species in the Serran´ıa de los Paraguas seems to be stable despite drastic\ud declines in many sympatric species.Fieldwork in the Serranía de los Paraguas in 1996 was made possible by H.D. Grant, who provided financial support, and G. Bolívar, who loaned his 434 vehicle, and in 2004 by a grant from the Declining Amphibian Task Force and logistical support from the Fundacion Serraniagua. This study was completed with support from Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico Proc. 307001/2011-3 and Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo Proc. 2012/10000-5. Our fieldwork benefitted from the expertise of F. Castro, P.D. Gutierrez, P. Isaacs, and J.D. ´ Lynch. F. Castro and J.D. Lynch provided access to specimens, workspace, specimen data, and loans from UV-C and ICN, respectively. Fieldwork in 2004 was conducted under the authorization of the Corporacion´ Autonoma del Valle del Cauca (CVC), and we are ´ especially grateful to J. Romero of the CVC for his efforts to enable this work. M. Martins and M. Rodrigues generously allowed us to use their microscopes to complete this study. The manuscript benefitted greatly from comments by J. Faivovich, J. Mendelson, III, P. Narins, L. Trueb, and two anonymous reviewers. Finally, we acknowledge the continuing efforts of the Fundación Serraniagua to protect the unique fauna and flora of the Serranía de los Paraguas

Review of Silverstoneia.

58 pages : illustrations (some color), maps ; 26 cm.The dendrobatid genus Silverstoneia is a clade of forest-dwelling frogs that share small adult size ( II, male nurse frogs (known in four species), and larvae possessing an umbelliform oral disc with few to many submarginal papillae and medially emarginated posterior labium (also known in four species). The clade is distributed from Costa Rica to southern Departamento del Valle del Cauca in western Colombia and includes eight species, five of which are described herein as new species. As in all species of Dendrobatoidea, in Silverstoneia the distal tendon of insertion of the m. semitendinosus inserts dorsad to the distal tendon of the mm. gracilis complex and is strapped to the dorsal edge of the inner surface of the mm. gracilis complex by a unique binding tendon. The species of Silverstoneia may be diagnosed on the basis of adult size, adult ventral coloration, thigh coloration, and degree of expansion of finger III in adult males; additionally, there are clear species differences among the known tadpoles. Taxonomic comments are given for three previously named species: Silverstoneia erasmios (Rivero and Serna), S. flotator (Dunn), and S. nubicola (Dunn). We were unable to distinguish erasmios from nubicola. However, only females of erasmios are known and its validity needs confirmation. The species S. flotator sensu lato and S. nubicola sensu lato occur north through Panama to Costa Rica; they are distinct from one another, but some intraspecific variation suggests the possible presence of unnamed sibling species. The specimen long recognized as the type of S. flotator is not the holotype, which we consider lost; however, ample material is available from the well-known type locality (Barro Colorado Island) and neotype designation is not needed. Five new species are described--all endemic to low and moderate elevations on the Pacific versant of Colombia: Silverstoneia dalyi (p. 5), S. gutturalis (p. 17), S. minima (p. 22), S. minutissima (p. 29), and S. punctiventris (p. 34)

Structure and evolution of the sexually dimorphic integumentary swelling on the hands of dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives (Amphibia: Anura: Dendrobatoidea)

The hands of adult males of many dendrobatid poison frogs and their relatives possess swelling formed by glandular tissue hypothesized to secrete courtship pheromones delivered to the female during cephalic amplexus. Variation in the occurrence and external morphology of the swelling of finger IV has provided important evidence for dendrobatoid systematics for decades, but its underlying structure has not been investigated. We undertook a detailed comparative analysis of the integument of the hand, including both external morphology and histology, of 36 species representing the diversity of dendrobatoid frogs and several close relatives. The swelling is caused by four densely packed, hypertrophic, morpho-histochemical types of specialized mucous glands (SMGs). We observed type I SMGs on fingers II–V and the wrist, including areas that are not swollen, types II and IV exclusively on finger IV, and type III on finger IV and the wrist. Type I SMGs occur either in isolation or together with types II, III, or IV; types II, III, and IV never occur together or without type I. We delimited 15 characters to account for the variation in external morphology and the occurrence of SMGs. Our data suggest that type I SMGs are a new synapomorphy for Dendrobatoidea and that type II SMGs originated in either the most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of Dendrobatidae or independently in the MRCAs of Aromobatidae and Colostethinae, respectively, while types III and IV are restricted to Anomaloglossus. The discovery of these SMGs adds a new dimension to studies of poison frog reproductive biology, which have investigated acoustic, visual, and tactile cues in courtship, mating, and parental care across the diversity of Dendrobatoidea for decades but have almost entirely overlooked the possible role of chemical cues.Fil: Rodrigues de Souza Cavalcant, Isabela. Universidade de Sao Paulo; BrasilFil: Luna, María Celeste. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Faivovich, Julián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: Grant, Taran. Universidade de Sao Paulo; Brasi

An extraordinary new species of melanophryniscus (anura, bufonidae) from Southeastern Brazil

We describe a new species of bufonid from a lowland, sandy soil, restinga habitat in the state of Espírito Santo, southeastern Brazil. Based on the shared occurrence of putative morphological synapomorphies of Melanophryniscus and the results of a phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequences of a broad sample of bufonids, and other anurans, we assign the new species to Melanophryniscus. The new species possesses several peculiar character states that distinguish it from all other Melanophryniscus including, but not limited to: fingers II, III, and V much reduced; nuptial pad with few enlarged, brown-colored spines on medial margin of finger II; seven presacral vertebrae, the last fused with the sacrum; and ventral humeral crest prominent, forming a spinelike projection. © Copyright © American Museum of Natural History 2012.Fil: Peloso, Pedro L.V.. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Faivovich, Julián. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Grant, Taran. American Museum of Natural History; Estados UnidosFil: Gasparini, João Luiz. Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo; BrasilFil: Haddad, Célio F.B.. Universidade Estadual Paulista Julio de Mesquita Filho; Brasi

Os vasilhames com apliques de anuros das estearias e a identificação biológica das espécies

Este artigo apresenta os resultados da análise dos vasilhames com apliques de anuros das cerâmicas arqueológicas oriundas de coletas sistemáticas nas estearias maranhenses associando-os às espécies biológicas. Parte-se, portanto, de um estudo interdisciplinar que busca atentar para a importância deste tipo de abordagem ainda pouco utilizada pelos arqueólogos brasileiros, sobretudo na Amazônia, cuja imagética arqueológica associada a sapos e rãs é recorrente no material arqueológico desta região. Apresentam-se os apliques de anuros, sua análise tecnológica, as formas dos vasilhames e a identificação das espécies, fomentando a interpretação dos resultados com enfoque na relação entre cultura material e biologia

Systematics of the Neotropical Genus \u3cem\u3eLeptodactylus\u3c/em\u3e Fitzinger, 1826 (Anura: Leptodactylidae): Phylogeny, the Relevance of Non-molecular Evidence, and Species Accounts

A phylogeny of the species-rich clade of the Neotropical frog genus Leptodactylus sensu stricto is presented on the basis of a total evidence analysis of molecular (mitochondrial and nuclear markers) and non-molecular (adult and larval morphological and behavioral characters) sampled from \u3e 80% of the 75 currently recognized species. Our results support the monophyly of Leptodactylus sensu stricto, with Hydrolaetare placed as its sister group. The reciprocal monophyly of Hydrolaetare and Leptodactylus sensu stricto does not require that we consider Hydrolaetare as either a subgenus or synonym of Leptodactylus sensu lato. We recognize Leptodactylus sensu stricto, Hydrolaetare, Adenomera, and Lithodytes as valid monophyletic genera. Our results generally support the traditionally recognized Leptodactylus species groups, with exceptions involving only a few species that are easily accommodated without proposing new groups or significantly altering contents. The four groups form a pectinate tree, with the Leptodactylus fuscus group diverging first, followed by the L. pentadactylus group, which is sister to the L. latrans and L. melanonotus groups. To evaluate the impact of non-molecular evidence on our results, we compared our total evidence results with results obtained from analyses using only molecular data. Although non-molecular evidence comprised only 3.5% of the total evidence matrix, it had a strong impact on our total evidence results. Only one species group was monophyletic in the molecular-only analysis, and support differed in 86% of the 54 Leptodactylus clades that are shared by the results of the two analyses. Even though no non-molecular evidence was included for Hydrolaetare, exclusion of that data partition resulted in that genus being nested within Leptodactylus, demonstrating that the inclusion of a small amount of non-molecular evidence for a subset of species can alter not only the placement of those species, but also species that were not scored for those data. The evolution of several natural history and reproductive traits is considered in the light of our phylogenic framework. Invasion of rocky outcrops, larval oophagy, and use of underground reproductive chambers are restricted to species of the Leptodactylus fuscus and L. pentadactylus groups. In contrast, larval schooling, larval attendance, and more complex parental care are restricted to the L. latrans and L. melanonotus groups. Construction of foam nests is plesiomorphic in Leptodactylus but their placement varies extensively (e.g., underground chambers, surface of waterbodies, natural or excavated basins). Information on species synonymy, etymology, adult and larval morphology, advertisement call, and geographic distribution is summarized in species accounts for the 30 species of the Leptodactylus fuscus group, 17 species of the L. pentadactylus group, eight species of the L. latrans group, and 17 species of the L. melanonotus group, as well as the three species that are currently unassigned to any species group