Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 4353 No. 3: 24 Nov. 2017
Type: Article
Published: 2017-11-24
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4353.3.3
Page range: 447–466
Abstract views: 158
PDF downloaded: 3

A new species of direct-developing frog of the genus Pristimantis (Anura: Terrarana: Craugastoridae) from Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador, with comments on threats to the anuran fauna of the region

Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Rumipamba, Casilla 17 03 448, Quito, Ecuador. División de Herpetología, Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Calle Rumipamba 341 y Av. de los Shyris, Casilla: 17-07-8976, Quito, Ecuador.
Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Rumipamba, Casilla 17 03 448, Quito, Ecuador. División de Herpetología, Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Calle Rumipamba 341 y Av. de los Shyris, Casilla: 17-07-8976, Quito, Ecuador.
Universidad Técnica Particular de Loja, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, San Cayetano Alto, calle Marcelino Champagnat s/n, Loja, Ecuador.
División de Herpetología, Museo Ecuatoriano de Ciencias Naturales, Instituto Nacional de Biodiversidad, Calle Rumipamba 341 y Av. de los Shyris, Casilla: 17-07-8976, Quito, Ecuador.
Fundación Herpetológica Gustavo Orcés, Av. Amazonas 3008 y Rumipamba, Casilla 17 03 448, Quito, Ecuador. Escuela de Ingeniería Ambiental, Facultad de Ingeniería en Geología, Minas, Petróleos y Ambiental, Universidad Central del Ecuador. Av. Universitaria s/n. Casilla: 170129.
Museo de Zoología, Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Avenida 12 de Octubre 1076 y Roca, Apartado 17–01–2184, Quito, Ecuador.
Hymenoptera Pristimantis yantzaza sp. nov. bioacoustics conservation systematics taxonomy

Abstract

A new frog in the genus Pristimantis is described from a cloud forest on the western flanks of the Cordillera del Cóndor and eastern Andean slopes in the province of Zamora Chinchipe, southeastern of Ecuador. We inferred its phylogenetic position using DNA sequences of mitochondrial and nuclear genes. The new species is strongly supported as part of a clade that includes P. ardalonychus, P. cajamarcensis, P. ceuthospilus, P. chalceus, P. minutulus, P. luteolateralis, P. parvillus, P. ockendeni, P. unistrigatus, and P. walkeri. It can be distinguished from all other species from Cordillera del Cóndor and congeneric species by the unique combination of the following characters: (1) iris light blue with black reticulations; (2) skin of dorsum finely shagreen with scattered pustular tubercles and absence of dorsal folds; (3) tympanic membrane and tympanic annulus visible; (4) snout rounded in dorsal and lateral view; (5) upper eyelid bearing two or three enlarged subconical tubercles; (6) cranial crest absent; (7) males lacking vocal sac and slits; and (8) venter uniformly bright red, light red, salmon or orange. The new species is most closely related to P. ardalonychus, P. cajamarcensis, P. ceuthospilus, P. ockendeni and P. unistrigatus. We consider the new species to be Endangered following IUCN criteria because it has been severely affected by large scale open-pit mining in some localities. Currently, the amphibian fauna of the Cordillera del Cóndor and nearby protected areas are threatened by large–scale copper and gold mining projects with devastating effects on ~20 species, including several undescribed ones.

 

References

  1. Almendáriz, A., Brito, J., Batallas, D. & Ron, S.R. (2014) Nueva especie de rana arbórea del género Hyloscirtus (Amphibia; Hylidae) de la Cordillera del Cóndor. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 54, 33–49.
    https://doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.04

    Almendáriz, A., Brito, J., Batallas, D., Vaca-Guerrero, J. & Ron, S.R. (2017) Una nueva especie de rana del género Chiasmocleis (Microhylidae: Gastrophryninae) de la Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 57, 19–136.
    https://doi.org/10.11606/0031-1049.2017.57.10

    Almendáriz, A., Ron, S.R. & Brito, J. (2012) Una nueva especie de rana venenosa de altura del género Excidobates (Dendrobatoidea: Dendrobatidae) de la Cordillera del Cóndor. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 52, 387–399.
    https://doi.org/10.1590/S0031-10492012021200001

    Almendáriz, A., Simmons, J.E., Brito, J. & Vaca-Guerrero, J. (2014) Overview of the herpetofauna of the unexplored Cordillera del Cóndor of Ecuador. Amphibian & Reptile Conservation, 8, 45–64.

    Angulo, A., Cocroft, R.B. & Reichle, S. (2003) Species identity in the genus Adenomera (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in southeastern Peru. Herpetologica, 59, 490–504.
    https://doi.org/10.1655/20-104

    Angulo, A. & Icochea, J. (2010) Cryptic species complexes, widespread species and conservation: lessons from Amazonian frogs of the Leptodactylus marmoratus group (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Systematics and Biodiversity, 8, 357–370.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/14772000.2010.507264

    Barbour, T. & Dunn, E.R. (1921) Herpetological novelties. Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington, 34, 157–162.

    Barbour, T. & Noble, G.K. (1920) Some amphibians from northwestern Peru, with a revision of the genera Phyllobates and Telmatobius. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 63, 395–427.

    Batallas, D. & Brito, J. (2014) Nueva especie de rana del género Pristimantis del grupo lacrimosus (Amphibia: Craugastoridae) del Parque Nacional Sangay, Ecuador. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 54, 51–62.
    https://doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.05

    Batallas, D. & Brito, J. (2016) Descripción de las vocalizaciones de Pristimantis ganonotus (Anura: Craugastoridae) de Ecuador. Cuadernos de Herpetología, 30, 31–34.

    Boulenger, G.A. (1912) Descriptions of new batrachians from the Andes of South America, preserved in the British Museum. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 8, 10, 185–191.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931208693215

    Boulenger, G.A. (1918) Descriptions of new South American batrachians. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 9, 2, 427–433.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/00222931808673782

    Brito, J., Batallas, D. & Velalcázar, D. (2014) Nueva especie de rana terrestre del género Pristimantis (Amphibia: Craugastoridae), meseta de la Cordillera del Cóndor. Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia, 54, 435–446.
    https://doi.org/10.1590/0031-1049.2014.54.30

    Charif, R.A., Waack, A.M. & Strickman, L.M. (2010) Raven Pro 1.4 User’s Manual. Cornell Laboratory of Ornithology, Ithaca, 367 pp.

    Cisneros–Heredia, D.F. & Morales-Mite, M. (2008) A new species of glassfrog from the elfin forests of the Cordillera del Cóndor, southeastern Ecuador (Anura: Centrolenidae). Herpetozoa, 21, 49–56.

    Clark, J.L., Neill, D.A., Weber, A., Gruhn, J.A. & Tuntiak, K. (2010) Shuaria (Gesneriacea) an arborescent new genus from Cordillera del Condor and Amazonian of Ecuador. Systematic Botany, 35, 662–674.
    https://doi.org/10.1600/036364410792495917

    Cocrof, E.B. & Ryan, M.J. (1995) Patterns of advertisement call evolution in toads and chorus frogs. Animal Behavior, 49, 283–303.
    https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.1995.0043

    Coloma, L.A. & Ron, RS. (2016) Callimedusa ecuatoriana. The IUCN Red List of Threatened Species 2016.
    https://doi.org/10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-3.RLTS.T55851A107288055.en

    Díaz, L.M. & Cádiz, L.M. (2007) Guía descriptiva para la identificación de las llamadas de anuncio de las ranas cubanas del género Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Herpetotropicos, 3, 100–122.

    Duellman, W.E. & Hedges, S.B. (2007) Three new species of Pristimantis (Lissamphibia, Anura) from montane forests of the Cordillera Yanachaga in central Peru. Phyllomedusa, 6, 119–135.
    https://doi.org/10.11606/issn.2316-9079.v6i2p119-135

    Duellman, E.D. & Lehr, E. (2009) Terrestrial breeding frogs (Strabomantidae) in Peru. Ulrich Manthey, Berlin, 386 pp.

    Duellman, W.E. & Pramuk, J.B. (1999) Frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae) in the Andes of northern Peru. Scientific Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 13, 1–78.

    Duellman, W.E. & Pyles, R.A. (1983) Acoustic resource partitioning in anuran communities. Copeia, 1983, 639–649.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/1444328

    Duellman, W.E. & Wild, E.R. (1993) Anuran amphibians from the Cordillera de Huancabamba, northern Peru: Systematics, ecology, and biogeography. Occasional Papers of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 157, 1–53.

    Felsenstein, J. (1985) Confidence-limits on phylogenies-an approach using the bootstrap. Evolution, 39, 783–791.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.1985.tb00420.x

    Freile, T. & Santander, T. (2005) Áreas importantes para la conservación de las aves en Ecuador. In: BirdLife International and Conservation International (Eds.), Áreas importantes para la conservación de las aves en los Andes tropicales. Serie de Conservación de BirdLife, No. 14, pp. 283–469.

    Frost, D.R. (2017) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA. Available from: http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.html. (accessed 10 July 2017)

    Goebel, A.M., Donnelly, J.M. & Atz, M.E. (1999) PCR primers and amplification methods for 12S ribosomal DNA, the control region, cytochrome oxidase I, and cytochromebin bufonids and other frogs, and an overview of PCR primers which have amplified DNA in amphibians successfully. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 11, 163–199.
    https://doi.org/10.1006/mpev.1998.0538

    Guayasamin, J.M., Tapia, E., Aldás, S. & Deichmann, J. (2011) Anfibios y Reptiles de los Tepuyes de la Cuenca Alta del Río Nangaritza, Cordillera del Cóndor. In: Conservation International (Eds.), Evaluación Ecológica Rápida de la Biodiversidad de los Tepuyes de la Cuenca Alta del Río Nangaritza, Cordillera del Cóndor, Ecuador. Conservation International, Quito, pp. 56–61.

    Günther, A.C.L.G. (1859) Second list of cold–blooded vertebrata collected by Mr. Fraser in the Andes of western Ecuador. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London, 1859, 402–420.

    Jiménez de la Espada, M. (1875) Vertebrados del Viaje al Pacífico Verificado de 1862 a 1865 por una Comisión de Naturalistas Enviada por el Gobierno Español. Batracios. M. Ginesta, Madrid, 228 pp.

    Hedges, S.B., Duellman, W.E. & Heinicke, M.P. (2008) New World direct–developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation. Zootaxa, 1737, 1–182.

    Heinicke, M.P., Duellman, W.E. & Hedges, S.B. (2007) Major Caribbean and Central American frog faunas originated by ancient oceanic dispersal. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 104, 10092–10097.
    https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0611051104

    Katoh, K. & Standley D.M. (2013) MAFFT multiple sequence alignment software version 7: improvements in performance and usability. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 30, 772–780.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mst010

    Kearse, M., Moir, R., Wilson, A., Stones-Havas, S., Cheung, M., Sturrock, S., Buxton, S., Cooper, A., Markowitz, S., Duran, C., Thierer, T., Ashton, B., Mentjies, P. & Drummond, A. (2012) Geneious Basic: an integrated and extendable desktop software platform for the organization and analysis of sequence data. Bioinformatics, 28, 1647–1649.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/bts199

    Lanfear, R., Calcott, B., Ho, S.Y. & Guindon, S. (2012) PartitionFinder: Combined selection of partitioning schemes and substitution models for phylogenetic analyses. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 29, 1695–1701.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mss020

    Lynch, J.D. (1968) Two new frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus from eastern Ecuador (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae). Journal of Herpetology, 2, 129–135.
    https://doi.org/10.2307/1563112

    Lynch, J.D. (1979) Leptodactylid frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus from the Andes of Southern Ecuador. Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 66, 1–62.

    Lynch, J.D. & Duellman, W.E. (1980) The Eleutherodactylus of the Amazonian slopes of the Ecuadorian Andes (Anura: Leptodactylidae). Miscellaneous Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 69, 1–86.

    Lynch, J.D. & Duellman, W.E. (1988) Anura amphibians from the Cordillera of Cutucú, Ecuador. Proceedings of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, 140, 125–142.

    Lynch, J.D. & Duellman, W.E. (1997) Frogs of the genus Eleutherodactylus in western Ecuador. Systematics, ecology, and biogeography. Special Publications of the Museum of Natural History, University of Kansas, 23, 1–236.

    Ministerio del Ambiente del Ecuador (2012) Sistema de clasificación de los ecosistemas del Ecuador continental. Subsecretaría de Patrimonio Natural, Quito, 136 pp.

    Moen, D.S. & Wiens, J.J. (2009) Phylogenetic evidence for competitively driven divergence: body-size evolution in Caribbean treefrogs (Hylidae: Osteopilus). Evolution, 63, 195–214.
    https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1558-5646.2008.00538.x

    Myers, N., Mittermeir, R.A., Mittermeir, C.G., Da Fonseca, G.A.B. & Kent, J. (2000) Biodiversity hotspots for conservation priorities. Nature, 403, 853–858.
    https://doi.org/10.1038/35002501

    Padial, J.M., Grant, T. & Frost, D.R. (2014) Molecular systematics of terraranas (Anura: Brachycephaloidea) with an assessment of the effects of alignment and optimality criteria. Zootaxa, 3825 (1), 1–132.
    https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3825.1.1

    Reyes-Puig, J.P., Yánez-Muñoz, M.H., Cisneros-Heredia, D.F. & Rámírez-Jaramillo, S. (2010) Una nueva especie de rana Pristimantis (Terrarana: Strabomantidae) de los bosques nublados de la cuenca alta del río Pastaza, Ecuador. Avances en Ciencias e Ingenierías, Sección B, 2, 78–82.
    https://doi.org/10.18272/aci.v2i3.48

    Ron, S.R., Yánez–Muñoz, M.H., Merino–Viteri, A. Ortiz, D.A. & Nicolalde, D.A. (2017) AmphibiaWebEcuador. Version 2017.0. Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador. Quito, Ecuador. Available from: http://zoologia.puce.edu.ec/Vertebrados/anfibios (accessed 10 July 2017)

    Ronquist, F. & Huelsenbeck, J.P. (2003) Mrbayes 3: Bayesian phylogenetic inference under mixed models. Bioinformatics, 19, 1572–1574.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btg180

    Sambrook, J., Fritsch, E. F. & Maniatis, T. (1989) Molecular cloning: a laboratory protocol. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, New York, 1626 pp.

    Schulenberg, T. & Awbrey, K. (1997) The Cordillera del Cóndor Region of Ecuador and Peru: A Biological Assessment. RAP Working Papers No. 7. Conservation International, Washington D.C., 234 pp.

    Stotz, D.F., Fitzpatrick, J.W., Parker III, T.A. & Moskovits, D.K. (1996) Neotropical birds: ecology and conservation. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, 478 pp.

    Tamura, K., Stecher, G., Peterson, D., Filipski, A. & Kumar, S. (2013) MEGA6: molecular evolutionary genetics analysis version 6.0. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 30, 2725–2729.
    https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/mst197

    Terán-Valdez, A. & Guayasamin, J.M. (2010) The smallest terrestrial vertebrate of Ecuador: A new frog of the genus Pristimantis (Amphibia: Strabomantidae) from the Cordillera del Condor. Zootaxa, 2447, 53–68.

    Wiens, J.J., Fetzner, J.W., Parkinson, C.L. & Reeder, T.W. (2005) Hylid frog phylogeny and sampling strategies for speciose clades. Systematic Biology, 54, 778–807.
    https://doi.org/10.1080/10635150500234625

    Zwickl, D.J. (2006) Genetic algorithm approaches for the phylogenetic analysis of large biological sequence datasets under the maximum likelihood criterion. PhD Thesis, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, 115 pp.