Skip to main content Skip to main navigation menu Skip to site footer
Responsive image
Issue: Vol. 5319 No. 2: 25 Jul. 2023
Type: Article
Published: 2023-07-25
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5319.2.2
Page range: 178-198
Abstract views: 543
PDF downloaded: 34

Integrative revision of the Blommersia wittei complex, with description of a new species of frog from western and north-western Madagascar

Zoologisches Institut; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Mendelssohnstr. 4; 38106 Braunschweig; Germany
Zoologisches Institut; Technische Universität Braunschweig; Mendelssohnstr. 4; 38106 Braunschweig; Germany
Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt; Friedensplatz 1; 64283 Darmstadt; Germany
CIBIO; Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos; InBIO Laboratório Associado; Campus de Vairão; Universidade do Porto; 4485-661 Vairão; Portugal; Departamento de Biologia; Faculdade de Ciências; Universidade do Porto; 4099-002 Porto; Portugal; BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics; Biodiversity and Land Planning; CIBIO; Campus de Vairão; 4485-661 Vairão; Portugal
Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali; Via G. Giolitti; 36; 10123 Torino; Italy
Mention Zoologie et Biodiversité Animale; Université d’Antananarivo; BP 906; Antananarivo; 101 Madagascar; School for International Training; VN 41A Bis Ankazolava Ambohitsoa; Antananarivo; 101 Madagascar
Natural History Museum of Denmark; University of Copenhagen; Universitetsparken 15; 2100; Copenhagen; Denmark
Zoologische Staatssammlung München (ZSM-SNSB); Münchhausenstr. 21; 81247 München; Germany
Amphibia Anura Mantellidae Blommersia bara sp. nov microendemism species delimitation

Abstract

Frogs of the Blommersia wittei complex are widespread in western and northern Madagascar, and are one of two clades of the family Mantellidae that have colonized the Comoran island of Mayotte. Based on a comprehensive set of DNA sequences of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene and the nuclear-encoded RAG1 and SACS genes, integrated with morphological and bioacoustic data, we here analyze the genetic differentiation of populations of this complex across Madagascar. We confirm that a candidate species named B. sp. Ca5 in previous studies represents a genetically well-defined evolutionary lineage distributed over much of western Madagascar, which we describe herein as Blommeria bara sp. nov. based on its molecular and bioacoustic differentiation. Blommersia wittei occurs across northern Madagascar but its type locality Ambanja, at the lower Sambirano river, is very close to the range of another, newly discovered microendemic lineage that was only found at two sites along the upper Sambirano river (here named as candidate species B. sp. Ca12). The B. wittei complex thus provides an example of a clade of closely related Malagasy frogs that contains species widespread over hundreds of kilometers, as well as extreme microendemics. For a full resolution of this species complex, more data need to be collected on the geographical contact among these two lineages, on the morphology and bioacoustics of B. sp. Ca12, and on the north-eastern populations of B. wittei at Sambava, which are weakly differentiated in mitochondrial genes but differ in bioacoustics and possibly in the extent of foot webbing.

 

References

  1. AmphibiaWeb (2023) Information on amphibian biology and conservation. AmphibiaWeb, Berkeley, California. Available from: http://amphibiaweb.org/ (accessed 17 March 2023)
  2. Blommers-Schlösser, R.M.A. (1979) Biosystematics of the Malagasy frogs. I. Mantellinae (Ranidae). Beaufortia, 352, 1–77.
  3. Blommers-Schlösser, R.M.A. & Blanc, C.P. (1991) Amphibiens (première partie). Faune de Madagascar, 75 (1), 1–379.
  4. Blommers-Schlösser, R.M.A. & Blanc, C.P. (1993) Amphibiens (deuxième partie). Faune de Madagascar, 75 (2), 385–530.
  5. Bora, P., Randrianantoandro, J.C., Randrianavelona, R., Hantalalaina, E.F., Andriantsimanarilafy, R.R., Rakotondravony, D., Ramilijaona, O.R., Vences, M., Jenkins, R.K.B., Glaw, F. & Köhler, J. (2010) Amphibians and reptiles of the Tsingy de Bemaraha Plateau, Western Madagascar: Checklist, biogeography and conservation. Herpetological Conservation and Biology, 5, 111–125.
  6. Boumans, L., Vieites, D.R., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2007) Geographical patterns of deep mitochondrial differentiation in widespread Malagasy reptiles. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 45, 822–839. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.028 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2007.05.028
  7. Brown, J.L., Cameron, A., Yoder, A.D. & Vences, M. (2014) A necessarily complex model to explain the biogeography of the amphibians and reptiles of Madagascar. Nature Communications, 5, e5046. https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6046 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms6046
  8. Brown, J.L., Sillero, N., Glaw, F., Bora, P., Vieites, D.R. & Vences, M. (2016) Spatial biodiversity patterns of Madagascar’s amphibians and reptiles. PLoS One, 11, e0144076. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144076 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0144076
  9. Bruford, M.W., Hanotte, O., Brookfield, J.F.Y. & Burke, T. (1992) Single-locus and multilocus DNA fingerprint. In: Hoelzel, A.R. (Ed.), Molecular Genetic Analysis of Populations: A Practical Approach. IRL Press, Oxford, pp. 225–270.
  10. Cocca, W., Rosa, G.M., Andreone, F., Aprea, G., Eusebio Bergò, P., Mattioli, F., Mercurio, V., Randrianirina, J.E., Rosado, D., Vences, M. & Crottini, A. (2018) The herpetofauna (Amphibia, Crocodylia, Squamata, Testudines) of the Isalo Massif, Southwest Madagascar: combining morphological, molecular and museum data. Salamandra, 54, 178–200.
  11. Crottini, A., Madsen, O., Poux, C., Strauß, A., Vieites, D.R. & Vences, M. (2012) A vertebrate timetree elucidates the biogeographic pattern of a major biotic change around the K-T boundary in Madagascar. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 109, 5358–5363. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112487109 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1112487109
  12. Frost, D.R. (2023) Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.1 . American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York. Electronic Database. Available from: https://amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org/index.php (accessed 1 March 2023)
  13. Glaw, F., Hawlitschek, O., Glaw, K. & Vences, M. (2019) Integrative evidence confirms new endemic island frogs and transmarine dispersal of amphibians between Madagascar and Mayotte (Comoros archipelago). The Science of Nature, 106, 19. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-019-1618-9 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00114-019-1618-9
  14. Glaw, F., Köhler, J., de la Riva, I., Vieites, D.R. & Vences, M. (2010) Integrative taxonomy of Malagasy treefrogs: combination of molecular genetics, bioacoustics and comparative morphology reveals twelve additional species of Boophis. Zootaxa, 2383 (1), 1–82. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2383.1.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2383.1.1
  15. Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2002) A new sibling species of the anuran subgenus Blommersia from Madagascar (Amphibia: Mantellidae: Mantidactylus) and its molecular phylogenetic relationships. Herpetological Journal, 12, 11–20
  16. Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2006) Phylogeny and genus-level classification of mantellid frogs (Amphibia, Anura). Organisms, Diversity & Evolution, 6 & Electronic Supplement 11 (Part 1 + Part 2), 236–253 & 1–3 + 1–4. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ode.2005.12.001 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ode.2005.12.001
  17. Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2007) A Field Guide to the Amphibians and Reptiles of Madagascar. Third edition. Vences & Glaw Verlag, Cologne, 496 pp.
  18. Glos, J. (2003) The amphibian fauna of the Kirindy dry forest in western Madagascar. Salamandra, 39, 75–90.
  19. Guibé, J. (1974) Batraciens nouveaux de Madagascar. Bulletin du Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, Serie 3, Zoologie (1973), 171, 1169–1192.
  20. Jury, M.R. (2022) The climate of Madagascar. In: Goodman, S.M. (Ed.), The New Natural History of Madagascar. Princeton University Press, Princeton, New Jersey, pp. 91–99. https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctv2ks6tbb.18 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9780691229409-009
  21. Köhler, J., Jansen, M., Rodríguez, A., Kok, P.J.R., Toledo, L.F., Emmrich, M., Glaw, F., Haddad, C.F.B., Rödel, M.O. & Vences, M. (2017) The use of bioacoustics in anuran taxonomy: theory, terminology, methods and recommendations for best practice. Zootaxa, 4251 (1), 1–124. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4251.1.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4251.1.1
  22. Kumar, S., Stecher, G. & Tamura, K. (2016) MEGA7: Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis version 7.0 for bigger datasets. Molecular Biology and Evolution, 33, 1870–1874. https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw054 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/molbev/msw054
  23. Librado, P. & Rozas, J. (2009) DnaSP. Version 5. A software for comprehensive analysis of DNA polymorphism data. Bioinformatics, 25, 1451–1452. https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btp187 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/bioinformatics/btp187
  24. Mercurio, V., Aprea, G., Crottini, A., Mattioli, F., Randrianirina, J.E., Razafindrabe, T.J. & Andreone, F. (2008) The amphibians of Isalo Massif, southern-central Madagascar: high frog diversity in an apparently hostile dry habitat. In: Andreone, F., Randriamahazo, H. (Eds.), A Conservation Strategy for the Amphibians of Madagascar. Monografie del Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali di Torino, 45, pp. 143–196.
  25. Pabijan, M., Brown, J., Chan, L.M., Rakotondravony, H., Raselimanana, A.P., Yoder, A.D., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2015) Phylogeography of the arid-adapted Malagasy bullfrog, Laliostoma labrosum, influenced by past connectivity and habitat stability. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 92, 11–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.018 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ympev.2015.05.018
  26. Pabijan, M., Gehring, P.-S., Köhler, J., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2011) A new microendemic frog species of the genus Blommersia (Anura: Mantellidae) from the east coast of Madagascar. Zootaxa, 2978 (1), 34–50. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2978.1.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2978.1.2
  27. Palumbi, S. R., Martin, A., Romano, S., McMillan, W.O., Stice, L. & Grabowski, G. (1991) The Simple Fool’s Guide to PCR. Version 2.0. Privately published, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, 45 pp.
  28. Penny, G.S., Andreone, F., Crottini, A., Holderied, M.W., Rosa, G.M. & Schwitzer, C. (2016) The amphibians of the Sahamalaza Peninsula, northwest Madagascar—actions for their conservation. Bristol Zoological Society, Bristol, 34 pp. [ISBN: 978-1-5262-0040-2]
  29. Penny, S.G., Crottini, A., Andreone, F., Bellati, A., Rakotozafy, L.M.S., Holderied, M.W., Schwitzer, C. & Rosa, G.M. (2017) Combining old and new evidence to increase the known biodiversity value of the Sahamalaza Peninsula, Northwest Madagascar. Contributions to Zoology, 86, 273–296. https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08604002 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08604002
  30. Perl, R.G.B., Nagy, Z.T., Sonet, G., Glaw, F., Wollenberg, K.C. & Vences, M. (2014) DNA barcoding Madagascar’s amphibian fauna. Amphibia-Reptilia, 35, 197–206. https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-00002942 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/15685381-00002942
  31. Puillandre, N., Brouillet, S. & Achaz, G. (2021) ASAP: assemble species by automatic partitioning. Molecular Ecology Resources, 21, 609–620. https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13281 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1755-0998.13281
  32. Salzburger, W., Ewing, G.B. & Von Haeseler, A. (2011) The performance of phylogenetic algorithms in estimating haplotype genealogies with migration. Molecular Ecology, 20, 1952–1963. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05066.x DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2011.05066.x
  33. Shen, X.X., Liang, D. & Zhang, P. (2012) The development of three long universal nuclear protein-coding locus markers and their application to osteichthyan phylogenetics with nested PCR. PLoS One, 7, e39256. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039256 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0039256
  34. Scherz, M.D., Schmidt, R., Brown, J.L., Glos, J., Lattenkamp, E.Z., Rakotomalala, Z., Rakotoarison, A., Rakotonindrina, R.T., Randriamalala, O., Raselimanana, A.P., Rasolonjatovo, S.M., Ratsoavina, F.M., Razafindraibe, J.H., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2023) Repeated divergence of amphibians and reptiles across an elevational gradient in northern Madagascar. Ecology and Evolution, 13, e9914. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9914 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.9914
  35. Scherz, M.D., Schmidt, L., Crottini, A., Miralles, A., Rakotoarison, A., Raselimanana, A.P., Köhler, J., Glaw F. & Vences, M. (2021) Into the Chamber of Horrors: A proposal for the resolution of nomenclatural chaos in the Scaphiophryne calcarata complex (Anura: Microhylidae), with a new species-level phylogenetic hypothesis for Scaphiophryninae. Zootaxa, 4938 (4), 392–420. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4938.4.2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.4938.4.2
  36. Stephens, M., Smith, N.J. & Donnelly, P. (2001) A new statistical method for haplotype reconstruction from population data. American Journal of Human Genetics, 68, 978–989. https://doi.org/10.1086/319501 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/319501
  37. Vences, M., Andreone, F., Glaw, F. & Mattioli, F. (2002) New dwarf species of Mantidactylus from Northwestern Madagascar (Anura: Mantellidae). Copeia, 2002 (4), 1057–1062. https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[1057:NDSOMF]2.0.CO;2 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1643/0045-8511(2002)002[1057:NDSOMF]2.0.CO;2
  38. Vences, M., Armerding, M., Köhler, J. & Glaw, F. (2023) Genetic diversity of the mantellid frog Blommersia blommersae, and description of a new anuran species from south-eastern Madagascar. African Journal of Herpetology, 72 (1), 47–72. https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2023.2165547 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2023.2165547
  39. Vences, M. & Glaw, F. (2002) Molecular phylogeography of Boophis tephraeomystax: a test case for east-west vicariance in Malagasy anurans (Amphibia, Anura, Mantellidae). Spixiana, 25, 79–84.
  40. Vences, M., Glaw, F. & Márquez, R. (2006) The Calls of the Frogs of Madagascar. 3 Audio CDs and booklet. Alosa-Fonozoo, Barcelona, 44 pp.
  41. Vences, M., Köhler, J., Pabijan, M. & Glaw, F. (2010) Two syntopic and microendemic new frogs of the genus Blommersia from the east coast of Madagascar. African Journal of Herpetology, 59, 133–156. https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2010.512961 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/21564574.2010.512961
  42. Vences, M., Miralles, A., Brouillet, S., Ducasse, J., Fedosov, A., Kharchev, V., Kostadinov, I., Kumari, S., Patmanidis, S., Scherz, M.D., Puillandre, N. & Renner, S.S. (2021) iTaxoTools 0.1: Kickstarting a specimen-based software toolkit for taxonomists. Megataxa, 6 (2), 77–92. https://doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.6.2.1 DOI: https://doi.org/10.11646/megataxa.6.2.1
  43. Vieites, D.R., Wollenberg, K.C., Andreone, F., Köhler, J., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2009) Vast underestimation of Madagascar’s biodiversity evidenced by an integrative amphibian inventory. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 106, 8267–8272. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0810821106 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0810821106
  44. Vieites, D.R., Nieto-Roman, S., Peso-Fernández, M. & Santos-Santos, J.H. (2020) Hidden in plain sight: a new frog species of the genus Blommersia from the oceanic island of Mayotte, Comoros archipelago. ZooKeys, 994, 149–166. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.994.57012 DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.994.57012
  45. Wollenberg, K.C., Vieites, D.R., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2011) Speciation in little: the role of range and body size in the diversification of Malagasy mantellid frogs. BMC Evolutionary Biology, 11, 217. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-11-217 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2148-11-217