Phylogeny of the genus Leptodactylus (Anura, Leptodactylidae) based on characters of morphology and mode of life.

PONSSA, M. L., DE SA, R. O. & HEYER, W. R.

Tucuman. Argentina

Congreso; XXVII° International Meeting of the Willi Hennig Society. VIII° Reunión Argentina de Cladística y Biogeografía; 2008

WILLI HENNIG SOCIETY

The leptodactylid frog genus Leptodactylus, composed of 86 species, is predominantly Neotropical (a few species have colonized the southern Neartic region) and range from Texas to Argentina and on certain Caribbean islands. The genus has been considered a clear example of transition from a life history closely tied to water to a more terrestrial ecology. Based on morphology and behaviour, Heyer (1969) divided the genus Leptodactylus into five species groups (L. fuscus, L. melanonotus, L. ocellatus, L. pentadactylus and L. marmoratus groups), which were later redefined by Maxson and Heyer (1988). The recent study by Frost et al. (2006) reallocates the genus Adenomera within Leptodactylus, proposing the subgenus Leptodactylus (Lithodytes) to encompass the former genera Adenomera and Lithodytes. Recently, some authors have been using the Leptodactylus marmoratus species group to refer to this clade of frogs. Previous analyses exemplify the need to test the monophyly of the genus Leptodactylus, and to corroborate the recognized species groups (Heyer, 1998; Larson & de Sa, 1998). With the objective of testing the monophyly of the species groups and exploring their interrelationships, a cladistic analysis was performed. A matrix of 157 characters scored across 75 taxa was constructed, employing 38 characters of external morphology, 75 from osteology, 18 from larval chondrocranium and 26 from mode of life. The data set was analysed with parsimony, by using implied weights, with TNT software. In the consensus tree two major clades are evident. One of them includes the most of the species of the fuscus group, which results paraphyletic because L. albilabris and the sister species L. labrosus-L.ventrimaculatus were not included. This last group is nested in the other principal clade. The second clade includes two monophyletic groups, one that contains the species of the melanonotus and ocellatus groups, which are para and polyphyletic, respectively. On other hand, the pentadactylus group is monophyletic. In the base of the tree are the species of the subgenus Lithodytes, which results paraphyletic.Leptodactylus, composed of 86 species, is predominantly Neotropical (a few species have colonized the southern Neartic region) and range from Texas to Argentina and on certain Caribbean islands. The genus has been considered a clear example of transition from a life history closely tied to water to a more terrestrial ecology. Based on morphology and behaviour, Heyer (1969) divided the genus Leptodactylus into five species groups (L. fuscus, L. melanonotus, L. ocellatus, L. pentadactylus and L. marmoratus groups), which were later redefined by Maxson and Heyer (1988). The recent study by Frost et al. (2006) reallocates the genus Adenomera within Leptodactylus, proposing the subgenus Leptodactylus (Lithodytes) to encompass the former genera Adenomera and Lithodytes. Recently, some authors have been using the Leptodactylus marmoratus species group to refer to this clade of frogs. Previous analyses exemplify the need to test the monophyly of the genus Leptodactylus, and to corroborate the recognized species groups (Heyer, 1998; Larson & de Sa, 1998). With the objective of testing the monophyly of the species groups and exploring their interrelationships, a cladistic analysis was performed. A matrix of 157 characters scored across 75 taxa was constructed, employing 38 characters of external morphology, 75 from osteology, 18 from larval chondrocranium and 26 from mode of life. The data set was analysed with parsimony, by using implied weights, with TNT software. In the consensus tree two major clades are evident. One of them includes the most of the species of the fuscus group, which results paraphyletic because L. albilabris and the sister species L. labrosus-L.ventrimaculatus were not included. This last group is nested in the other principal clade. The second clade includes two monophyletic groups, one that contains the species of the melanonotus and ocellatus groups, which are para and polyphyletic, respectively. On other hand, the pentadactylus group is monophyletic. In the base of the tree are the species of the subgenus Lithodytes, which results paraphyletic.