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| Heyerus bilineatus (Bokermann, 1975) Heyerus Motta, Taucce, Haddad & Canedo in Motta, Taucce, Haddad & Canedo, 2021. DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12452 |
Abstract
“Eleutherodactylus” bilineatus has long been an enigma. Recent phylogenetic analyses have recovered this species as part of a clade including Barycholos and Noblella, but the relationship among these groups still remains contentious. In this study, we test the phylogenetic position and reassess the taxonomic status of this long‐term incertae sedis species. We use phylogenetic analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences and data for external morphology and osteology of “E.” bilineatus and its related genera. We recover the species as an independent lineage forming a fully supported clade with Barycholos and Noblella. The combination of inferred relationships and morphological traits supports the erection of a new genus that we name and diagnose. Our analyses also recover a non‐monophyletic Noblella and the species of the genus, although morphologically similar, are part of different clades: one including species from central Andes and the other one including species from northern Andes. Moreover, distribution patterns point out connections among distant biogeographical areas of South America and a widespread distribution of an ancestor for the clade including Barycholos, “E.” bilineatus, and Noblella. We also compare the relationships among clades of Brachycephaloidea and, hence, the family and subfamily classifications in different studies. We show that the family classification is probably far from becoming stable, mostly due to arbitrary selections of hierarchy of the clades. However, we show that by assigning a family to each of the highly supported and frequently recovered clades would render a more stable taxonomy of Brachycephaloidea.
Keywords: Barycholos, Eleutherodactylus bilineatus, Noblella, phylogeny taxonomy
Order Anura Oppel, 1811
Superfamily Brachycephaloidea Günther, 1858
Family Craugastoridae Hedges et al., 2008
Subfamily Holoadeninae Hedges et al., 2008
Eleutherodactylus bilineatus Bokermann, 1975
Eleutherodactylus (Eleutherodactylus) bilineatus: Lynch & Duellman, 1997
Ischnocnema bilineata: Heinicke et al., 2007
“Eleutherodactylus” bilineatus: Canedo & Haddad, 2012
Heyerus bilineatus: New Genus
Genus Heyerus Motta, Taucce, Haddad & Canedo New Genus
Type species: Heyerus bilineatus (Bokermann, 1975)
by original designation (Figure 2).
Etymology: The specific epithet is used as a noun in the genitive case and honors Dr. W. Ronald Heyer for his invaluable contributions on systematics, evolution, and biogeography of Neotropical amphibians.
Ana Paula Motta, Pedro Paulo Goulart Taucce, Célio Fernando Baptista Haddad and Clarissa Canedo. 2021. A New Terraranan Genus from the Brazilian Atlantic Forest with Comments on the Systematics of Brachycephaloidea (Amphibia: Anura). Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12452
“Eleutherodactylus” bilineatus has long been an enigma, and its relationship with other terraranan still remains contentious. We test the phylogenetic position and reassess the taxonomic status of this long‐term incertae sedis species. The combination of inferred relationships and morphological traits supports the erection of a new genus that we name and diagnose. Distribution patterns point out connections among distant biogeographical areas of South America and a widespread distribution of an ancestor for Barycholos, Heyerus gen. nov., and Noblella Northern Clade.
