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Rana jiulingensis Wan, Lyu & Wang, in Wan, Lyu, Qi, ... et Wang, 2020. |
Abstract
Rana jiulingensis sp. nov., a new species from Hunan and Jiangxi, southeastern China, is described. The new species is assigned to the R. japonica group. The clade comprising R. jiulingensis sp. nov. and R. dabieshanensis from Anhui is the sister taxon of R. omeimontis from Sichuan. Rana jiulingensis sp. nov. can be distinguished by the significant divergences in the 16S and COI genes, and the combination of following morphological characters: body size medium, SVL 48.3–57.8 mm in adult males and 48.2–57.5 mm in adult females; dorsolateral fold straight; digits without circummarginal grooves; dorsal skin smooth; tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward beyond the tip of snout; heels overlapping; webbing formula of toes: I 1⅓ – 2 II 1⅓ – 2⅓ III 1½ – 2⅔ IV 3 – 1⅓ V; absence of vocal sacs in males; and presence of creamy white nuptial pad with tiny hoar spines on the finger I and reddish tubercles on loreal and temporal regions in breeding males. Furthermore, based on our results and the previous literature, R. zhengi is synonymized with R. sangzhiensis, and a new species group, the Rana johnsi group, is proposed for the R. johnsi and R. sangzhiensis. Currently, the Rana contains 41 recognized species, and the phylogenetic placements of several species remain unresolved.
Keywords: morphology, phylogeny, Rana jiulingensis sp. nov., Rana sangzhiensis, Rana zhengi
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Morphological features of the adult male holotype SYS a005519 of Rana jiulingensis sp. nov. in life. A dorsolateral view B dorsal view C ventral view D grey nuptial pad E left hand F left foot. |
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| Variations of Rana jiulingensis sp. nov. A, B dorsolateral view and ventral view of male paratype SYS a006495 C male paratype SYS a006496 D male paratype SYS a00511. |
Rana (Rana) jiulingensis Wan, Lyu & Wang, sp. nov.
Suggested common name: Jiuling Mountains Brown Frog (in English),
Jiu Ling Shan Lin Wa (九岭山林蛙 in Chinese)
Diagnosis: Rana jiulingensis sp. nov. is distinguished by the following morphological characteristics: (1) body medium-sized, SVL = 48.3–57.8 (51.7 ± 4.3, n = 4) mm in adult males, 48.2–57.5 (50.8 ± 4.4, n = 4) mm in adult females; (2) head length significantly larger than head width; (3) supratympanic fold absent; (4) dorsolateral fold distinct and thin, extending straight from posterior margin of upper eyelid to above groin; (5) internarial distances larger than interorbital distances; (6) tympanum diameter significantly smaller than eye diameter, TD/ED = 0.63–0.87; (7) fingers without circummarginal grooves, unwebbed, relative finger lengths I < II < IV < III; (8) presence of supernumerary tubercles below the bases of each finger, presence of three separated metacarpal tubercles; (9) toes without circummarginal grooves, toe webbing formula: I 1⅓ – 2 II 1⅓ – 2⅓ III 1 ½ – 2⅔ IV 3 – 1⅓ V, relative toe lengths I < II < III < V < IV; (10) tibio-tarsal articulation reaching forward beyond tip of snout; (11) heels overlapping; (12) dorsal skin smooth, flanks smooth with few granules; (13) absence of vocal sacs in males; (14) breeding males possess creamy white nuptial pad with tiny hoar spines on the finger I, divided into three parts; (15) presence of reddish tubercles on loreal and temporal regions in breeding males.
Etymology: The specific name jiulingensis is in reference to the type locality, Guanshan Nature Reserve in Jiuling Mountains.
Han Wan, Zhi-Tong Lyu, Shuo Qi, Jian Zhao, Pi-Peng Li and Ying-Yong Wang. 2020. A New Species of the Rana japonica group (Anura, Ranidae, Rana) from China, with A Taxonomic Proposal for the R. johnsi group. ZooKeys. 942: 141-158. DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.942.46928
