[Herpetology • 2018] Hyloscirtus hillisi • A New Treefrog (Anura, Hylidae, Hyloscirtus) from Cordillera del Cóndor with Comments on the Biogeographic Affinity between Cordillera del Cóndor and the Guianan Tepuis

Hyloscirtus hillisi 

Ron, Caminer, Varela-Jaramillo & Almeida-Reinoso, 2018

  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.809.25207

Abstract

The Hyloscirtus larinopygion group is a clade of 16 species of large hylids that inhabit cascading Andean streams. They have brown coloration that, in most species, contrasts with bright marks. Herein morphological and genetic evidence is used to describe a new species of the group from Cordillera del Cóndor, a sub-Andean mountain chain that has phytogeographic affinities with the Guianan Tepuis. The new species is characterized by dark-brown coloration with contrasting bright orange flecks and by the presence of an enlarged and curved prepollex protruding as a spine. The new species is closely related to H. tapichalaca and an undescribed species from the southern Andes of Ecuador. The genetic distance between Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n. and its closest relative, H. tapichalaca, is 2.9% (gene 16S mtDNA). Our phylogeny and a review of recently published phylogenies show that amphibians from Cordillera del Cóndor have close relationships with either Andean or Amazonian species. Amphibians do not show the Condor-Guianan Tepuis biogeographic link that has been documented in plants.

Keywords: Biodiversity, Colomascirtus, Ecuador, Hyloscirtus larinopygion group, Peru, prepollical spine, phylogeny

Figure 5. Variation in life of Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n. from Reserva Biológica El Quimi.
A QCAZ 68649 (adult female, holotype, SVL = 65.78 mm) B QCAZ 68646 (subadult female, SVL = 48.55 mm) C not collected.

Figure 8. Color variation in life of juvenile and metamorphs of Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n.
A SC 59268 (SVL = 39.52 mm, not preserved) B QCAZ 68648 (SVL = 35.6 mm) C QCAZ 68650 (SVL = 40.73 mm).

Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n.

Diagnosis: The diagnosis and comparisons are based on one adult female, three adult males, and two subadult females. The new species is diagnosed by the following characters: mean SVL 70.3 mm in adult males (range 66.7–72.3; n = 3), 65.8 mm in one adult female; vomerine odontophores conic-shaped with a gap medially, each process with three to five prominent teeth; supracloacal flap ill-defined; supratympanic fold present; finger webbing formula: I basal II2-—3-III2½—2IV, toe webbing formula: I2-—2II1+—2+III1½—2½IV2½—1+V; forelimbs hypertrophied in males; enlarged and curved prepollex protruding as a spine in both sexes; fleshy calcar absent; dorsum, flanks, and dorsal areas of limbs dark grayish brown with tiny orange marks varying from abundant to sparse; venter dark grayish brown; iris bronze or yellowish with dark brown reticulation.

....

Etymology: The specific name is a noun in the genitive case and is a patronym for David Hillis, an evolutionary biologist who has made significant contributions to the study of the evolution of amphibians and reptiles. During the 1980s, David Hillis carried out fieldwork in Ecuador that resulted in the discovery of three undescribed species of the H. larinopygion group. In 1990, in collaboration with WE Duellman, he published the first phylogeny for the H. larinopygion group using allozyme data (Duellman and Hillis 1990). Currently he is professor at the University of Texas in Austin.

Distribution and natural history: Hyloscirtus hillisi is only known from two nearby sites (airline distance = 1.7 km) on the slopes of a flattop limestone mountain in the Río Quimi basin, Provincia Zamora Chinchipe, at elevations between 1991 and 2134 m (Figure 2). Biogeographic region is Eastern Montane Forest according to Ron et al. (2018) classification. Vegetation at the type locality (Figure 11B, C) was dominated by shrubs (1.5 m tall) with sparse trees (10–15 m tall). The ground had cushioned consistency and was covered by roots and bare soil. Mosses and ground-bromeliads were abundant. This type of ground cover is locally known as bamba. Two adults and one juvenile were found on shrubs next to small streams on the Río Cristalino basin, at an elevation of 2134 m. The tadpoles and juveniles were found in ponds on the margin of Río Cristalino, at an elevation of 1991 m (Figure 11D). Collections took place in July 2017 and April 2018. The site where the adults were collected is ~500 m from the border between Peru and Ecuador. Therefore, the occurrence of H. hillisi in Peru is almost certain.

Figure 11. Habitat of Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n.
A Hyloscirtus hillisi sp. n. in situ B vegetation at the type locality, Reserva Biológica El Quimi, Ecuador C habitat where the adults were found D habitat where the tadpoles and metamorphs were found. Photographs by Diego Almeida.

  

Figure 2. Records of the Southern Clade of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion group. Locality data were obtained from specimens deposited at Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ), Duellman and Hillis (1990), Almendáriz et al. (2014a), and Rivera-Correa et al. (2016). The arrow indicates the locality where the Northern and Southern clades are sympatric. See text for details.

 Figure 3. Records of the Northern Clade of the Hyloscirtus larinopygion group. Locality data were obtained from specimens deposited at Museo de Zoología, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador (QCAZ) and Duellman and Hillis (1990). The arrow indicates the locality where the Northern and Southern clades are sympatric. See text for details.

 Santiago R. Ron, Marcel A. Caminer, Andrea Varela-Jaramillo and Diego Almeida-Reinoso. 2018. A New Treefrog from Cordillera del Cóndor with Comments on the Biogeographic Affinity between Cordillera del Cóndor and the Guianan Tepuis (Anura, Hylidae, Hyloscirtus). ZooKeys. 809: 97-124.  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.809.25207

 

[Herpetology • 2018] Anomaloglossus meansi • A New Pantepui Species of the Anomaloglossus beebei Group (Anura, Aromobatidae)

Anomaloglossus meansi 

Kok, Nicolaï, Lathrop & MacCulloch, 2018

DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.759.24742 

Abstract

Recent extinctions and drastic population declines have been documented in the Guiana Shield endemic frog genus Anomaloglossus, hence the importance to resolve its alpha-taxonomy. Based on molecular phylogenies, the literature has long reported the occurrence of an undescribed species in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana in the Pantepui region. We here describe this new taxon and demonstrate that in addition to divergence at the molecular level the new species differs from congeners by a unique combination of morphological characters, notably a small size (maximum SVL in males 18.86 mm, maximum SVL in females 21.26 mm), Finger I = Finger II when fingers adpressed, Finger III swollen in breeding males, fringes on fingers absent, toes basally webbed but lacking fringes, in life presence of a thin dorsolateral stripe from tip of snout to tip of urostyle, and a black throat in preserved males (immaculate cream in females). Virtually nothing is known about the ecology of the new species. We suggest the new species to be considered as Data Deficient according to IUCN standards.

Keywords: Aromobatidae, diversity, Guiana Shield, Guyana, Pakaraima Mountains

Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n. in life.
 A female paratype ROM 43332, dorsal view B female paratype ROM 43329, dorsolateral view C male paratype CPI 11000, dorsolateral view. Photographs (A, B) by AL; photograph (C) courtesy D. Bruce Means. 

Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n.

Anomaloglossus sp. Ayanganna Grant et al. 2006: 120–121, 2017: S66.

Anomaloglossus cf. praderioi Kok 2010: 66.

Anomaloglossus sp. B Kok et al. 2012: supplementary information.

Diagnosis: The following characteristics pertain to preserved specimens unless otherwise noted. A medium-sized Anomaloglossus differing from other species in the genus by the following combination of characters: (1) mean SVL in males 18.53 mm (18.15–18.86 mm, n = 3), mean SVL in females 19.15 mm (17.66–21.26, n = 5); (2) skin on dorsum shagreened, venter smooth; (3) tympanic annulus visible anteroventrally; (4) Fingers I and II subequal in length, FI = FII when fingers adpressed; (5) tip of Finger IV not surpassing the base of the distal subarticular tubercle on Finger III when fingers adpressed; (6) distal subarticular tubercle on Finger III and IV present; (7) Finger III swollen in males (conspicuous pre- and postaxial swelling in breeding males); (8) fringes on fingers absent; (9) toes basally webbed, fringes on toes absent; (10) tarsal keel well defined, slightly tubercle-like and weakly curved at proximal end; (11) black arm gland absent, glandular supracarpal pad present in both sexes (larger and more glandular in males); (12) cloacal tubercles absent; (13) pale paracloacal mark present; (14) in life, thin dorsolateral stripe present, from tip of snout to tip of urostyle (not visible, or only barely distinguishable in preservative); (15) ventrolateral stripe absent, but presence of irregular white blotches on the lower flank; (16) oblique lateral stripe absent; (17) sexual dichromatism in throat colour pattern: throat heavily pigmented with melanophores in males (dark brown to black in life), immaculate cream in females (yellowish-orange in life); (18) sexual dichromatism in ventral colour pattern: belly pigmented with melanophores in males, immaculate cream in females; (19) in life, iris metallic reddish bronze with fine dark brown reticulation; (20) large intestine extensively pigmented; (21) testes cream, unpigmented; (22) mature oocytes partly pigmented; (23) median lingual process small, longer than wide, tapered; (24) maxillary teeth present, small.

Figure 4. Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n. in life.
A female paratype ROM 43332, dorsal view B female paratype ROM 43329, dorsolateral view C male paratype CPI 11000, dorsolateral view.

Photographs (A, B) by AL; photograph (C) courtesy D. Bruce Means. 

Figure 5. Habitat of Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n. on the Wokomung Massif
A photograph (looking NE) of the highest part of the massif; the plateau in the centre of the photo is the tallest part of the entire Wokomung Massif
B cloud forest at about 1385 m elevation, habitat of Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n.

Photographs courtesy D. Bruce Means.

Distribution and natural history: The only localities documented for the new species are depicted in Figure 2. Specimens were collected in cloud forest (Figure 5), on the ground or low vegetation. Most were collected after nightfall, although one adult and one juvenile were collected during daylight. Specimens were collected on mountain flanks, not summits; at 1490 m on Ayanganna, and at 1234 m, 1371 m and 1411 m on Wokomung. The majority of specimens (eight) were collected at 1234 m on Wokomung. Fewer were collected at higher elevations; only one each at 1490 m on Ayanganna, 1371 m and 1411 m on Wokomung. This may have been because of habitat differences; high-canopy open forest at lower elevation and dense, low-canopy vegetation at higher elevations.

Etymology: It is a great pleasure to name this new species after our friend and colleague D. Bruce Means, indefatigable explorer of the “islands in the sky”, and who collected one specimen of the new species and contributed with photographs and data. Thanks to his extensive fieldwork, Bruce Means greatly contributed to our understanding of the distribution, ecology, and taxonomy of Pantepui amphibians and reptiles. The specific epithet should be treated as a noun in the genitive case.

 Philippe J.R. Kok, Michaël P.J. Nicolaï, Amy Lathrop and Ross D. MacCulloch. 2018.  Anomaloglossus meansi sp. n., A New Pantepui Species of the Anomaloglossus beebei Group (Anura, Aromobatidae). ZooKeys. 759: 99-116.  DOI: 10.3897/zookeys.759.24742

   

[Herpetology • 2018] Neusticurus arekuna • Integrative Taxonomy of the Gymnophthalmid Lizard Neusticurus rudis Boulenger, 1900 identifies A New Species in the eastern Pantepui Region, north-eastern South America

Neusticurus arekuna 

Kok, Bittenbinder, van den Berg, Marques-Souza, Nunes, Laking, Teixeira, Fouquet, Means, MacCulloch & Rodrigues, 2018

  DOI:   10.1080/00222933.2018.1439541 

ABSTRACT
The gymnophthalmid lizard genus Neusticurus Duméril and Bibron, 1839 currently contains six described species. One of them, Neusticurus rudis Boulenger, 1900 has a long history of taxonomic confusion, and uncertainty remains about the number of species involved under that name, especially in the Pantepui region. Our molecular phylogenetic (concatenation and species tree) and morphological (morphometrics, external and hemipenial morphology) analyses confirm Neusticurus rudis as a species complex with several candidate species in the eastern Pantepui region. Neusticurus rudis is here redescribed based on the re-examination of the holotype and 10 specimens from the vicinity of the type locality (ca. 15 km airline) in Guyana. The geographic distribution of N. rudis sensu stricto is restricted to east of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana, extending from the slopes of Mount Roraima in Venezuela through the slopes of Maringma-tepui and Wayalayeng to Mount Ayanganna in Guyana, between 678 and 1500 m elevation. Populations tentatively assigned to N. rudis also occur from Mount Wokomung in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana to the Iwokrama Forest Reserve in Guyana, between 159 and 1234 m elevation. A new Neusticurus species is described from the uplands and highlands of the eastern Pantepui region, west of the Venezuelan Gran Sabana in Brazil and Venezuela, between 900 and 2200 m elevation. Populations provisionally assigned to the new species were also found from the La Escalera region to Chivatón, the summit of Abakapá-tepui and the slopes and summit of Auyán-tepui, Venezuela, between 1100 and 2203 m elevation. Our results suggest the Gran Sabana as a possible recent biogeographical barrier for the genus in the region and indicate that tepui-summit Neusticurus populations derive from uplands populations that shifted their habitat preference.

KEYWORDS: Brazil, cryptic species, Guyana, lizard, Pantepui, savannah, Venezuela

Neusticurus arekuna, male paratype from Pacaraima, Brazil, in life (MZUSP106223).

 twitter.com/ccostah

Neusticurus arekuna sp. nov.

Etymology The specific epithet is a noun in apposition honouring the Arekuna tribe (also known as the Pemon tribe) that lives in the region of Pantepui where the new species was collected.


Philippe J. R. Kok, Mátyás A. Bittenbinder, Joris K. van den Berg, Sergio Marques-Souza, Pedro M. Sales Nunes, Alexandra E. Laking, Mauro Teixeira Jr, Antoine Fouquet, D. Bruce Means, Ross D. MacCulloch and Miguel Trefaut Rodrigues. 2018. Integrative Taxonomy of the Gymnophthalmid Lizard Neusticurus rudis Boulenger, 1900 identifies A New Species in the eastern Pantepui Region, north-eastern South America. Journal of Natural History.  DOI:   10.1080/00222933.2018.1439541 
ResearchGate.net/publication/323670135_Integrative_taxonomy_of_Neusticurus_rudis 
 twitter.com/ccostah/status/972454350302990336

[Herpetology • 2018] Amended Diagnosis and Redescription of Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900) (Amphibia: Craugastoridae), with A Description of Its Advertisement Call and Notes on Its Breeding Ecology and Phylogenetic Relationships

Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900)

in Kok, Dezfoulian, Means, Fouquet & Barrio-Amorós, 2018. 

    DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.397 

Abstract

The frog Pristimantis marmoratus was originally described as Hylodes marmoratus by George A. Boulenger in 1900 based on a single specimen reported to have been collected at the foot of Mount Roraima in Guyana in 1898. We herein discuss the exact location of the type locality of P. marmoratus and provide a redescription of the species based on new material from Kaieteur National Park and from the slopes of Maringma-tepui in Guyana. We also describe the previously unknown vocalization and breeding ecology of the species, and conducted an exploratory molecular analysis of the phylogenetic relationships within the genus Pristimantis represented by the members of the “unistrigatus species group” in the Guiana Shield. Pristimantis marmoratus is a small-sized species mainly distinguished from its known Guiana Shield congeners by the combination of F I < II, SVL ≤ 20.4 in males, presence of vocal slits in males, granular/pustulate dorsal skin with well-developed scapular ridges, basal webbing between fingers, fringes on fingers and toes, crossed iris, diffuse yellow or pale green wash on groin, and absence of flashy colour on axillary/pre-axillary region. The advertisement call consists of a single note repeated at a rate of ca 11 calls/min with a dominant frequency ranging from 2756 to 3101 Hz. Pristimantis marmoratus is primarily arboreal, exclusively active at dusk, and probably restricted to the pristine rainforests of the Pantepui uplands and highlands, east of the Gran Sabana between ca 600 and 1800 m above sea level. Preliminary molecular analyses recovered Pristimantis marmoratus as sister to an unnamed species from the Eastern Guiana Shield. On grounds of the newly established distributional extent we suggest maintaining the IUCN conservation status as Least Concern.

Keywords: Anura; Guiana Shield; Pantepui; systematics; Terrarana

Superfamily Brachycephaloidea Günther, 1858

Family Craugastoridae Hedges, Duellman & Heinicke, 2008

Genus Pristimantis Jiménez de la Espada, 1870

Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900)

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Fig. 4. Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900) (four individuals at the top) and P. pulvinatus (Rivero, 1968) (two individuals below). Intraspecific variation in dorsal colour pattern and sexual dimorphism in living specimens. Note: the subtle hint of green visible on the lower body and legs of some specimens of P. marmoratus is due to a reflection of the substrate (green leaf).

Photographs by Philippe J.R. Kok, except the uncollected P. pulvinatus, which is by César L. Barrio-Amorós. 

Fig. 6. A. Guzmania cf. sphaeroidea (André) André ex Mez, an arboreal bromeliad species used as egg deposition site by Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900) in the Wokomung Massif. B. Egg clutch of Pristimantis marmoratus deposited on a leaf of the arboreal bromeliad Guzmania cf. sphaeroidea in the Wokomung Massif. C. Egg clutch of Anomaloglossus beebei (Noble, 1923) (white arrow) deposited in the phytotelmata of the same plant as in B. D. Dorsolateral view of IRSNB 17916, 11.3 mm SVL, a juvenile of P. marmoratus collected on the slopes of Maringma-tepui, Guyana.

Photographs A–C by D. Bruce Means, D by Philippe J.R. Kok. 

Natural history: 

All specimens were found in undisturbed submontane or montane rainforest (Fig. 9), active on small trees 50–300 cm above the ground, exclusively at dusk. Pristimantis marmoratus is not a common species; only a few specimens have been found at each locality of occurrence. Males were found calling (in June and November) upside down from mossy tree trunks of low diameter (< 10 cm) between 120 and 300 cm above the ground, except one male (IRSNB 14473), which was calling from the top of a green leaf 50 cm above the ground. The “upside down” call posture is also found in the closely related P. sp. 1 of Fouquet et al. (2013) (as recovered in our preliminary molecular phylogenetic analysis, see below), and in P. espedeus and P. inguinalis. 

In June 2012, which corresponds to the rainy season in the area, a cluster of four Pristimantis marmoratus eggs (Fig. 6B) was found by one of us (DBM) attached to the inside part of a leaf of a bromeliad, Guzmania cf. sphaeroidea (André) André ex Mez (Fig. 6A), 150 cm above the ground, on Mount Kopinang, Wokomung Massif, near the top of Kamana Falls at about 1600 m elevation (04°59′58″ N, 59°52′49″ W). Molecular analyses confirmed conspecificity of these eggs with P. marmoratus (Appendix 3). The large, white eggs did not have visibly developed embryos. After photographing and preserving the eggs, the small plant was investigated for inhabitants of the aquatic portion of the phytotelmata. Immediately a small frog jumped out and disappeared into the deep ground litter, and eggs and tadpoles of Anomaloglossus beebei (Noble, 1923) were found in the water of the phytotelmata of the same small bromeliad and in the water of five other bromeliads nearby (egg/frog identifications confirmed by molecular analyses). Pristimantis marmoratus and Anomaloglossus beebei thus share the same bromeliad as an oviposition site on the Wokomung Massif (Fig. 6C). Other Pristimantis species found in syntopy with P. marmoratus were P. dendrobatoides (above 1600 m elevation), P. jester (above 1300 m elevation), P. saltissimus (above 1000 m elevation), and P. pulvinatus (above 1000 m elevation).

Philippe J.R. Kok, Raheleh Dezfoulian, D. Bruce Means, Antoine Fouquet and César L. Barrio-Amorós. 2018. Amended Diagnosis and Redescription of Pristimantis marmoratus (Boulenger, 1900) (Amphibia: Craugastoridae), with A Description of Its Advertisement Call and Notes on Its Breeding Ecology and Phylogenetic Relationships. European Journal of Taxonomy. 397; 1–30.   DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2018.397

[Crustacea • 2013 “2015”] Six New Species of Freshwater Crabs of the Genera Microthelphusa & Fredius (Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae) from Pantepui, Venezuela

Plate 2. Dorsal view of the cephalothorax of six freshwater crab new species: A.- Microthelphusa aracamuniensis, n. sp.; B.- M. marahuacaensis, n. sp.; C.- M. guaiquinimaensis, n. sp.; D.- M. maigualidaensis, n. sp.; E.- M. roraimaensis,n. sp.; F.- Fredius cuaoensis,n. sp.  

Suárez, 2013 “2015”.  DOI:  10.5281/zenodo.18333

Abstract

Six new species of  pseudothelphusid crabs (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) are described from several rivers of the Pantepui region of Venezuela, in the states of Amazonas and Bolívar: Microthelphusa aracamuniensis, n. sp., M. guaiquinimaensis, n. sp., M. maigualidaensis, n. sp., M. marahuacaensis, n. sp., M. roraimaensis, n. sp., and Fredius cuaoensis, n. sp.

Keywords: Brachyura, Cerro Guaiquinima, Cerro Marahuaca, Fredius, Microtelphusa, Monte Aracamuni, Serranía de Mai-gualida, Río Cuao, Roraima.

Plate 2. Dorsal view of the cephalothorax of six freshwater crab new species:
A.- Microthelphusa aracamuniensis, n. sp.; B.- M. marahuacaensis, n. sp.; C.- M. guaiquinimaensis, n. sp.; D.- M. maigualidaensis, n. sp.; E.- M. roraimaensis,n. sp.; F.- Fredius cuaoensis,n. sp. 

Suárez, Héctor. 2013 “2015”. Six New Species of Freshwater Crabs from Pantepui, Venezuela (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae).

ANARTIA. 25; 64–94. DOI:  10.5281/zenodo.18333

Seis nuevas especies de cangrejos de agua dulce del Pantepui, Venezuela (Crustacea: Decapoda: Pseudothelphusidae)

Resumen: Se describen seis nuevas especies de cangrejos pseudotelfúsidos (Crustacea: Decapoda: Brachyura) procedentes de varios ríos de la región pantepuyana de Venezuela, en los estados Amazonas y Bolívar: Microthelphusa aracamuniensis, n. sp., M. guaiquinimaensis, n. sp., M. maigualidaensis, n. sp. M. marahuacaensis, n. sp., M. roraimaensis, n. sp., y Fredius cuaoensis, n. sp.

  

[Herpetology • 2009] Oreophrynella seegobini • A New Species of Oreophrynella (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pantepui Region of Guyana, with Notes on O. macconnelli Boulenger, 1900

Oreophrynella seegobini

Kok, 2009 

Abstract

Oreophrynella seegobini sp. nov. is described from 2088 m elevation on Maringma tepui in the Pakaraima Mountains of Guyana, at the Guyana-Brazil border. The new species is mainly distinguished from known congeners by small size, indistinct frontoparietal crests, prominent postorbital crests, prominent suborbital crests, well-developed webbing on hand and foot, dorsal skin minutely spiculate with scattered medium to large elevated tubercles, ventral skin anteriorly rugose with few flat granules, posteriorly tuberculate, blackish brown dorsal colour, and dark brownish orange ventral colour. Data on four specimens of O. macconnelli collected on the southeast slope of the tepui are provided.

Key words: Oreophrynella seegobini sp. nov., endemism, Guiana Shield, taxonomy, tepuis

Oreophrynella seegobini  Philippe J. R. Kok. 2009. A New Species of Oreophrynella (Anura: Bufonidae) from the Pantepui Region of Guyana, with Notes on O. macconnelli Boulenger, 1900. Zootaxa. 2071; 35–49.

ResearchGate.net/publication/259760039_A_new_species_of_Oreophrynella_Anura_Bufonidae_from_the_Pantepui_region_of_Guyana_with_notes_on_O_macconnelli_Boulenger_1900

http://blogs.taz.de/reptilienfonds/2010/03/page/2/

http://www.philippekok.com/scientific_papers/

https://twitter.com/amphibianphil/status/669609844471545856

[Herpetology • 2016] Evolution in the South American ‘Lost World’: Insights from Multilocus Phylogeography of Stefanias (Anura, Hemiphractidae, Stefania)

Figure 1. (a) Map of Pantepui and its location within South America (inset). (b) Aerial view of the northern part of Mount Roraima (the Prow), Guyana, showing typical tepuian sheer cliffs and lower forested slopes. Photo:  D. Bruce Means
Figure 2. Graphical representation of the historical biogeography of Stefania in eastern Pantepui.

DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12860 

Abstract

Aim

To investigate the influence of tepuian geomorphology on species diversification in the Pantepui biogeographical region based on the phylogenetic relationships and divergence times of tepui-endemic clades of stefania frogs (Stefania, Hemiphractidae).

Location

The ‘tepuis’ and uplands/lowlands of the Pantepui biogeographical region of northern South America, one of the least accessible and least studied areas in the world.

Methods

Two mitochondrial and two nuclear DNA sequences from 60 individuals of Stefania from 24 localities in Pantepui were employed to infer phylogenetic affinities and estimate divergence times within the genus using both concatenation and species tree analyses. Ancestral areas were inferred using multiple models in a common likelihood framework.

Results

Phylogenetic analyses revealed high diversity in the genus Stefania with 10 candidate species in the Eastern Pantepui District. Four strongly supported clades are recovered in the area, one being exclusively composed of microendemics on isolated tepui summits. Biogeographical analyses suggest episodes of fragmentation of widespread tepuian ancestors from the onset of diversification of the genus, estimated in the Oligocene (c. 26 Ma), therefore suggesting a neglected vicariant model of Pantepui evolution, the Plateau Theory.

Main conclusions

Although our results suggest that vicariance played an important role in the diversification of Stefania, speciation in Pantepui followed an intricate pattern implying multiple nonexclusive processes. Vicariance and dispersal likely influenced diversification patterns of the Pantepui fauna, possibly according to the following sequence: (1) Cenozoic vicariance; (2) reorganization of species diversity due to periods of climatic instability; (3) recent invasions (Pleistocene) of widespread upland taxa.

Keywords: ancestral areas, anuran, dispersal, divergence times, frog, molecular phylogenetics, phylogeography, tepui, Venezuela, vicariance

Philippe J. R. Kok, Valerio G. Russo, Sebastian Ratz, D. Bruce Means, Ross D. MacCulloch, Amy Lathrop, Fabien Aubret and Franky Bossuyt. 2016. Evolution in the South American ‘Lost World’: Insights from Multilocus Phylogeography of Stefanias (Anura, Hemiphractidae, Stefania).  Journal of Biogeography. DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12860 

 ResearchGate.net/publication/308647392_Evolution_in_the_South_American_'Lost_World'_insights_from_multilocus_phylogeography_of_stefanias_Anura_Hemiphractidae_Stefania

[Herpetology • 2015] Riolama inopinata • A New Species of the Pantepui endemic Genus Riolama (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the summit of Murisipán-tepui, with the Erection of A New Gymnophthalmid Subfamily

Riolama inopinata Kok, 2015
Figure 3. Riolama inopinata sp. nov. A, IRSNB 2679, male holotype in life. B, IRSNB 2680, male paratype in life. C, ventral view of the anaesthetized holotype (grid squares = 5 mm). D, lake on the summit of Murisipán-tepui, showing the macrohabitat of the new species (18 June 2012)

DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12241

The gymnophthalmid lizard Riolama inopinata sp. nov. is described from the summit of Murisipán-tepui, Bolívar State, Venezuela. The new species is characterized by its small size, slender body, short neck, chestnut brown dorsum with two conspicuous orange-brown dorsolateral stripes, 30 or 31 mid-dorsal scales, and 18 or 19 ventral scales in transverse rows, 28 scales around midbody, seven supralabials, five or six infralabials, subdigital lamellae divided in small granular scales, ten or 11 small femoral pores in males, dorsal surface of tongue covered with oblique chevron-shaped plicae interrupted by a small midsection of imbricate scale-like papillae, and a small weakly bilobed hemipenis having the sulcus spermaticus flanked by an extensive nude area on each side, and the asulcate and lateral faces of the organ with short series of small roughly equidistant, feebly developed flounces, each bearing a single medial hook-shaped spine. Molecular phylogenetic analyses based on one nuclear and two mitochondrial DNA genes confirm the allocation of the new species to the genus Riolama, but do not support the assignation of Riolama to the subfamily Cercosaurinae as previously suggested based on overall morphological similarities, nor to any other known subfamily of the Gymnophthalmidae. Therefore, a new subfamily, the Riolaminae, is proposed to accommodate the genus. 

Keywords: endemism; Guiana Shield; hemipenes; microteiid; molecular phylogeny; Riolaminae; tepuis

Figure 1. A, map of the Pantepui region, showing the distribution of Riolama species. The white rectangle corresponds to the area enlarged in (B). B, distribution of known Riolama species occurring east to the Rio Caroní (blue lines) in Venezuela and western Guyana. The white rectangle corresponds to the area enlarged in Figure 2A.

DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12241

Figure 2. A, detailed satellite map of the Los Testigos Massif showing the type locality of Riolama inopinata sp. nov. (blue star) and neighbouring mountains. B, aerial photograph of Murisipán-tepui and neighbouring mountains, taken from the north.

Photograph: C. Brewer-Carías. Satellite maps, ©Google Maps.  DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12241

Lake on the summit of Murisipán-tepui, showing the macrohabitat of Riolama inopinata sp. nov.  (18 June 2012)

Figure 3. Riolama inopinata sp. nov. A, IRSNB 2679, male holotype in life. B, IRSNB 2680, male paratype in life. C, ventral view of the anaesthetized holotype (grid squares = 5 mm). D, lake on the summit of Murisipán-tepui, showing the macrohabitat of the new species (18 June 2012). Photographs by the author.

DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12241

Systematic account

Order Squamata

Suborder Sauria

Family Gymnophthalmidae

Riolama inopinata sp. nov.

Holotype: IRSNB 2679 (field number PK 3660, Fig. 3A, C), a male collected by Philippe J. R. Kok, 19 June 2012 at 11:00 h, summit of Murisipán-tepui, Bolívar State, Venezuela (5°52′08″N, 62°04′28″W; 2400 m a.s.l.).

Paratype: One male (IRSNB 2680, field number PK 3558, Fig. 3B) collected by Philippe J. R. Kok, 19 June 2012 at 08:45 h, summit of Murisipán-tepui, Bolívar State, Venezuela (5°52′10″N, 62°04′31″W; 2413 m a.s.l.).

Etymology: The specific name, meaning ‘unexpected’ in Latin, is considered a noun in apposition and refers to the unforeseen discovery of a Riolama species on a tepui from the Los Testigos Massif.

=====================

Riolaminae subf. nov.

Content: Riolama Uzzell, 1973.

Diagnosis

(1) Head scales without striations or rugosities; (2) single frontonasal and frontal; (3) dorsal scales hexagonal, uniformly keeled; (4) tympanum heavily pigmented and feebly recessed; (5) digits depressed with swollen tips; (6) absence of claw on the first finger; (7) oblique plicae rather than papillae on the anterior and posterior surfaces of tongue; (8) hemipenis weakly bilobed, sulcus spermaticus flanked by an extensive nude area on each side, asulcate and lateral faces of organ with short series of small roughly equidistant feebly developed flounces, each bearing a single medial hook-shaped spine.

Philippe J. R. Kok. 2015. A New Species of the Pantepui endemic Genus Riolama (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from the summit of Murisipán-tepui, with the Erection of A New Gymnophthalmid Subfamily. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 174(3); 500–518. DOI: 10.1111/zoj.12241

ResearchGate.net/publication/278031202_A_new_species_of_the_Pantepui_endemic_genus_Riolama_(Squamata_Gymnophthalmidae)_from_the_summit_of_Murisipn-tepui_with_the_erection_of_a_new_gymnophthalmid_subfamily

[BioGeography / Ornithology • 2013] On the Origin of Pantepui Montane Biotas: A Perspective Based on the Phylogeny of Aulacorhynchus toucanets

Tepui Toucanet or Whitely's toucanet Aulacorhynchus whitelianus

illustration: John Gerrard Keulemans
Catalogue of the Birds in the British Museum. Volume 19 | en.wikipedia.org

ABSTRACT 

To understand the origin of Pantepui montane biotas, we studied the biogeography of toucanets in the genus Aulacorhynchus. These birds are ideal for analyzing historical relationships among Neotropical montane regions, given their geographic distribution from Mexico south to Bolivia, including northern Venezuela (Cordillera de la Costa), and the Pantepui. Analyses were based on molecular phylogenies using mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences. Topology tests were applied to compare alternative hypotheses that may explain the current distribution of Aulacorhynchus toucanets, in the context of previous hypotheses of the origin of Pantepui montane biotas. Biogeographic reconstructions in RASP and Lagrange were used to estimate the ancestral area of the genus, and an analysis in BEAST was used to estimate a time framework for its diversification. A sister relationship between the Pantepui and Andes+Cordillera de la Costa was significantly more likely than topologies indicating other hypothesis for the origin of Pantepui populations. The Andes was inferred as the ancestral area for Aulacorhynchus, and the group has diversified since the late Miocene. The biogeographic patterns found herein, in which the Andes are the source for biotas of other regions, are consistent with those found for flowerpiercers and tanagers, and do not support the hypothesis of the geologically old Pantepui as a source of Neotropical montain diversity. Based on the high potential for cryptic speciation and isolation of Pantepui populations, we consider that phylogenetic studies of additional taxa are important from a conservation perspective.

Figure 1. Geographic distribution of species in Aulacorhynchus.
Subspecies in the Aulacorhynchus prasinus complex are shown as independent evolutionary units following Puebla-Olivares et al. and Bonaccorso et al.; taxonomy of South American species, other than A. prasinus, follows Remsen et al.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067321.g001

Figure 3. Ancestral area reconstruction for species in the genus Aulacorhynchus.
Colors indicate geographic areas and combinations of up to two areas, and roman numerals indicate nodes of interest.
 A: Bayesian Binary MCMC Analysis in RASP; pie charts indicate the marginal probability of each area at nodes of interest; nodal support expressed as Bayesian posterior probabilities are showed above pie charts, with asterisks indicating Bayesian posterior probabilities = 1.00.
B: Dispersal-Extinction-Cladogenesis analysis in Lagrange; numbers above splits indicate their relative probability; for simplicity, only splits summing ≥70 relative probability are shown.

doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0067321.g003

 Elisa Bonaccorso and Juan M Guayasamin. 2013. On the Origin of Pantepui montane biotas: A Perspective Based on the Phylogeny of Aulacorhynchus toucanets. PLoS ONE. 8(6):e67321. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0067321 

researchgate.net/publication/248385863_On_the_Origin_of_Pantepui_montane_biotas_A_Perspective_Based_on_the_Phylogeny_of_Aulacorhynchus_toucanets

[Herpetology • 2013] Pristimantis jamescameroni & P. imthurni | Two new charismatic Pristimantis species (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the tepuis of “The Lost World” (Pantepui region, South America)

Pristimantis jamescameroni, in honour of film maker and explorer James Cameron for “his efforts to alert the general public to environmental problems through pioneering high quality blockbuster movies and adventurous documentaries”.

Abstract

Two new colourful species of direct-developing frogs of the genus Pristimantis are described from the summit of two isolated tepuis (sandstone table mountains) in the Eastern Pantepui District of the Guiana Shield highlands. Pristimantis jamescameroni sp. nov. is described from the summit of Aprada-tepui from 2557-2571 m elevation, and P. imthurni sp. nov. is described from the summit of Ptari-tepui at 2471 m elevation. Both species share the absence of a differentiated tympanic membrane and external tympanic annulus (but presence of tiny pharyngeal ostia), the presence of nuptial pads in males, and the presence of lateral fringes on fingers and toes, a combination of characters that immediately distinguishes them from all other known Pantepui congeners. The two new species are morphologically similar to each other and are phylogenetically closely related, but they can be distinguished based on colour pattern and morphological characters such as head proportions, dorsal skin texture, and condition of the supratympanic fold. The IUCN conservation status of the new species is considered as Endangered (EN) owing to their apparent very restricted ranges. The number of described Pristimantis species occurring exclusively on tepui (and faunistically related granitic mountains) summits and upper slopes now reaches eleven.

Keywords. Anura, Guiana Shield, Systematics, Taxonomy, Terrarana.

Pristimantis jamescameroni, in honour of film maker and explorer James Cameron

Pristimantis imthurni in honour of Sir Evrard im Thurn, a British colonial official who was the first to climb a major tepui (Mount Roraima in 1884)

Etymology: The specific epithet is a noun in the genitive case, honouring Sir Everard F. im Thurn (1852-1932), British colonial official, author, explorer, botanist, and photographer. Everard im Thurn was the first to climb a major tepui (Mount Roraima in December 1884), along with British surveyor Harry Perkins, a Pomeroon Amerindian named Gabriel, and five other unnamed Amerindians (Dalziell 2007). Im Thurn’s expedition on Roraima and his numerous discoveries were partly eclipsed by the popular novel that they inspired: “The Lost World” by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (see Introduction; Dalziell 2007).

Philippe J. R. Kok. 2013. Two new charismatic Pristimantis species (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the tepuis of “The Lost World” (Pantepui region, South America). European Journal of Taxonomy. 60: 1-24. http://dx.doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2013.60. 

New frog species named after James Cameron

Belgian researcher Philippe Kok (Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences and the Vrije Universiteit Brussel) describes two new endangered frog species from northern South America in the European Journal of Taxonomy. The IUCN conservation status of the newly discovered frogs is considered as Endangered (EN).

http://www.naturalsciences.be/active/sciencenews/jamescameronfrog/index_html

Une espèce de grenouille récemment découverte, baptisée par un Belge d'après James Cameron
[A recently discovered species of frog named after Avatar's Director, James Cameron] 

http://on-msn.com/Hf0H3J http://www.vub.ac.be/en/node/7002

2008. New World direct-developing frogs (Anura: Terrarana): Molecular phylogeny, classification, biogeography, and conservation http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2008/f/z01737p182f.pdf

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/236513789_New_World_direct-developing_frogs_%28Anura_Terrarana%29_Molecular_phylogeny_classification_biogeography_and_conservation

[Herpetology • 2009] Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi • Lizard in the clouds: a new highland genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae (Reptilia: Squamata) from Maringma tepui, western Guyana

Abstract

A new genus is erected for Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi gen. nov. sp. nov., collected at 2080 m elevation on Mount Maringma, a sandstone flat-topped table mountain (tepui) located in the eastern Pakaraima Mountains, at the Guyana - Brazil border. The new genus mainly differs from all other known gymnophthalmids by the following combination of characters: distinctive ear opening and moveable eyelids, limbs pentadactyl with all digits clawed, prefrontals present, interparietal and parietals forming a jagged, irregular posterior margin, three pairs of genials, second pair of genials in contact with only one infralabial, dorsal scales hexagonal, keeled, in transverse rows only, ventral scales imbricate, hexagonal, mucronate, broadly keeled, in transverse rows only, and hemipenis weakly bilobed with series of curved transverse plicae bearing mineralized spicules.

Key words: Pantepuisaurus rodriguesi gen. nov. sp. nov., endemism, Guiana Shield, microteiid, Pantepui, taxonomy, tepuis

Philippe J. R. Kok. 2009. Lizard in the clouds: a new highland genus and species of Gymnophthalmidae (Reptilia: Squamata) from Maringma tepui, western Guyana. Zootaxa 1992: 53-67

http://www.mapress.com/zootaxa/2009/f/z01992p067f.pdf

Another new lizard genus!

http://www.naturalsciences.be/active/sciencenews/lizardgenus

[Herpetology • 2005] Kaieteurosaurus hindsi • A new genus and species of gymnophthalmid lizard (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Kaieteur National Park, Guyana

Kaieteurosaurus hindsi

Abstract 

A new genus and species of gymnophthalmid are described from Kaieieur National Park, central western  Guyana, South America. The new genus mainly differs from all other known gymnophthalmids by the following combination of characters:  five fingers and toes. nilclawed; tongue with obliqueplicae  antcriorly and posterior1y, interrupted by a midsection of scale like papillae; dorsal scales keeled, hexagonal, forming transverse rows only; ventral scales smooth, hexagonal, forming transverse rows only; nasal divided;  frontonasal single; prefromals absent; complete supracihary series: interparietal heptagonal with a straight posterior  margin, not projecting posteriorly, 

K e y w o r d s: Gymnophthalmidae; New genus; New species; Kaiewimsastrus hindsi genus and species novum; Squamata; Taxonomy; Kaictcur National Park; Guyana; South America. 

Kok, P.J.R. 2005. A new genus and species of gymnophthalmid lizard (Squamata: Gymnophthalmidae) from Kaieteur National Park, Guyana. Bulletin de l’Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique Biologie 75: 35–45. 

http://philippekok.com/kok/Web%20pages/PDF_papers/KOK_Khindsi_new_genus.pdf

New Amazon Species: "Bluetooth" Tarantula, Electric Fish http://on.natgeo.com/cAn8cM