[Herpetology • 2014] Phylogeography of the Asian Softshell Turtle Amyda cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770): Evidence for A Species Complex

Fig. 3. Live Asian softshell turtles from the Great Sunda Islands.
Note in (A), (D) and (E) the saddle-shaped dark mark on the carapace.
(A) Amyda species (candidate species A?), juvenile, Loagan Bunut National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo). Photo: Indraneil Das.
(B) Amyda cartilaginea cartilaginea (terminal clade 2), West Java, Indonesia (trade specimen). Yellow-spotted form of van Dijk (1992). Photo: Mark Auliya.
(C) Amyda species (not studied genetically). Rantauprapat, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia (northern Sumatra). Yellowspotted form of van Dijk (1992). Photo: Maren Gaulke.
(D) Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov. (terminal clade 3), Balai Ringin, near Serian, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo). Photo: Indraneil Das.
(E) Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov. (terminal clade 3), juvenile, Tanjung Lasa, Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia (Borneo). Note the different facial pattern compared to (A). Photo: Mark Auliya.

Fig. 4. Live Asian softshell turtles from Mainland Southeast Asia.
(A) Amyda ornata ornata (terminal clade 6), southern Vietnam or Cambodia. Arrow-headed form of van Dijk (1992). Note the smooth rear carapace. Photo: Timothy McCormack.
(B, C) Amyda ornata phayrei (terminal clade 5), Thailand. Note the different head colouration compared to A. o. ornata and the pronounced shell tubercles. Photos: Peter Praschag.
 (D, E) Amyda ornata subspecies (terminal clade 4), Chittagong Hills, Bangladesh. Note the pale shell colouration, the indistinct head pattern and the pronounced shell tubercles. Photos: Peter Praschag.

Abstract

Using up to 2456 bp mtDNA and up to 2716 bp nDNA of fresh samples and short sequences of three mitochondrial genes of historical museum material, we examine the phylogeography of Amyda cartilaginea. This data set provides evidence for the existence of deeply divergent genetic lineages which we interpret as three distinct species, two of which are polytypic. On the Great Sunda Islands, the distribution ranges of the two subspecies of Amyda cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770) sensu stricto and of an undescribed species match palaeodrainage systems. Amyda cartilaginea cartilaginea occurs in the East Sunda palaeodrainage, with records in eastern Borneo and Java. Also a record from Sulawesi, most probably not representing a native population, refers to A. c. cartilaginea. In the North Sunda palaeodrainage (Sumatra, western Borneo) lives Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov., which is described herein. One sample from the Baram river (Sarawak, Malaysia) is genetically highly distinct and represents a new species. We refrain from naming this taxon until more material becomes available for morphological characterization. For the continental populations, we resurrect the species Amyda ornata (Gray, 1861). We identify Asian softshell turtles from the Mekong drainage with the nominotypical subspecies, while the genetically distinct populations from Thailand and Myanmar are assigned to Amyda ornata phayrei (Theobald, 1868). Samples from Bangladesh are also genetically distinct and represent an undescribed subspecies and the first country record for Amyda.

Key words: Amyda cartilaginea cartilaginea; Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov.; Amyda ornata ornata; Amyda ornata phayrei; Great Sunda Islands; Southeast Asia, Subspecies; Taxonomy; Testudines; Trionychidae.

Fig. 3. Live Asian softshell turtles from the Great Sunda Islands.

Note in (A), (D) and (E) the saddle-shaped dark mark on the carapace.

 (A) Amyda species (candidate species A?), juvenile, Loagan Bunut National Park, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo). Photo: Indraneil Das.
(B) Amyda cartilaginea cartilaginea (terminal clade 2), West Java, Indonesia (trade specimen). Yellow-spotted form of van Dijk (1992). Photo: Mark Auliya.
 (C) Amyda species (not studied genetically). Rantauprapat, Sumatera Utara, Indonesia (northern Sumatra). Yellowspotted form of van Dijk (1992). Photo: Maren Gaulke.
 (D) Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov. (terminal clade 3), Balai Ringin, near Serian, Sarawak, Malaysia (Borneo). Photo: Indraneil Das.
(E) Amyda cartilaginea maculosa subsp. nov. (terminal clade 3), juvenile, Tanjung Lasa, Kapuas Hulu, West Kalimantan, Indonesia (Borneo). Note the different facial pattern compared to (A). Photo: Mark Auliya.

Fig. 4. Live Asian softshell turtles from Mainland Southeast Asia.
(A) Amyda ornata ornata (terminal clade 6), southern Vietnam or Cambodia. Arrow-headed form of van Dijk (1992). Note the smooth rear carapace. Photo: Timothy McCormack.
(B, C) ตะพาบน้ำ | Amyda ornata phayrei (terminal clade 5), Thailand. Note the different head colouration compared to A. o. ornata and the pronounced shell tubercles. Photos: Peter Praschag.
(D, E) Amyda ornata subspecies (terminal clade 4), Chittagong Hills, Bangladesh. Note the pale shell colouration, the indistinct head pattern and the pronounced shell tubercles. Photos: Peter Praschag.

Uwe Fritz, Richard Gemel, Christian Kehlmaier, Melita Vamberger and Peter Praschag. 2014. Phylogeography of the Asian Softshell Turtle Amyda cartilaginea (Boddaert, 1770): Evidence for A Species Complex. Vertebrate Zoology. 64(2): 229–243. 

http://www.senckenberg.de/files/content/forschung/publikationen/vertebratezoology/vz64-2/09_vertebrate_zoology_64-2_fritz_229-243.pdf

[Herpetology • 2015] Insights from Integrative Systematics Reveal Cryptic Diversity in Pristimantis Frogs (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the Upper Amazon Basin

Fig 1. Phylogeny and distribution of the Pristimantis acuminatus group in the Amazon Basin.
 (A) Optimal maximum likelihood tree (log likelihood = -6762.95) inferred from a partitioned analysis of 1997 aligned sites of the 12S, 16S and COI (by codon position) mtDNA genes, showing the phylogenetic relationships among 33 specimens identified as P. acuminatus sensu lato and P. tantanti from the Amazon basin. Clade A = Pristimantis limoncochensis sp. nov., clade B = P. omeviridis sp. nov., clade C = P. acuminatus sensu stricto, clade D = P. enigmaticus sp. nov., and clade E = P. tantanti. Stars denote clades with Bayesian posterior probability values1; numbers below clades represent non-parametric bootstrap support values.
(B) Areas of distribution for species in the complex. Dotted circles = Localities of collection from specimens used for the phylogenetic analyses; Polygons = occurrence areas drawn as minimum convex polygons for each clade based on specimens reviewed in collections (S2 Table). Colors of clades in the phylogenetic tree correspond to colors of polygons and dotted circles on the map.

 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143392 

Abstract

Pluralistic approaches to taxonomy facilitate a more complete appraisal of biodiversity, especially the diversification of cryptic species. Although species delimitation has traditionally been based primarily on morphological differences, the integration of new methods allows diverse lines of evidence to solve the problem. Robber frogs (Pristimantis) are exemplary, as many of the species show high morphological variation within populations, but few traits that are diagnostic of species. We used a combination of DNA sequences from three mitochondrial genes, morphometric data, and comparisons of ecological niche models (ENMs) to infer a phylogenetic hypothesis for the Pristimantis acuminatus complex. Molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed a close relationship between three new species — Pristimantis enigmaticus sp. nov., P. limoncochensis sp. nov. and P. omeviridis sp. nov. — originally confused with Pristimantis acuminatus. In combination with morphometric data and geographic distributions, several morphological characters such as degree of tympanum exposure, skin texture, ulnar/tarsal tubercles and sexual secondary characters (vocal slits and nuptial pads in males) were found to be useful for diagnosing species in the complex. Multivariate discriminant analyses provided a successful classification rate for 83–100% of specimens. Discriminant analysis of localities in environmental niche space showed a successful classification rate of 75–98%. Identity tests of ENMs rejected hypotheses of niche equivalency, although not strongly because the high values on niche overlap. Pristimantis acuminatus and P. enigmaticus sp. nov. are distributed along the lowlands of central–southern Ecuador and northern Peru, in contrast with P. limoncochensis sp. nov. and P. omeviridis sp. nov., which are found in northern Ecuador and southern Colombia, up to 1200 m in the upper Amazon Basin. The methods used herein provide an integrated framework for inventorying the greatly underestimated biodiversity in Amazonia.

Fig 9. Living specimens of the Pristimantis acuminatus complex and their relatives in the Amazon Basin.
(A) Pristimantis acuminatus, QCAZ 53263, (B) Pristimantis tantanti, CORBIDI 12987, (C-D) night and daylight color variation in Pristimantis limoncochensis sp. nov., QCAZ 52987, (E) amplectant pair of Pristimantis omeviridis sp. nov., holotype female QCAZ 55392 and paratype male QCAZ 55391, (F) Pristimantis padiali, specimen not collected, (G-H) night and daylight color variation in Pristimantis enigmaticus sp. nov., specimen not collected.

 Photographs of (B) by V. Durán, (E) by Santiago Ron, (F) by Omar Rojas; all other photographs by H. M. Ortega-Andrade.  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143392

H. Mauricio Ortega-Andrade, Octavio R. Rojas-Soto, Jorge H. Valencia, Alejandro Espinosa de los Monteros, Juan J. Morrone, Santiago R. Ron and David C. Cannatella. 2015. Insights from Integrative Systematics Reveal Cryptic Diversity in Pristimantis Frogs (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the Upper Amazon Basin. PLoS ONE. 10(11): e0143392. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0143392

AnfibiosEcuador.blogspot.com

[Ichthyology • 2016] Peckoltia wernekei • A New Species of Peckoltia (Siluriformes, Loricariidae) from the Upper Orinoco River in Amazonas State, Venezuela

Figure 5. Live photos of A Peckoltia lujani (uncataloged), photograph by N.K. Lujan, and
B Peckoltia wernekei sp. n. AUM 39313 (was used as a live photo of P. vittata in Armbruster 2008).

Photograph by M.H. Sabaj Pérez.  DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.569.6630

Abstract

A new species of the suckermouth armored catfish genus Peckoltia is described from the lower Ventuari River, a tributary of the upper Orinoco River in Amazonas State, Venezuela. Specimens of this species were formerly included in the wide-ranging Amazonian species P. vittata, but a recent molecular phylogeny found Orinoco individuals to be distantly related to Amazon Basin individuals spanning the range of P. vittata syntypes. Detailed morphological examination confirmed distinctiveness of Orinoco specimens, and found them to be diagnosable from true P. vittata by having generally greater than 25 teeth (vs. less), spots on the nape (vs. nape lacking spots), the upper lip with two to three black bar-shaped markings in a line like a moustache (vs. lips generally with a hyaline wash), and by the snout having a medial black line disconnected from the moustache markings (vs. medial snout stripe connected to a bar just above the lip). Peckoltia wernekei displays remarkable genetic similarity to its sister species, P. lujani, but differs morphologically by having dentary tooth rows meet at an angle less than 90° (vs. >90°), by having large faint blotches on the abdomen (vs. abdomen with no blotches), by a smaller internares width (21.2–26.6% vs. 28.5–46.5% of interorbital width), and a larger dorsal spine (148.1–178.6% vs. 80.1–134.5% of abdominal length).

Keywords: Ancistrini, Hypostominae, Molecular Phylogeny, Morphology, Peckoltia, Systematics, Taxonomy

Taxonomy

Peckoltia wernekei Armbruster & Lujan, sp. n.

http://zoobank.org/3488FBE3-34F0-4F5B-94D2-60BFA849D945

Peckoltia aff. vittata (Orinoco) Lujan et al., 2015 [molecular phylogeny]

Type locality: Ventuari River drainage, Amazonas State, Venezuela, South America

Holotype: AUM 54314, 104.6 mm SL, VENEZUELA, Amazonas State, Ventuari River drainage, Marujeta Creek, 159 km E of San Fernando de Atabapo, 04.2948°, -066.2889°, N.K. Lujan, M. Sabaj Pérez, D.C. Werneke, T. Carvalho, V. Meza-Vargas, 02 April 2010.

Diagnosis: Peckoltia wernekei can be separated from all other Peckoltia by having a broken black line of pigment on the upper jaw (vs. solid line of pigment along snout edge or snout uniformly colored or mottled). Peckoltia wernekei can be further separated from P. vittata by generally having 25 or more teeth in at least one dentary or one premaxilla (vs. generally 24 or fewer; one specimen of P. wernekei had both upper and lower jaws with <25 teeth/ramus), by having a largely naked abdomen (abdomen with a few plates below pectoral girdle, between pelvic fins and along sides of abdomen; vs. most of ventral surface from the throat to the anus with small plates), and by having large, faint blotches on the abdomen (vs. abdomen uniform). Peckoltia wernekei can be further separated from upper Orinoco congeners as follows: from P. brevis and P. lineola by lacking short lines and spots on the head (vs. lines and spots present), from P. brevis, P. caenosa and P. lineola by having a largely naked abdomen (vs. abdomen fully plated), and by generally having 25 or more teeth per jaw ramus (vs. 22 or fewer in P. brevis, 21 or fewer in P. caenosa, and 19 or fewer in P. lineola); from P. lujani by having the dentaries meet at an angle less than 90° (vs. >90°), by having large, faint blotches on the abdomen (vs. abdomen with no blotches), by a smaller internares width to interorbital width ratio (21.2–26.6% vs. 28.5–46.5%), and a larger dorsal spine to abdominal length ratio (148.1–178.6% vs. 80.1–134.5%); and from P. sabaji by having bands in the dorsal and caudal fins (vs. spots) and prominent dorsal saddles on the body (vs. large spots).

Distribution: Known only from the Ventuari River, a right-bank tributary of the upper Orinoco River in Amazonas State, Venezuela (Fig. 7).

Etymology: Patronym honoring David C. Werneke, Collection Manager of Fishes at the Auburn University Museum, for his diligence, camaraderie and humor during three expeditions to the upper Orinoco Basin and for his long service as a Collection Manager at Auburn University.

Jonathan W. Armbruster and Nathan K. Lujan. 2016. A New Species of Peckoltia from the Upper Orinoco (Siluriformes, Loricariidae). ZooKeys. 569: 105-121. DOI:  10.3897/zookeys.569.6630

[Ornithology • 2016] Nondestructive Raman Spectroscopy confirms Carotenoid-pigmented Plumage in the Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea

FIGURE 1. Dorsal view of a Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea, USNM 608914), close view of the pink crown feathers, and a Raman spectrum collected from the pink feathers. The Raman spectrum was collected at 100 mW for 60 s through a 10× microscope objective. Each of the 3 carotenoid-identifying peaks in the spectrum has been labeled with the vibrational mode it represents.

DOI: 10.1642/AUK-15-152.1

ABSTRACT

A small group of pigment classes is responsible for the wide range of plumage colors in modern birds. Yellow, pink, and other “warm” feather colors of many species are attributed to carotenoid pigments, a plumage trait that has an uneven distribution across modern bird species. Carotenoid plumage pigments are especially rare among fowl (superorder Galloanseres), and until recently, the Pink-eared Duck (Malacorhynchus membranaceus) from Australia provided the only evidence that any species of waterfowl (order Anseriformes) exhibits carotenoid-pigmented plumage. We analyzed a Pink-headed Duck (Rhodonessa caryophyllacea) study skin using Raman spectroscopy, without plucking or otherwise damaging the specimen. Raman spectra confirmed that the pink feathers of Rhodonessa are pigmented with carotenoids. Spectra from Rhodonessa were similar to those from Malacorhynchus, which suggests that the same carotenoid is the primary plumage pigment in both species. Moreover, spectra from Rhodonessa were similar to spectra from other taxa pigmented with ketocarotenoids. Malacorhynchus and Rhodonessa are distant relatives within Anseriformes, so these findings indicate multiple evolutionary origins of plumage carotenoids within the waterfowl or (less likely) many losses of plumage carotenoids from duck species. Our results show that pigment chemistry can be studied in precious ornithological specimens without damaging the specimens, and provide new evidence that the (apparently extinct) Rhodonessa possessed what is evolutionarily an extremely rare trait among waterfowl.

Keywords: Anseriformes, coloration, feather, pigmentation, Raman spectroscopy, Rhodonessa

Female and male Pink-headed Duck Rhodonessa caryophyllacea

illustrated by Henrik Grönvold  wikipedia.org

Daniel B. Thomas and Helen F. James. 2016. Nondestructive Raman Spectroscopy confirms Carotenoid-pigmented Plumage in the Pink-headed Duck [La espectrometría Raman no destructiva confirma la pigmentación con carotenoides del plumaje de Rhodonessa caryophyllacea].  The Auk. 133(2) 147-154. DOI: 10.1642/AUK-15-152.1

Extinct pink-headed duck derived its unique color from carotenoids  http://phy.so/373134159 via @physorg_com

Carotenoid pigments make extinct duck a rare bird indeed http://smithsonianscience.si.edu/2016/03/red-headed-duck/

RESUMEN

Un pequeño grupo de clases de pigmentos es responsable del amplio rango de colores del plumaje en las aves modernas. Amarillo, rosa y otros colores “cálidos” de las plumas de muchas especies son atribuidos a los pigmentos carotenoides, un rasgo del plumaje que tiene una distribución desigual entre las especies de aves modernas. Los pigmentos carotenoides del plumaje son especialmente raros entre las aves de caza (superorden Galloanseres) y hasta hace poco, la especie Malacorhynchus membranaceus de Australia representaba la única evidencia de una especie de ave acuática (orden Anseriformes) con plumaje pigmentado con carotenoides. Analizamos una piel de estudio de Rhodonessa caryophyllacea usando espectrometría Raman sin perforar o dañar el espécimen. El espectro Raman confirmó que las plumas rosas de Rhodonessa están pigmentadas con carotenoides. Los espectros de Rhodonessa fueron similares a aquellos de Malacorhynchus, sugiriendo que el mismo carotenoide es el principal pigmento del plumaje en cada especie. Más aun, los espectros de Rhodonessa fueron similares a los espectros de otros taxa pigmentados con ceto-carotenoides. Malacorhynchus y Rhodonessa son parientes distantes adentro de los Anseriformes, indicando orígenes evolutivos múltiples de los carotenoides del plumaje adentro de las aves acuáticas, o (menos probable) muchas pérdidas de los carotenoides del plumaje en las especies de patos. Nuestros análisis muestran que la química de los pigmentos puede ser estudiada en especímenes ornitológicos valiosos sin dañarlos, y brinda nueva evidencia de que la especie (aparentemente extinta) Rhodonessa poseía lo que es un rasgo evolutivo extremadamente raro entre las aves acuáticas.

Palabras clave: Anseriformes, coloración, espectrometría Raman, pigmentación, plumas, Rhodonessa

[Herpetology • 2016] Raorchestes honnametti • Integrative Taxonomic Approach for Describing a New Cryptic Species of Bush Frog (Raorchestes: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats, India

Raorchestes honnametti 

Gururaja, Priti, Roshmi & Aravind, 2016

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149382

Abstract

A new cryptic species of bush frog Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov. is described from the south-eastern part of the Western Ghats, India. This newly described species belongs to the Charius clade and is morphologically similar to other clade members—R. charius and R. griet. Therefore, an integrative taxonomic approach based on molecular and bioacoustic analysis along with morphology was used to delimit the new species. Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov., is currently known only from Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve, a part of Biligiri Rangaswamy horst mountain range (a mountain formed due movement of two faults) formed during the Late Quaternary period (1.8–2.58 Ma). Discovery of cryptic species from a highly speciose and well-studied genus Raorchestes hints at the possible existence of several more cryptic species in this genus. We discuss the possible reasons for crypsis and emphasize the need for continued systematic surveys of amphibians across the Western Ghats.

Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov. Gururaja, Priti, Roshmi and Aravind

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:071B913C-BB18-4E6A-97C6-6BA2621F8D6E

Suggested common name: Honnametti Bush Frog.

Holotype: BNHS 5941, an adult male collected by authors from Strobilanthus shrubs at 0.48m above ground at Honnametti, on 13th October 2012 at 20:20 h from Biligiri Rangaswamy hills (11.8987° N, 77.1741° E, 1659 m amsl).

Paratypes: BNHS 5942, BNHS 5943, BNHS 5945 and BNHS 5946, male individuals collected by authors in Honnametti, collection date and place same as holotype. BNHS 5944, a male collected by authors on 14th October 2012 at 19:45 h Dodda Sampige (11.9473° N and 77.1836° E, 1142 m amsl).

Fig 4. Holotype (BNHS 5941) of Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov.
a-b — Live specimen; c — ventral view; d — dorsal view; e — ventral view of hind limb; f — ventral view of forelimb; g — lateral profile of head; h — Schematic view of webbing in hind limb.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149382 

Diagnosis: Raorchestes honnametti belongs to the genus Raorchestes as they are relatively small sized frogs (15–45 mm), active in night, vomerine teeth absent, transparent/translucent vocal sac while calling and direct development without free swimming tadpoles. It is a small sized adult (male: 21.7–24.8 mm, n = 6); snout longer than the horizontal diameter of eye; groin uniform light brown with 3–4 yellow blotches; both anterior and posterior part of thigh uniform light brown with small round to oval shaped yellow blotches and relatively short hind limbs ShL/SVL ratio <0.5. It belongs to the Charius clade and morphologically similar to R. charius and R. griet.

Etymology: Named after the locality of holotype – Honnametti. Honnametti is treated as an invariable noun in apposition to the generic name.

Fig 1. Biligiri Rangaswamy Temple Tiger Reserve and sampling sites of Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov. (blue circles).

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149382

Natural history: Raorchestes honnametti sp. nov. is known only from Biligiri Rangaswamy hills and is one of the very common frogs in that landscape. It is found in shola forests, evergreen forests, semi-evergreen forests and around human habitations. Individuals were found calling in an open area within Ageratina adenophora (Asteraceae) and Strobilanthus bushes. Some individuals were also found on tree saplings in the understory. Individuals call at a perched height between 0.48–1.00 m from ground. Call starts at around 6 pm and goes till early morning. During monsoon (June to September), individuals call almost throughout the day except on days with heavy rains or dry days. Other anuran species like Pseudophilautus sp., Hylarana sp., Fejervarya sp., Duttaphrynus melanostictus, Microhyla sholigari, M. ornata, M. rubra and Euphlyctis cyanophlyctis co-occur with R. honnametti in Biligiri Rangaswamy hills.

Conservation:

There are no immediate threats from human activities to this newly described species as Biligiri Rangaswamy hills is a tiger reserve and enjoys high level of protection. However, in the last one decade, a significant area of the Reserve has been taken over by highly invasive species like Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) and Ageratina adenophora (Asteraceae). On subsequent visits, we have seen several calling males of R. honnametti on Lantana and Ageratina bushes, indicating that this species might have adapted to the presence of these invasive species. However, a systematic research needs to be undertaken to assess the impact of invasive species on R. honnametti.

H. Priti , Rekha Sarma Roshmi, Badrinath Ramya, H. S. Sudhira, G. Ravikanth, Neelavara Anantharam Aravind, Kotambylu Vasudeva Gururaja. 2016. Integrative Taxonomic Approach for Describing a New Cryptic Species of Bush Frog (Raorchestes: Anura: Rhacophoridae) from the Western Ghats, India. PLoS ONE. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0149382

[Herpetology • 2016] A Reassessment of Melanophidium Günther, 1864 (Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India, with the Description of A New Species; Melanophidium khairei

Melanophidium khairei 

 Gower, Giri, Captain & Wilkinson, 2016 

Abstract

A new species of the uropeltid snake genus, Melanophidium Günther, 1864 is described based on a series of eight specimens. Melanophidium khairei sp. nov. is the fourth species described in the genus, and the first for 144 years. Superficially M. khairei sp. nov. resembles M. punctatum Beddome, 1871 in being piebald and punctate (and it was previously misidentified as M. punctatum), but in many scalation characters it more closely resembles M. wynaudense (Beddome, 1863). The new species occurs in southern Maharashtra, Goa, and northern Karnataka, in the Western Ghats region of peninsula India. It is the most northerly member of its genus. Lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated for M. wynaudense, M. bilineatum Beddome, 1870, and M. punctatum. A new key to the species of Melanophidium is presented. Aspects of the morphology, taxonomy and distribution of the three previously described species of Melanophidium are reviewed and revised.

Keywords: Reptilia, Alethinophidia, shieldtail, snake, systematics, taxonomy

facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1079356325419874

 David J. Gower, Varad Giri, Ashok Captain and Mark Wilkinson. 2016. A Reassessment of Melanophidium Günther, 1864 (Squamata: Serpentes: Uropeltidae) from the Western Ghats of peninsular India, with the Description of A New Species. ZOOTAXA. 4085(4); 481-503. http://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4085.4.2

ResearchGate.net/publication/296706271_A_reassessment_of_Melanophidium_Gunther_1864_Squamata_Serpentes_Uropeltidae_from_the_Western_Ghats_of_peninsular_India_with_the_description_of_a_new_species

Snake that remained hidden for 145 years found - @NatureInd
 http://www.natureasia.com/en/nindia/article/10.1038/nindia.2016.33

[Botany • 2016] Disporum sinovietnamicum sp. nov. (Colchicaceae) from southwestern Guangxi, China

Disporum sinovietnamicum R. C. Hu & Y. Feng Huang sp. nov. is described and from southwestern Guangxi, China. It is morphologically closest to D. jinfoshanense X. Z. Li, D. M. Zhang & D. Y. Hong, but differs by having stems that are 35–90 cm tall, narrowly lanceolate and thinly leathery leaves, and ovate and glabrous tepals.

Ren-Chuan Hu, Wei-Bin Xu and Yun-Feng Huang. 2016. Disporum sinovietnamicum sp. nov. (Colchicaceae) from southwestern Guangxi, China.
 Nordic Journal of Botany.  DOI:  10.1111/njb.00989 

[Paleontology • 2016] A Large Abelisaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from Morocco and comments on the Cenomanian Theropods from North Africa

  Large Moroccan abelisaurid [Abelisauridae indet. femur OLPH 025]

Illustration: Davide Bonadonna

DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1754  & theropoda.blogspot.com

Abstract

We describe the partially preserved femur of a large-bodied theropod dinosaur from the Cenomanian “Kem Kem Compound Assemblage” (KKCA) of Morocco. The fossil is housed in the Museo Geologico e Paleontologico “Gaetano Giorgio Gemmellaro” in Palermo (Italy). The specimen is compared with the theropod fossil record from the KKCA and coeval assemblages from North Africa. The combination of a distally reclined head, a not prominent trochanteric shelf, distally placed lesser trochanter of stout, alariform shape, a stocky shaft with the fourth trochanter placed proximally, and rugose muscular insertion areas in the specimen distinguishes it from Carcharodontosaurus, Deltadromeus and Spinosaurus and supports referral to an abelisaurid. The estimated body size for the individual from which this femur was derived is comparable to Carnotaurus and Ekrixinatosaurus (up to 9 meters in length and 2 tons in body mass). This find confirms that abelisaurids had reached their largest body size in the “middle Cretaceous,” and that large abelisaurids coexisted with other giant theropods in Africa. We review the taxonomic status of the theropods from the Cenomanian of North Africa, and provisionally restrict the Linnean binomina Carcharodontosaurus iguidensis and Spinosaurus aegyptiacus to the type specimens. Based on comparisons among the theropod records from the Aptian-Cenomanian of South America and Africa, a partial explanation for the so-called “Stromer’s riddle” (namely, the coexistence of many large predatory dinosaurs in the “middle Cretaceous” record from North Africa) is offered in term of taphonomic artifacts among lineage records that were ecologically and environmentally non-overlapping. Although morphofunctional and stratigraphic evidence supports an ecological segregation between spinosaurids and the other lineages, the co-occurrence of abelisaurids and carcharodontosaurids, two groups showing several craniodental convergences that suggest direct resource competition, remains to be explained.

Systematic Palaeontology

Dinosauria Owen (1842).

Theropoda Marsh (1881).

Abelisauridae Bonaparte (1991).

Locality and age: Based on the registry of the OLPH, the specimen was collected nearby the Moroccan-Algerian boundary just south of Taouz (Errachidia Province, Meknès−Tafilalet Region), Morocco. Following Cavin et al. (2010), the age of this fossil is considered as Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian).

Material: OLPH 025, partial proximal portion of a right femur (Fig. 1).

Figure 1: Abelisauridae indet. femur OLPH 025.

(A) proximal view, (B) anterior view, (C) medial view, (D) posterior view, (E) lateral view, (F) distal view (not at same scale as other views). Scale bars, 5 cm.

Abbreviations: gt, greater trochanter; iMie, insertion for the M. iliofemoralis externus; fn, femoral neck; s, shallow sulcus.   DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1754

Conclusions

The taxonomy and inclusiveness of the theropod clades from the “middle” Cretaceous of North Africa is complex and problematic. Since Stromer (1931) and Stromer (1934) the minimum number of taxa recovered from these fossil associations has been considered controversial, in particular due to the fragmentary nature of most of the specimens found. Stromer himself (1934) was aware of this as one of the main problems in North African dinosaur palaeontology. Several factors, both biological and geological, may bias the taxonomic composition of the North African theropod faunas. Most North African units are poorly constrained stratigraphically (see Cavin et al., 2010; Fanti et al., 2014), thus preventing detailed correlations between the various localities. For example, the age of the KKCA has been alternatively placed between the Aptian and the Cenomanian (Russell, 1996; Cavin et al., 2010), and both number of and relationships among the units represented by that assemblage remain controversial (Sereno et al., 1996; Cavin et al., 2010). The temporal extent of these assemblages is uncertain, possibly spanning several million years (Cavin et al., 2010). Therefore, the application of biological (neontological) “rules,” based on ecological models and data from modern ecosystems (in order to constrain the number of carnivorous taxa included in a fossil assemblage) is often not adequately justified or not testable. This is particularly problematic for fossil assemblages, like the KKCA, that lack present-day analogues and where an unusually unbalanced ecological web has been suggested (e.g., Läng et al., 2013). Since the co-occurrence in the same North African theropod associations of distinct species belonging to the same clade has been documented (e.g., spinosaurids, Fanti et al., 2014; Hendrickx, Mateus & Buffetaut, 2016; carcharodontosaurids, Cau, Dalla Vecchia & Fabbri, 2012; Cau, Dalla Vecchia & Fabbri, 2013), the referral of all isolated elements of one lineage to a single species cannot be justified. Furthermore, the referral of isolated and non-overlapping material to the same species is a phylogenetic hypothesis itself that needs to be explicitly tested by numerical analyses. In absence of positive evidence supporting the referral of such material to a particular species, the inclusion of non-overlapping elements into a single taxon may led to the creation of a potential chimera, with unpredictable effects on the phylogenetic and palaeoecological interpretation of these faunas.

We have described the fragmentary femur of a large-bodied theropod from the “Kem Kem Compound Assemblage” of Morocco. The specimen lacks tetanuran synapomorphies and is referred to Abelisauridae as it shares the overall morphology of the femora of ceratosaurians and the stocky robust proportions of some Late Cretaceous abelisaurids (e.g., Ekrixinatosaurus, Majungasaurus, Carrano, 2007; Juarez-Valieri, Porfiri & Calvo, 2011). The large size of the preserved femur suggests an individual comparable in body size with the type specimens of Carnotaurus sastrei and Ekrixinatosaurus novasi, both estimated to reach 9 meters in length and approaching two tons in body mass (Juarez-Valieri, Porfiri & Calvo, 2011). This discovery further supports that abelisaurids had evolved their largest size no later than the “mid-Cretaceous” (Smith et al., 2010; Juarez-Valieri, Porfiri & Calvo, 2011) and that abelisaurids and carcharodontosaurids co-existed and ecologically overlapped in both North Africa and South America during the Aptian-Turonian. Based on comparison with other “middle Cretaceous” units (Juarez-Valieri, Porfiri & Calvo, 2011; Fanti et al., 2014), we suggest that the co-occurrence of spinosaurids and other large theropods (abelisaurids and carcharodontosaurids) in the KKCA may be mainly an artefact due to poor stratigraphic resolution rather than genuine evidence of  ecological and environmental overlap. Given the convergent evolution of several craniodental features among abelisaurids and carcharodontosaurids (Lamanna, Martinez & Smith, 2002; Sampson & Witmer, 2007; Carrano & Sampson, 2008; Cau, Dalla Vecchia & Fabbri, 2013), suggesting similar ecological adaptations in these clades, how these apparently competing groups co-existed for at least 30 million years in both Africa and South America remains to be resolved.

Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza and Andrea Cau. 2016. A Large Abelisaurid (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from Morocco and comments on the Cenomanian Theropods from North Africa.  PeerJ. 4:e1754; DOI: 10.7717/peerj.1754

Fossil find reveals just how big carnivorous dinosaur may have grown

 http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/newsandeventspggrp/imperialcollege/newssummary/news_29-2-2016-9-34-57

[Herpetology • 2016] Wallaceophis gujaratensis • A New Miocene-Divergent Lineage of Old World Racer Snake (Serpentes: Colubridae) from India

Wallaceophis gujaratenesis 

Mirza, Vyas, Patel, Maheta & Sanap, 2016

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148380 

Abstract

A distinctive early Miocene-divergent lineage of Old world racer snakes is described as a new genus and species based on three specimens collected from the western Indian state of Gujarat. Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratenesis sp. nov. is a members of a clade of old world racers. The monotypic genus represents a distinct lineage among old world racers is recovered as a sister taxa to Lytorhynchus based on ~3047bp of combined nuclear (cmos) and mitochondrial molecular data (cytb, ND4, 12s, 16s). The snake is distinct morphologically in having a unique dorsal scale reduction formula not reported from any known colubrid snake genus. Uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence for nuclear gene cmos between Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratenesis sp. nov. other members of the clade containing old world racers and whip snake is 21–36%.

Fig 6. Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratensis sp. nov. holotype male NCBS HA-105 in life.

Photo by Z. Mirza.  DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148380 

Systematics

Wallaceophis gen. nov. Mirza, Vyas, Patel & Sanap, 2016.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:43CA682D-4EE0-4653-95B6-6F4E0C2FAEDE

Type species: Wallaceophis gujarateneis sp. nov.

Diagnosis: A medium sized snake in relation to members of the family measuring SVL 250–930 mm differing from most colubrid genera in lacking hypapophyses on posterior dorsal vertebrae (Fig 2) and in bearing nine maxillary teeth and the posterior-most teeth are subequal, nine palatine teeth. Dorsal scale reduction characterized by vertebral reductions, increase of scale rows posterior to neck, a single lateral reduction at midbody and regular vertebral reductions in posterior half of the body. Rostral not visible from above, a small presubocular present. Eight supralabials, fourth and fifth in contact with orbit, anal undivided, 215–216 ventrals, 51–54 subcaudals, hemipenis subcylindrical, spinose throughout and 3–4 dorsal scale row wide black longitudinal stripe running from the post nasal to the tail tip on each side on a wheat colored dorsum.

Wallaceophis gen. nov. may be distinguished from most members of the family Colubridae in lacking hypapophyses on posterior dorsal vertebrae. This condition is present in racers and whip snake of the genera Platyceps, Hemorrhois, Spalerosophis, Hemerophis, Dolichophis, Hierophis, Eirenis, Orientocoluber, Coluber, Macroprotodon, Bamanophis and Lytorhynchus. Wallaceophis gen. nov. differs from these genera in bearing unique vertebral dorsal scale reductions (vs. lateral reductions in Platyceps, Hemorrhois, Hemerophis, Dolichophis, Hierophis, Eirenis, Orientocoluber, Coluber, Macroprotodon, Bamanophis and Lytorhynchus); nine maxillary teeth (vs. 15–17 in Spalerosophis, 14–19 in Platyceps, 13–16 in Hemorrhois, 17–20 in Hemerophis, 16–18 in Hierophis, 16–26 in Eirenis, 15–19 in Bamanophis); presubocular present (vs. absent in Macroprotodon, Orientocoluber, Bamanophis). The new genus is closely related to the genus Lytorhynchus based on ~3047bp of nuclear and mitochondrial gene sequences however differs from it in having vertebral dorsal scale reduction (vs. lateral in Lytorhynchus); nine palatine teeth (vs. 3–5 in Lytorhynchus).

Etymology: The proposed generic name is a compound of two words, the first being a patronym honoring Alfred Russel Wallace for his pioneering work on biogeography and for co-discovering the theory of natural selection with a suffix ‘ophis’ (όφις) meaning snake in Greek. Gender of the proposed generic name is masculine.

Fig 6. Wallaceophis gen. et. gujaratensis sp. nov. holotype male NCBS HA-105 head illustration showing scalation, (A) lateral view, (B) dorsal view.

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148380

Wallaceophis gujaratensis sp. nov. Mirza, Vyas, Patel, Maheta & Sanap, 2016.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6616529A-8EC2-4606-878C-253F2CD0E6B1

Holotype: male, NCBS HA-105, collected from Khengariya village, Viramgam taluka, Ahmedabad district, Gujarat state, India (23.0217946 N, 72.0217584 E, altitude 21m) by Jaydeep Maheta on 24th July 2014.

Paratypes: female BNHS 3503, collected form near Amreli, Amreli district,
Gujarat state, India by Viral Joshi on 20th March 2013.

Etymology: The specific epithet refers to Gujarat state in western India where the new species was discovered.

Suggested common name: Wallace’s striped snake/ Wallace’s racer

Natural History & Distribution: The type specimen was collected from a manmade water hole near an irrigation canal along with a few juveniles of Xenochropis piscator. The species appears to be diurnal as it was collected at ca. 11:15 hours. The type locality, Khengariya village, is situated in the dry plains of central-western region of Gujarat state. According to Champion and Seth [29] the type locality falls under Desert thorn forest. The floral composition of this area is made up of Acacia senegal, Acacia leucophloea, Euphorbia neriifolia, Capparis spp., Zizyphus spp., etc. The region falls under the drier parts of the country. The annual precipitation is 838mm. Majority of the precipitation occurs during the months of July and August. The temperature varies from as low as 12°C during winter and as high as 43°C during the hot summer days. These conditions create a harsh environmental condition for any life form living in this area. The snake was immersed in water to wash it upon which the snake dived to the base of the bucket and remained submerged for about five minutes. The holotype was also found in water suggesting that the snake might prefer areas in proximity to water sources. While photographing the snake, the snake made attempts to dig into the substrate which suggest that the snake is fossorial in nature. An individual retained in captivity was offered a Hemidactylus sp. which was readily accepted. We have also been able to collect the secondary information about the species’ habits and habitat from local ‘snake rescuers’ and wildlife photographers on the basis of colored images/photographic evidences. This yielded information denotes that the species inhabits other parts of the state too, including the holotype, paratype and the specimen NCBS HA-108 (Fig 7). The information from various sources and collection sites of specimens shows that species is distributed in four different sub biotic land regions as 4B1Saurashtra Plateau, 4B2-Bhal, 4B4 Plains and 4B5Plains of Gujarat and this entire land mass further falls in 4B Semi-Arid Gujarat-Rajputana Provinces as per the Biogeographic Zone Classification of Rodgers and Panwar. For a summary of distribution localities.

Discussion and Conclusion

Phylogenetic analysis based on a total of 3047bp of concatenated nuclear and mitochondrial genes shows that Wallaceophis gen. nov. is a member of a clade of arid snake species within Colubrinae containing the genera Hemorrhois, Platyceps, Hierophis, Hemerophis, Eirenis, Dolichophis, Orientocoluber, Bamanophis, Macroprotodon and Lytorhynchus (Fig 8). The relationships recovered from our analysis are congruent with those of Pyron et al.. Wallaceophis gen. nov. is genetically most similar to the genus Lytorhynchus with an uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence of 21.5% for nuclear cmos gene and is recovered as a sister taxa of the new genus with a deep divergence. The new genus shows 23–36% uncorrected pairwise sequence divergence for nuclear cmos gene from other genera of the clade (Table 3). Our analyses are preliminary and must however be confirmed after incorporation of more taxa of the genus Lytorhynchus as well as data for additional nuclear genes. Based on morphology Wallaceophis gen. nov. can be readily distinguished from all members of the old world racers in have a unique dorsal scale row reduction pattern in addition to bearing fewer maxillary teeth.

.......................

Zeeshan A. Mirza, Raju Vyas,  Harshil Patel,  Jaydeep Maheta  and  Rajesh V. Sanap. 2016. A New Miocene-Divergent Lineage of Old World Racer Snake from India. PLoS ONE. 11(3): e0148380. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0148380

[Herpetology • 2016] Pachytriton wuguanfui • A New Species of the Genus Pachytriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Hunan and Guangxi, southeastern China

Pachytriton wuguanfui  

 Yuan, Zhang & Che. 2016 

Abstract

Despite recent descriptions of multiple new species of the genus Pachytriton (Salamandridae), species richness in this China-endemic newts genus likely remains underestimated. In this study, we describe a new species of Pachytriton from northeastern Guangxi and southern Hunan, southeastern China. Both molecular analyses and morphological characters reveal that the new species can be distinguished from its congeners. The mitochondrial gene tree identified the new lineage highly divergent (uncorrected p-distance > 5.8 % by mitochondrial gene) from currently recognized species and placed it as the sister species of P. xanthospilos and P. changi. Furthermore, a nuclear gene haplotype network revealed a unique haplotype in the new populations. Statistical species delimitation using Bayes factor strongly supported the evolutionary independence of the new species from the closely-related P. xanthospilos. Morphologically, the new species is characterized by a uniformly dark brown dorsum without bright orange dots or black spots; irregular orange blotches on the venter; tips of fingers and toes orange on the dorsal side; moderately developed webs on the side of digits; absence of costal grooves between the axilla and groin; and widely open vomerine tooth series.

Keywords: Amphibia, Amphibians, cryptic diversity, Bayes factor species delimitation, Pachytriton wuguanfui sp. nov.

Zhi-Yong Yuan, Bao-Lin Zhang and Jing Che. 2016. A New Species of the Genus Pachytriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from Hunan and Guangxi, southeastern China. Zootaxa. 4085(2);

http://mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.4085.2.3

[Herpetology • 2012] Pachytriton xanthospilos • A New Species of Pachytriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from the Nanling Mountain Range, southeastern China

 Pachytriton xanthospilos 

Wu, Wang & Hanken, 2012  

Abstract 

New species of amphibians are being reported at an astonishingly fast rate. These include some that have been known to the commercial pet trade for years but have not been formally described due to uncertain origin. The distinctive phenotype of “Pachytriton B” among the Chinese stout newts (also known as paddle-tailed newts) is one such example. Through examination of museum specimens, we locate a population from Mt. Mang within the Nanling Mountain Range with morphology and coloration similar to Pachytriton B. Molecular phylogenetic analyses strongly suggest that this population and Pachytriton B belong to the same species, which differs from congeners morphologically and chromatically and is described here as a new species. This species is characterized by a large and stout body, uniformly light brown dorsum, and orange spots or blotches that extend ribbon-like along the dorsolateral sides of the body. A mitochondrial genealogy suggests that the new species is the sister taxon to the group (P. brevipes + P. feii). Morphologically, this species is significantly stouter than P. feii and has significantly longer limbs than P. brevipes. 

Key words: Chinese stout newt; salamander; mitochondrial genealogy; principal-components analysis; Pachytriton xanthospilos sp. nov.

Yunke WU, Yuezhao WANG and James HANKEN. 2012. New Species of Pachytriton (Caudata: Salamandridae) from the Nanling Mountain Range, southeastern China. Zootaxa. 3388: 1–16. 

http://hankenlab.oeb.harvard.edu/files/hankenlab/files/wu_et_al_2012_zootaxa.pdf?m=1431541420

[Herpetology • 2016] Five New, Microendemic Asian Leaf-litter Frogs (Leptolalax) from the southern Annamite mountains, Vietnam; Leptolalax ardens, L. kalonensis, L. pallidus, L. maculosus & L. tadungensis

[Left] Pale Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax pallidus, Spotted Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax maculosus, and Ta Dung Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax tadungensis. 
[Right] Brilliant Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax ardens and Kalon Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax kalonensis. 

Photographers: D. Tran, J. Rowley, P. Peloso
 twitter: @JodiRowley

Abstract

The Leptolalax applebyi group of Asian leaf-litter frogs currently comprises four species of particularly small-bodied (<40 mm SVL) species distributed in the Central Highlands of Vietnam and northeastern Cambodia. In addition to their small size, the group is characterized by their morphological and genetic similarities, as well as their breeding habitat at headwaters of small mountain streams and seeps. A recent study suggested that at least two-thirds of the diversity of the group remained hidden within morphologically cryptic lineages. We expand upon the molecular, morphometric, and acoustic data and formally delineate and describe five of these lineages as distinct species: Leptolalax ardens sp. nov., Leptolalax kalonensis sp. nov., Leptolalax pallidus sp. nov., Leptolalax maculosus sp. nov., and Leptolalax tadungensis sp. nov. Due to habitat loss, the current ranges of these species are likely to be a fraction of their historical extent and under continued threat from deforestation.

Keywords: Amphibia, Bioacoustics, Leptolalax ardens sp. nov., Leptolalax kalonensis sp. nov., Leptolalax pallidus sp. nov., Leptolalax maculosus sp. nov., and Leptolalax tadungensis sp. nov., microendemism, Southeast Asia

 Five new species of Asian Leaf-litter Frog [Top] Brilliant Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax ardens and Kalon Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax kalonensis. 
[Bottom] Pale Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax pallidus, Spotted Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax maculosus, and Ta Dung Leaf-litter Frog Leptolalax tadungensis. 

Photographers: D. Tran, J. Rowley, P. Peloso
 twitter: @JodiRowley

Leptolalax kalonensis

Rowley, Tran, Le, Dau, Peloso, Nguyen, Hoang, Nguyen & Ziegler, 2016 

Discussion

Species in the Leptolalax applebyi group are likely to have historically occurred over a large area of hilly northeastern Cambodia, central and southern Vietnam (~30,000 km2;Rowley et al. 2015). However, each species appears to occur over a relatively small area, with mountain ridges and valleys appearing to present barriers to dispersal (Rowley et al. 2015). This microendemism is perhaps not surprising given their small body size, specific habitat preferences and thus low dispersal ability. Frogs in the group breed in (and perhaps are more broadly restricted to) small seeps and rivulets, often at or near stream headwaters. This is in contrast to other, generally larger, species of Leptolalax most of which breed in larger streams. The specific habitat preferences of the group are likely to further restrict  adults  to  particular  drainage  basins  (as  suitable  breeding  habitat  is  not  present  on  mountain  ridges  or  valleys), and may limit the probability of larval dispersal along streams (except perhaps in high rainfall events).

Habitat loss is the greatest threat to amphibians in Southeast Asia, and the amphibians of the region appear to be particularly vulnerable to habitat alterations (Rowley et al. 2010d). Range-restricted species such as species in the L. applebyi group are likely to be most at risk (Rowley et al. 2010d), and frogs of the L. applebyi group appear to be restricted to relatively undisturbed broadleaf evergreen forest. A considerable portion of their historical range is likely to have already been lost due to deforestation (Rowley et al. 2005) and habitat loss and modification is a continued threat in the region (Meyfroidt & Lambin, 2008).

This study confirms significant species richness underestimation in the Leptolalax applebyi species group. The five additional species named herein almost triple the known species diversity in a group of frogs first identified in only 2009 (Rowley & Cao 2009). Further diversity in this group is likely to be revealed with additional surveys, particularly  in  drainage  basins  adjacent  to  known  species.  In  particular,  ‘Lineage  7’  of  the  L.  applebyi  group  (Rowley et al. 2015) is likely to be a new species, and additional material and/or call recordings are needed to confirm this. Due to rapid and ongoing deforestation, species in this group are at great risk of disappearing before they are even discovered (Rowley et al. 2015). Further survey work and additional systematic work to understand the true diversity of amphibians in the region is urgently required for effective conservation management.

Jodi J. L. Rowley, Dao T. A. Tran, Duong T. T. Le, Vinh Q. Dau, Pedro L.V. Peloso, Truong Q. Nguyen, Huy D. Hoang, Tao T. Nguyen and Thomas Ziegler. 2016. Five New, Microendemic Asian Leaf-litter Frogs (Leptolalax) from the southern Annamite mountains, Vietnam. Zootaxa. 4085(1): 63–102.   http://mapress.com/j/zt/issue/view/zootaxa.4085.1.3
ResearchGate.net/publication/296468073_Five_new_microendemic_Asian_Leaf-litter_Frogs_Leptolalax_from_the_southern_Annamite_mountains_Vietnam

Five new species discovered in fast-disappearing forests
  http://australianmuseum.net.au/blogpost/amri-news/amri-five-new-frog-species-discovered  @JodiRowley