TY - JOUR
T1 - Systematic assessment of the brown tree frog (Anura: Pelodryadidae: Litoria ewingii) reveals two endemic species in South Australia
AU - Parkin, Tom
AU - Rowley, Jodi J.L.
AU - Elliott-Tate, Jessica
AU - Mahony, Michael J.
AU - Sumner, Joanna
AU - Melville, Jane
AU - Donnellan, Stephen C.
N1 - Funding Information:
We thank the Australian Biological Resources Study National Taxonomy Research Grant program for providing the funding required to conduct this research (Activity ID: 4-EHPVRVI and 205-54). We also thank the dedicated citizen scientists of Australia whose submissions to FrogID are helping us better understand and conserve Australia’s frogs. Additional thanks are due to Frank Tiller of the ZMB for providing images of the types of Hyla calliscelis, Hyla inguinalis and Hyla parvidens, and Domenic Capone of the SAMA and Belinda Bauer of the TMAG for facilitating access to specimens in their collections. Timothy Cutajar designed the PCR cycling protocol and provided much advice and assistance with molecular techniques. Staff of the Australian Centre for Wildlife Genomics provided lab access and support. Luke Price and Sally Potter carried out the initial mtDNA sequencing. Jasmin Gray, Benjamin Parkin and Matt Clancy assisted greatly with fieldwork. Julie Parkin provided assistance with descriptions of colour/ pattern for the taxa. Anthony Armstrong, Ryan Francis, Stephen Mahony, Mark Sanders (EcoSmart Ecology) and Shawn Scott provided images of the species in life. Fieldwork in Tasmania was generously supported by funding from the Jayne Wilson Bequest Bursary via the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery. Scientific research permits were granted by each relevant state authority: NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service (SL100582); Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning (10009662); Tasmanian Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water & Environment (FA 21046). Ethics approval was granted by the Australian Museum Animal Research Authority under project 20-01.
Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Magnolia Press. All rights reserved.
PY - 2024/2/2
Y1 - 2024/2/2
N2 - The brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) is a relatively widespread, commonly encountered pelodryadid frog from southeastern Australia, known for its characteristic whistling call. The distribution of Litoria ewingii spans over more than 350,000 km2, encompassing a range of moist temperate habitats, and is fragmented by well-known biogeographic barriers. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed evidence for deep phylogenetic structure between some of these fragmented populations. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate the systematics and taxonomy of Litoria ewingii sensu lato by analysing variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, adult morphology and male advertisement calls throughout the species’ range. Our analyses reveal two additional, deeply divergent and allopatric lineages in South Australia. We herein re-describe Litoria ewingii from Tasmania, southern New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, resurrect the name Litoria calliscelis for a species occurring in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, and describe a new species, Litoria sibilus sp. nov., endemic to Kangaroo Island.
AB - The brown tree frog (Litoria ewingii) is a relatively widespread, commonly encountered pelodryadid frog from southeastern Australia, known for its characteristic whistling call. The distribution of Litoria ewingii spans over more than 350,000 km2, encompassing a range of moist temperate habitats, and is fragmented by well-known biogeographic barriers. A preliminary analysis of mitochondrial DNA sequences revealed evidence for deep phylogenetic structure between some of these fragmented populations. In this study, we sought to re-evaluate the systematics and taxonomy of Litoria ewingii sensu lato by analysing variation in nuclear and mitochondrial DNA, adult morphology and male advertisement calls throughout the species’ range. Our analyses reveal two additional, deeply divergent and allopatric lineages in South Australia. We herein re-describe Litoria ewingii from Tasmania, southern New South Wales, Victoria and south-eastern South Australia, resurrect the name Litoria calliscelis for a species occurring in the Mount Lofty Ranges and Fleurieu Peninsula in South Australia, and describe a new species, Litoria sibilus sp. nov., endemic to Kangaroo Island.
KW - biogeography
KW - Kangaroo Island
KW - mtDNA
KW - Murray River Basin
KW - single-nucleotide polymorphisms
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85184607642
U2 - 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.1.1
DO - 10.11646/zootaxa.5406.1.1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85184607642
SN - 1175-5326
VL - 5406
SP - 1
EP - 36
JO - Zootaxa
JF - Zootaxa
IS - 1
ER -