Molecular Phylogenetic Analysis of Relationships of the Tropical Salamander Genera Oedipina and Nototriton, with Descriptions of a New Genus and Three New Species
Sequences of two mitochondrial genes (385 base pairs of cytochrome b and approximately 520 base pairs of 16S DNA) were gathered for 26 taxa of the Middle American plethodontid salamander genera Nototriton and Oedipina and from three outgroup members of the tribe Bolitoglossini. Phylogenetic analyses of these data reveal well-supported cladistic structure and demonstrate the paraphyly of the moss salamanders of the genus Nototriton, which includes two well-defined clades. One clade, the sister taxon of Oedipina, corresponding to the Costa Rican and Honduran species of the picadoi, richardi, and barbouri groups, retains the name Nototriton. A new name is required for the second clade, the sister taxon of Oedipina plus Nototriton (sensu stricto). This clade, which we name Cryptotriton, is well supported morphologically and includes the species of the nasalis and adelos groups. A new species of Nototriton from Monteverde, Costa Rica, is described as Nototriton gamezi. Species of Oedipina fall into two clades that we treat as subgenera. Oedipina (sensu stricto) includes the longer-bodied, generally more slender and darker colored species and is the more speciose clade. Oedopinola includes the shorter-bodied, generally more robust and lighter-colored species. Two new species of the latter clade are described, Oedipina maritima from the lowlands of northwestern Panamá, and Oedipina savagei, from uplands of southwestern Costa Rica.Abstract
Strict consensus of the four most-parsimonious trees (688 steps, CI 0.47, RI 0.68) for 16S. There are 167 parsimony informative characters. Transitions are weighted equally with transversions. Gaps are treated as missing data. Bootstrap values (above 50%) for the MP analysis (based on 100 replicates, above line) and for the NJ analysis (based on 1000 replicates, below line) are shown. Broken lines indicate alternative positions of Nototriton richardi and Oedipina maritima in the NJ analysis; bold lines indicate alternative positions for N. richardi and the Oedipina gephyra clade when transversions are weighted three times transitions
Strict consensus of 124 most-parsimonious trees (1066 steps, CI 0.31, RI 0.70) for cyt b, showing all of the populations analyzed in this study. Bootstrap values for the MP analysis (above 50% based on 100 replicates, above line) and for the NJ analysis (bs > 70% below line, based on 1000 replicates) are shown
Strict consensus of the three most-parsimonious trees (1622 steps, CI 0.39, RI 0.63) for combined datasets for cyt b and 16S, showing all of the populations for which both sets are available. There are 333 parsimony informative characters. Transitions are weighted equally with transversions. Decay index values are shown below lines. The symbol > 7 is used to indicate decay indices above 7 for a given branch. Bootstrap values (above 50%) (based on 100 replicates, above line) are shown
Neighbor-joining tree showing branch lengths for combined datasets for cyt b and 16S, based on all of the populations for which both sets are available. Bootstrap values (above 70%) based on 1000 replicates are shown
Outlines of the shape of the right foot for representative samples of six species of Oedipina (Oedopinola), drawn with camera lucida. (A) O. savagei, LACM 109558 (39.3 SL), holotype; (B) O. alleni MVZ 190857 (52.4 SL), near Damas, Prov. Puntarenas, Costa Rica; (C) O. maritima USNM 529981 (44.3 SL), holotype; (D) O. parvipes LACM 134872 (53.9 SL), Barro Colorado Island, Panamá; (E) O. complex MVZ-DBW 5787 (37.2 SL), Cerro Campana, Panamá; (F) O. complex MVZ-DBW 5105 (35.0 SL), Peninsula Bohío, Prov. Colón, Panamá
(A) Oedipina savagei. LACM 145447, an adult male (35.7 mm SL) from Las Cruces, Prov. Puntarenas, Costa Rica, collected in August 1971. Photograph by R. W. McDiarmid. (B) Oedipina alleni. MVZ 221317, an adult female (46.4 mm SL) from 3.5 km SE Damas, Prov. Puntarenas, Costa Rica, elev. 3–5 m, collected 2 August 1992. Photograph by J. Hendel
Cross-sectional representations of the snouts of representative members of the two subgenera of Oedipina. Left, Oedipina (Oedipina), based on a serial-sectioned head of O. poelzi. Right, Oedipina (Oedopinola), based on an adult, cleared-and-stained O. alleni, and on radiographs of several species. Maximum width of snouts is approximately 4 mm
(A) Nototriton gamezi, MVZ 207123, an adult male (23.6 mm SL) from Peñas Blancas Trail, Monteverde, Prov. Alejuela, Costa Rica, elev. 1540 m, collected 15 August 1987. Photograph by D. C. Cannatella. (B) Nototriton gamezi, MVZ 207121, an adult female (24.2 mm SL) from Peñas Blancas Trail, Monteverde, Prov. Alejuela, Costa Rica, elev. 1535 m, collected 14 August 1987. Photograph by D. C. Cannatella