Cryptic Torrent Frogs of Myanmar: An Examination of the Amolops marmoratus Species Complex with the Resurrection of Amolops afghanus and the Identification of a New Species
We investigated diversity in the Amolops marmoratus species complex within Myanmar using both molecular and morphological characters from recently collected specimens. Based on congruence between multivariate analyses of quantitative morphological characters and phylogenetic analyses of nucleotide variation in the 16S ribosomal gene conducted on 43 out of 182 frogs examined, we recognize A. marmoratus for specimens from the states of Mon and Shan and northern Tanintharyi Division and designate a neotype for this species; resurrect A. afghanus (Günther, 1858) from synonymy with A. marmoratus for specimens from the northern state of Kachin and designate a lectotype for this species; recognize A. panhai for specimens from Tanintharyi, a new country record; and describe a new species for specimens from the western states of Chin and Rakhine, and Sagaing Division.
Geographic distribution of specimens used in this study (circle = A. afghanus, triangle = A. indoburmanensis, square = A. marmoratus, and diamond = A. panhai).
The phylogenetic consensus tree derived from partial DNA sequences of the mitochondrial gene (16S) based on Bayesian analysis. Numbers above branches are Bayesian support values; numbers below branches are nonparametric bootstrap proportions for parsimony analysis of the consensus alignment (* indicates less than 60% bootstrap support).
Variation in size and dorsal color pattern in adult males of (A) Amolops marmoratus, CAS 240603 (SVL 41.6 mm), (B) A. afghanus, CAS 224363 (SVL 62.9 mm), and (C) A. indoburmanensis, CAS 219953 (SVL 79.5 mm). Scale bar = 5 mm.
Plot of components 1 and 2 resulting from PCA of males. Amolops marmoratus (closed circle), A. afghanus (closed square), and A. indoburmanensis (X). Direction and magnitude of the vectors reflect the degree of contribution by the morphometric characteristics used in the analysis. Morphometry: SVL = snout to vent length, HL = head length, HW = head width, IND = internarial distance, IOD = interorbital distance, TD = tympanum diameter, TYE = tympanum to eye distance, DNE = nostril to eye distance, EW = eye width, EWF = front eyelid width, EWR = rear eyelid width, ELW = eyelid width, FLL = forelimb length, HAL = hand length, THL = thigh length, TIL = tibia length, FL = foot length, FL3 = third finger length, FDW3 = third finger disk width, TL4 = fourth toe length, TDW4 = fourth toe disk width.
Plot of components 1 and 2 resulting from PCA of females. Amolops marmoratus (closed circle), A. afghanus (closed square), and A. indoburmanensis (X). Direction and magnitude of the vectors reflect the degree of contribution by the morphometric characteristics used in the analysis. Morphometry: SVL = snout to vent length, HL = head length, HW = head width, IND = internarial distance, IOD = interorbital distance, TD = tympanum diameter, TYE = tympanum to eye distance, DNE = nostril to eye distance, EW = eye width, EWF = front eyelid width, EWR = rear eyelid width, ELW = eyelid width, FLL = forelimb length, HAL = hand length, THL = thigh length, TIL = tibia length, FL = foot length, FL3 = third finger length, FDW3 = third finger disk width, TL4 = fourth toe length, TDW4 = fourth toe disk width.
Amolops pahnai, CAS 229816, adult female in dorsal view, in preservative. Scale bar = 5 mm.
Amolops indoburmanensis, CAS 235070, adult male in dorsal view, in preservative. Scale bar = 3 mm.
Contributor Notes
Associate Editor: D. Kizirian.