Phylogenetic relationships of the mustache toads inferred from mtDNA sequences

Species of the genus Vibrissaphora are unique among all anurans in that males exhibit external cornified spines in the maxillary region during the breeding season. They were separated from species of the genus Leptobrachium based on this unique character. We construct a phylogeny using the 16S, ND4,...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Molecular phylogenetics and evolution 2008, Vol.46 (1), p.61-73
Main Authors: Rao, Ding-Qi, Wilkinson, Jeffery A.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Amphibia
Animals
Anura
Anura - classification
Anura - genetics
Base Sequence
Biogeography
Character evolution
DNA, Mitochondrial - genetics
Intrasexual selection
Leptobrachium
Megophryidae
Molecular phylogeny
Oreolalax
Phylogeny
Resource-defense polygyny
Scutiger
Sequence Analysis, DNA
Trans-Himalayas
Vibrissaphora
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Summary:Species of the genus Vibrissaphora are unique among all anurans in that males exhibit external cornified spines in the maxillary region during the breeding season. They were separated from species of the genus Leptobrachium based on this unique character. We construct a phylogeny using the 16S, ND4, and cytochrome b mitochondrial genes of 42 individuals from eight species of Vibrissaphora and five species of Leptobrachium from mainland China, Southeast Asia, and Hainan Island. Species of both Oreolalax and Scutiger were used as outgroups. The results indicate that: L. huashen and L. chapaense form a clade that is nested within Vibrissaphora, and L. hainanense is the sister taxon to the clade comprising all Vibrissaphora plus L. chapaense and L. huashen; V. boringiae is grouped with a clade consisting of V. leishanensis, V. liui, and V. yaoshanensis; and V. yaoshanensis is a species separate from V. liui. We propose taxonomic changes that reflect these findings. Also based on the resulting phylogenetic trees, we propose that the mustache toads originated in the trans-Himalayan region of southwest China, and that the evolution of maxillary spines, large body size, and reverse sexual size dimorphism in these frogs was influenced by intrasexual selection due to adopting a resource-defense polygyny mating system.
ISSN:1055-7903
1095-9513
DOI:10.1016/j.ympev.2007.10.005