An integrative analysis of the taxonomic identity of Hypsiboas (Anura, Hylidae) related to H. joaquini (B. Lutz, 1968) and H. semiguttatus (A. Lutz, 1925)

• Autor(a) principal: Widholzer, Ronaldo Libardi
• Data de Publicação: 2016
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Biblioteca Digital de Teses e Dissertações da PUC_RS
• Texto Completo: http://tede2.pucrs.br/tede2/handle/tede/7014
• topic: ANUROS; GIRINO; MORFOLOGIA; TAXIONOMIA; ZOOLOGIA; CIENCIAS BIOLOGICAS::ZOOLOGIA

Hypsiboas joaquini and H. semiguttatus are two phenotypically similar species of the H. pulchellus species group with a complex and interrelated taxonomic history due to problems such as poor original descriptions, descriptions of several synonyms, redescritpions based on specimens of other species, and large population variation. Several closely related species have been described in recent years and currently, we face a complex panorama, with five species relatively well characterized in terms of external morphology in their respective type localities (H. curupi, H. caipora, H. joaquini, H. semiguttatus, and H. stellae) but for which geographic variation is poorly understood and overlapping. Thus, the goal of our study is to evaluate the taxonomic status of specimens formerly identified as closely related to either H. joaquini or to H. semiguttatus using adult and larva morphology, DNA sequences, and advertisement calls. We compared variation among these four sets of characters across nine taxonomic units, the five currently recognized species mentioned above and four additional sets of specimens grouped according to breeding and collection sites (i.e., H. aff. curupi, H. cf. joaquini, H. aff. joaquini, and H. aff. 2 joaquini). Our main results are: (i) extensive overlap and no clear diagnostic characters of morphometric characters of adult males and larvae, and quantitative characters of adult males; (ii) extensive variation on tadpole oral disc morphology diagnosing H. aff. 2 joaquini; (iii) extensive overlap and no clear diagnostic characters of acoustic characters except for H. stellae; (iv) a strongly supported clade that includes H. joaquini sensu stricto and all specimens belonging to the four comparative units defined herein and that shows short branches, low genetic distances (< 1%), and no geographical structure. According to our results we consider specimens of H. aff. curupi, H. cf. joaquini, H. aff. joaquini, and H. aff. 2 joaquini as part of H. joaquini, which becomes a widely distributed species with large phenotipic variation. We further discuss the outstanding variation of oral disc morphology of tadpoles of H. joaquini sensu this work, with local adaptation and phenotypic plasticity as possible causes.