A cladistic analysis of Scinax (Anura: Hylidae)

Abstract

The hylid frog genus Scinax ranges from southern Mexico to eastern Argentina. The 84 recognized species are currently arranged in five groups: the Scinax rubra, Scinax rostrata, Scinax catharinae, Scinax staufferi, and Scinax perpusilla species groups. Although a few species groups are distinctive, compelling evidence of monophyly is lacking for three groups, and their interrelationships remain virtually unknown. With the objective of testing the monophyly of the species groups and exploring their interrelationships, a cladistic analysis was performed, employing 86 characters from osteology, myology, adult and larval external morphology, reproductive biology, and karyotypes taken from 36 representative species of the five species groups plus eight outgroup taxa. The analysis of the resulting data matrix shows moderately well-supported (as assessed through Bremer support and parsimony jackknifing) S. catharinae and S. rostrata species groups. The S. staufferi species group is polyphyletic, as currently composed, given that some of its species are nested within the S. catharinae species group. The only representative of the S. perpusilla species group is the sister species of the S. catharinae species group. Although weakly supported, the representatives of the S. rostrata and S. staufferi species groups are nested, separately, within the S. rubra species group. In order to have a taxonomy consistent with these results, it is proposed not to recognize the S. rubra group but to recognize a more inclusive rubra clade that includes all studied exemplars of the former S. rubra group, plus some of the S. staufferi group and all of the S. rostrata group. Similarly, a catharinae clade is recognized, within which all studied exemplars of the S. catharinae group (that now includes Scinax berthae and Scinax agilis) and the one studied representative of the S. perpusilla group are included.