Abstract
Accurately delimiting species and their geographic ranges is imperative for conservation, especially in areas experiencing rapid habitat loss. Southeast Asia currently has one of the highest rates of deforestation in the world, is home to multiple biodiversity hotspots, and the majority of its countries have developing economies with limited resources for biodiversity conservation. Thus, accurately delimiting species and their ranges is particularly important in this region. We examined genetic and morphological variation in the widespread frog species Sylvirana nigrovittata (and its long-treated junior synonym S. mortenseni) with the goal of clarifying its taxonomic content and geographic range boundaries for conservation. We present evidence that the current concept of S. nigrovittata contains at least eight species, two of which are each known from only two localities, but that S. mortenseni is more geographically widespread than currently realized. Five of these species are described as new to science.
Highlights
Delimiting species is essential for effective conservation of biodiversity [1]
We present evidence to reject the hypothesis that frogs that morphologically resemble S. nigrovittata should continue to be recognized as a single species
We hypothesize that these frogs represent a minimum of eight distinct evolutionary lineages that should be recognized as species
Summary
Delimiting species is essential for effective conservation of biodiversity [1]. Despite increased attention on habitats and ecosystems [2,3,4], individual species remain the primary units of conservation. Cryptic species are taxonomically widespread, found throughout the animal kingdom [9,10,11], and represented by both terrestrial and aquatic organisms [12, 13]. Such cryptic species pose challenges to taxonomists and conservation managers alike. From a taxonomist’s perspective, it can be difficult to diagnose species that exhibit minimal
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
