Multilocus phylogeny of Paratelmatobiinae (Anura: Leptodactylidae) reveals strong spatial structure and previously unknown diversity in the Atlantic Forest hotspot

Abstract

The Brazilian Atlantic Forest harbors high levels of anuran diversity and endemism, including several taxa restricted to small geographic ranges. Here, we provide a multilocus phylogeny for Paratelmatobiinae, a leptodactylid subfamily composed of small-ranged species distributed in the Brazilian Atlantic Forest and in the campo rupestre ecosystem. We performed Bayesian inference and maximum likelihood analyses using three mitochondrial and five nuclear markers, and a matrix comprising a broad taxonomic sampling. We then delimitated independently evolving lineages within the group. We recovered Paratelmatobiinae and each of its four genera as monophyletic and robustly supported. Five putatively new species included in our analyses were unambiguously supported in the phylogenetic trees and delimitation analyses. We also recovered other deeply divergent and geographically structured lineages within the four genera of Paratelmatobiinae. Our estimation of divergence times indicates that diversification in the subfamily began in the Eocene and continued until the Pleistocene. We discuss possible scenarios of diversification for the four genera of Paratelmatobiinae, and outline the implications of our findings for taxonomy and conservation.