Abstract
The systematics of the cophyline microhylid frog genera Plethodontohyla and Rhombophryne have long been intertwined, and their relationships have only recently started to become clear. While Rhombophryne has received a lot of recent taxonomic attention, Plethodontohyla has been largely neglected. Our study is a showcase of just how complex the taxonomic situation between these two genera is, and the care that must be taken to resolve taxonomic conundrums where old material, multiple genus transitions, and misattribution of new material obfuscate the picture. We assessed the identity of the historic names Dyscophus alluaudi (currently in the genus Rhombophryne), Phrynocara laeve and Plethodontohyla laevis tsianovohensis (both synonyms of Rhombophryne alluaudi) based on an integrative taxonomic approach harnessing genetics, external morphology, osteological data obtained via micro-Computed Tomography (micro-CT) and bioacoustics. We show that (1) the holotype of Dyscophus alluaudi is a member of the genus Plethodontohyla; (2) the Rhombophryne specimens from central Madagascar currently assigned to Rhombophryne alluaudi have no affinity with that species, and are instead an undescribed species; and (3) Phrynocara laeve and Dyscophus alluaudi are not synonymous, but represent closely related species, whereas Plethodontohyla laevis tsianovohensis is tentatively confirmed as synonym of D. alluaudi. We resurrect and re-describe Plethodontohyla laevis, and re-allocate and re-describe Plethodontohyla alluaudi on the basis of new and historic material.
Highlights
The microhylid subfamily Cophylinae Cope, 1889, endemic to Madagascar, is today recognised as possessing eight genera according to Scherz et al (2016a): Plethodontohyla Boulenger, 1882, Rhombophryne Boettger, 1880, Stumpffia Boettger, 1881, Madecassophryne Guibé, 1974, Platypelis Boulenger, 1882, Anodonthyla Müller, 1892, Cophyla Boettger, 1880 and Anilany Scherz, Vences, Rakotoarison, Andreone, Köhler, Glaw & Crottini, 2016
We assessed the identity of the historic names Dyscophus alluaudi, Phrynocara laeve and Plethodontohyla laevis tsianovohensis based on an integrative taxonomic approach harnessing genetics, external morphology, osteological data obtained via micro-Computed Tomography and bioacoustics
We show that (1) the holotype of Dyscophus alluaudi is a member of the genus Plethodontohyla; (2) the Rhombophryne specimens from central Madagascar currently assigned to Rhombophryne alluaudi have no affinity with that species, and are instead an undescribed species; and (3) Phrynocara laeve and Dyscophus alluaudi are not synonymous, but represent closely related species, whereas Plethodontohyla laevis tsianovohensis is tentatively confirmed as synonym of D. alluaudi
Summary
The microhylid subfamily Cophylinae Cope, 1889, endemic to Madagascar, is today recognised as possessing eight genera according to Scherz et al (2016a): Plethodontohyla Boulenger, 1882, Rhombophryne Boettger, 1880, Stumpffia Boettger, 1881, Madecassophryne Guibé, 1974, Platypelis Boulenger, 1882, Anodonthyla Müller, 1892, Cophyla Boettger, 1880 and Anilany Scherz, Vences, Rakotoarison, Andreone, Köhler, Glaw & Crottini, 2016. We investigated the morphology and osteology of the type material of Dyscophus alluaudi, Phrynocara laeve, and Plethodontohyla laevis tsianovohensis (Fig. 2).
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