Taxonomy, biogeography and evolution of Euproctus (Amphibia: Salamandridae), with the resurrection of the genus Calotriton and the description of a new endemic species from the Iberian Peninsula

Salvador Carranza,Felix Amat

doi:10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00197.x

Salvador Carranza, Felix Amat

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2005.00197.x

Copy DOI

Abstract

A phylogeny of West Palearctic Salamandridae based on 1208 bp of mtDNA sequences (300 bp of cytb, 346 bp of 12S rRNA and 562 bp of 16S rRNA) indicates the European brook newts (Euproctus) are polyphyletic. To reflect revised relationships, the Tyrrhenian species (E. montanus (Savi, 1838) and E. platycephalus (Gravenhorst, 1829)) are retained in EuproctusGene, 1839, while the genus CalotritonGray, 1858 is resurrected to include the Pyrenean brook newt (Calotriton asper (Duges, 1852) comb. nov.) and a new species from the massif of El Montseny, Catalonia, Spain, described herein as Calotriton arnoldi sp. nov., which is both morphologically and genetically distinct. Although according to the principle of priority MegapternaSavi, 1838 should take precedence over EuproctusGene, 1839, for the sake of nomenclatural stability and in line with Art. 23.9.1 of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature, Megapterna is considered a nomen oblitum and Euproctus a nomen protectum. The polyphyly of Euproctus (s.l.) contradicts previous, well-accepted, biogeographical hypotheses and represents a clear case of convergence, involving several morphological traits and a unique reproductive behaviour that is advantageous in stream situations. Molecular dating suggests the Western brook newt lineage (C. asper+C. arnoldi) originated towards the end of the Miocene (8.3 ± 0.11 Mya) and is part of a well-supported monophyletic assemblage, which also includes Neurergus kaiseri (Schmidt, 1952) and a clade formed by Triturus karelinii (Strauch, 1870), T. carnifex (Laurenti, 1768), T. pygmaeus (Wolterstoff, 1905) and T. marmoratus (Latreille, 1800). Speciation separating E. montanus and E. platycephalus might have coincided with the onset of the Messinian salinity crisis. © 2005 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005, 145, 555–582.

Highlights

The salamandrid genus Euproctus Genè, 1839 currently consists of three geographically isolated species that are confined to southern Europe: E. montanus (Savi, 1838) from Corsica, E. platycephalus (Gravenhorst, 1829) from Sardinia and E. asper (Dugès, 1852) from the Pyrenean region and adjacent areas
Primers used in both amplification and sequencing were cytochrome b1 and cytochrome b2 (Kocher et al, 1989) for the cytochrome b gene, 12Sa and 12Sb (Kocher et al, 1989) for the 12S rRNA gene, and 16Sar and 16Sbr (Palumbi, 1996) for the 16S rRNA gene
The three gene fragments were amplified by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the resultant DNA was sequenced using the same standard protocols and conditions described by Carranza et al (1999, 2000)

Summary

Introduction

The salamandrid genus Euproctus Genè, 1839 currently consists of three geographically isolated species that are confined to southern Europe: E. montanus (Savi, 1838) from Corsica, E. platycephalus (Gravenhorst, 1829) from Sardinia and E. asper (Dugès, 1852) from the Pyrenean region and adjacent areas (see Fig. 1). All three species are small- to medium-sized newts that usually live in cool well-oxygenated mountain streams (Thorn, 1968) The present distribution of Euproctus has been associated with the disjunction and rotation of the Sardo-Corsican microplate from the French–Iberian massif (Accordi, Grassi-Milano & Gallo, 1984; Sbordoni et al, 1982, 1985, 1990; Caccone et al, 1994, 1997). According to this biogeographical scenario, which takes into account stratigraphic, palaeomag-.

Methods

Results

Conclusion