The phylogenetic problem of Huia (Amphibia: Ranidae)

Abstract

A taxonomic consensus for the diverse and pan-global frog family Ranidae is lacking. A recently proposed classification of living amphibians [Frost, D.R., Grant, T., Faivovich, J., Bain, R. H., Haas, A., Haddad, C.F.B., de Sá, R.O., Channing, A., Wilkinson, M., Donnellan, S.C., Raxworthy, C.J., Campbell, J.A., Blotto, B.L., Moler, P., Drewes, R.C., Nussbaum, R.A., Lynch, J.D., Green, D.M., Wheeler, W.C., 2006. The amphibian tree of life. B. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 297, 1–370] included expansion of the Southeast Asian ranid frog genus Huia from seven to 47 species, but without having studied the type species of Huia. This study tested the monophyly of this concept of Huia by sampling the type species and putative members of Huia. Molecular phylogenetic analyses consistently recovered the type species H. cavitympanum as the sister taxon to other Bornean-endemic species in the genus Meristogenys, rendering all previously published concepts of Huia as polyphyletic. Members of Huia sensu [Frost, D.R., Grant, T., Faivovich, J., Bain, R. H., Haas, A., Haddad, C.F.B., de Sá, R.O., Channing, A., Wilkinson, M., Donnellan, S.C., Raxworthy, C.J., Campbell, J.A., Blotto, B.L., Moler, P., Drewes, R.C., Nussbaum, R.A., Lynch, J.D., Green, D.M., Wheeler, W.C., 2006. The amphibian tree of life. B. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist. 297, 1–370.] appear in four places within the family Ranidae. A clade containing the type species of Odorrana is phylogenetically unrelated to the type species of Huia, and Odorrana is removed from synonymy with Huia. These findings underscore the need to include relevant type species in phylogenetic studies before proposing sweeping taxonomic changes. The molecular phylogenetic analyses revealed a high degree of homoplasy in larval and adult morphology of Asian ranid frogs. Detailed studies are needed to identify morphological synapomorphies that unite members in these major clades of ranid frogs.