title: Re-examination of the phylogeny of Rhacophoridae (Anura) based on mitochondrial and nuclear DNA.
abstract: The phylogenetic relationships among rhacophorid frogs are under dispute. We use partial sequences of three mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA, and cytochrome b) and three nuclear protein-coding (Rag-1, rhodopsin exon 1, and tyrosinase exon 1) genes from 57 ingroup taxa and eight outgroup taxa to propose a hypothesis for phylogenetic relationships within Rhacophoridae. Our results support recognition of the genus Feihyla, and Chiromantis is the sister taxon to the clade formed by Feihyla, Polypedates and Rhacophorus. We place Aquixalus odontotarsus within Kurixalus, and the remaining species of Aquixalus and Philautus jinxiuensis into the genus Gracixalus. We give Philautus (Kirtixalus) the rank of genus and place Philautus menglaensis within it. The division of species groups among Chinese Rhacophorus needs revision, and a cryptic species is revealed within Rhacophorus nigropunctatus. Rhacophorus pingbianensis is considered a synonym of Rhacophorus omeimontis. The validity of Rhacophorus hui is confirmed by present molecular evidence.
authors.affiliation: State Key Laboratory of Genetic Resources and Evolution, Kunming Institute of Zoology, The Chinese Academy of Sciences, 32 Jiaochang Donglu, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, China.
authors.forename: Guohua
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Dingqi
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Mingwang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Junxing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000145:classification / Q000235:genetics*; D001499:Bayes Theorem; D002467:Cell Nucleus / Q000235:genetics; D045303:Cytochromes b / Q000235:genetics; D019143:Evolution, Molecular; D049810:Genetic Speciation; D016013:Likelihood Functions; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000235:genetics; D010802:Phylogeny; D012335:RNA, Ribosomal / Q000235:genetics; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics; D016415:Sequence Alignment; D017422:Sequence Analysis, DNA
chemical_list: D012335:RNA, Ribosomal; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S; C075526:RNA, ribosomal, 12S; D045303:Cytochromes b