title: Mitochondrial DNA reveals a new species of parachuting frog (Rhacophoridae: Rhacophorus) from Sumatra.
abstract: The Indonesian island of Sumatra contains several endemic species of parachuting frog of the genus Rhacophorus. Most of these are known from small type series collected from only a few localities, and consequently, many Sumatran Rhacophorus species are poorly understood. Using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA), we investigated relationships among a group of Rhacophorus species from southern Sumatra. Our molecular analysis was based on a fragment of the 16S ribosomal subunit gene (16S) and included data derived from type specimens of two species endemic to Sumatra: R. barisani and R. catamitus. Our analyses of these data reveal that the only known female specimen of R. catamitus possesses a divergent 16S sequence compared to male specimens (8.82%; uncorrected "p" distance). Based on phylogenetic reconstructions, we found that this female specimen belongs to an unnamed taxon related to R. margaritifer from Java. Consequently, we remove the specimen from R. catamitus and describe it as R. bengkuluensis sp. nov., a medium-sized slender tree frog with extensive brown hand webbing. We identified additional specimens referable to the new species using mtDNA and morphology. These specimens originate from low to intermediate elevations (ca. 600-1600 m) in the provinces of Bengkulu and Lampung, suggesting that R. bengkuluenis is widely distributed across the southwestern versant of the Bukit Barisan.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA. Present Address: Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721, USA.; Email: streicher@email.arizona.edu.
authors.forename: Jeffrey W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Streicher
authors.affiliation: Research and Development Center for Biology, Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI), Widyasatwaloka Building, Cibinong 16911, West Java, Indonesia.; Email: amir.hamidy@lipi.go.id.
authors.forename: Amir
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Hamidy
authors.affiliation: Biological Sciences Department, Broward College, Davie, Florida 33314, USA.; Email: mharvey@broward.edu.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Harvey
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA.; Email: mbanders@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Ben
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Anders
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA.; Email: kjshaney@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Kyle J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Shaney
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology; Universitas Brawijaya; Jl. Veteran; Malang 65145, East Java, Indonesia.; Email: wawan@ub.ac.id.
authors.forename: Nia
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kurniawan
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, The University of Texas at Arlington, Arlington, Texas 76019, USA.; Email: e.smith@uta.edu.
authors.forename: Ric N
authors.initials: RN
authors.lastname: Smith
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D007214:Indonesia; D007814:Larva / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development; D008297:Male; D010802:Phylogeny; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S / Q000235:genetics*; D013045:Species Specificity
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial; D012336:RNA, Ribosomal, 16S