title: Molecular and morphological data support recognition of a new genus of New World direct-developing frog (Anura: Terrarana) from an under-sampled region of South America.
abstract: We describe a new genus of New World direct-developing frog (Terrarana) from the northern Andes of Venezuela and adjacent Colombia. Tachiramantis gen. nov. includes three species formerly placed in the large genus Pristimantis. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of data from five nuclear and mitochondrial genes shows that Tachiramantis is not part of Pristimantis or any other named genus in its family (Craugastoridae or Strabomantidae). Morphological evidence further supports the distinctiveness of Tachiramantis, which has several aspects of skull morphology that are rare or absent in Pristimantis and synapomorphic for Tachiramantis, including frontoparietal-prootic fusion and degree of vomer development. The terminal phalanges, which narrow greatly before expanding at the tips, may represent an additional morphological synapomorphy. One species, T. prolixodiscus, also displays a fenestra between the posterior portions of the frontoparietals, a character state otherwise present in only 1 of 98 other sampled terraranan species. We use mapped ranges of most New World direct-developing frogs to show that Tachiramantis occurs in a geographic region that had been under-sampled in previous molecular studies of New World direct-developing frogs. Other under-sampled regions are identified in western Peru, Colombia, and northern Central America; these regions should provide fruitful target taxa for future phylogenetic studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Natural Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128 USA; Email: heinicke@umich.edu.
authors.forename: Matthew P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Heinicke
authors.affiliation: Doc Frog Expeditions, Apartado Postal 220-8000, San José, Pérez Zeledón, San Isidro del General, 11901 Costa Rica.; Email: cesarlba@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: César L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Barrio-Amorós
authors.affiliation: Center for Biodiversity, College of Science and Technology, Temple University, Philadelphia, PA 19122.; Email: sbh@temple.edu.
authors.forename: S Blair
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Hedges
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000254:growth & development; D049628:Body Size; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D010802:Phylogeny; D013020:South America
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial