title: Genetic analysis reveals candidate species in the Scinax catharinae clade (Amphibia: Anura) from Central Brazil.
abstract: Scinax (Anura: Hylidae) is a species-rich genus of amphibians (113 spp.), divided into five species groups by morphological features. Cladistic analyses however revealed only two monophyletic clades in these groups: Scinax catharinae and Scinax ruber. Most species from the S. catharinae clade are found in Atlantic rainforest, except for Scinax canastrensis,S. centralis, S. luizotavioi, S. machadoi,S. pombali and S. skaios. In the present work, specimens of Scinax collected in Chapada dos Guimarães, central Brazil, were morphologically compatible with species from theS. catharinae group. On the other hand, genetic analysis based on mitochondrial (16S and 12S) and nuclear (rhodopsin) sequences revealed a nucleotide divergence of 6 to 20% between Scinax sp. and other congeners from the Brazilian savannah (Cerrado). Accordingly, Bayesian inference placed Scinax sp. in the S. catharinae clade with high support values. Hence, these findings strongly indicate the presence of a new species in the S. catharinae clade from the southwestern portion of the Brazilian savannah. To be properly validated as a novel species, detailed comparative morphological and bioacustic studies with other taxa from Brazil such asS. canastrensis, S. centralis, S. luizotavioi, S. machadoi, S. pombali and S. skaios are required.
authors.affiliation: Instituto Federal de Educação, Ciência e Tecnologia, Valença, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Lídia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nogueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilhéus, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Mirco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Solé
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Sérgio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Siqueira
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Jequié, BA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto Antunes de Mello
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Affonso
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Ciências Básicas e Produção Animal, Universidade Federal de Mato Grosso, Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
authors.forename: Christine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Strüssmann
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Estudos Costeiros, Universidade Federal do Pará, Bragança, PA, Brazil.
authors.forename: Iracilda
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sampaio