Title
Taxonomic status of the Neotropical salamanders Bolitoglossa altamazonica and Bolitoglossa peruviana (Amphibia: Caudata: Plethodontidae), with the description of a new species from Northern Peru
Date Issued
20 August 2020
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
Publisher(s)
Magnolia Press
Abstract
We examine the phylogenetic relationships among salamanders of the genus Bolitoglossa (Eladinea) distributed in the Amazonian basin of northern Peru and southern Ecuador and assess species diversity based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. We infer a molecular phylogeny using sequences from two mitochondrial (Cytb, 16S) and two nuclear genes (RAG-1, POMC). We find two well-supported subclades, one including [B. altamazonica + B. peruviana] + B. awajun sp. n., and the other including Bolitoglossa sp. Ituxi + Bolitoglossa sp. Jurúa. Ecuadorian lineages form divergent clades from the Peruvian lineages. Accordingly, Ecuadorian populations previously assigned to Bolitoglossa peruviana sensu lato are treated as members of a Bolitoglossa equatoriana species complex. A newly defined Bolitoglossa altamazonica species complex contains only populations from the Amazonian rainforest of Peru. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian Inference analyses confirm the phylogenetic placement of B. altamazonica and B. peruviana, and support recognition of a related new species of Bolitoglossa. The uncorrected genetic distances between the new species and B. altamazonica are 6.5% for Cytb and 4.9% for 16S; and the uncorrected genetic distances between the new species and B. peruviana are 8.0% for Cytb and 3.9% for 16S. Additionally, analyses of nuclear gene sequences show no haplotype sharing between the new species and closely related species. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) Standard length mean 37.7 mm in males (range 32.0-42.2; n=5) and 41.4 mm in females (range 34.9-48.2; n=6); (2) in life, dorsal coloration uniformly brown with a dark brown triangular marking between the eyes or some irregular light cream spots or patches on the head, back and flanks; (3) iris pale golden; (4) in preservative, dark brown venter with cream mottlings or moderate-sized blotches on the gular region, belly, cloacal region and tail; (5) tips of third finger and third toe protuberant and pointed with nearly complete webbing on the hands and feet; (6) 11-26 maxillary teeth and 8-24 vomerine teeth. Given that the syntypes of B. altamazonica are lost, we designate a neotype for B. altamazonica from Allpahuayo Mishana National Reserve, Loreto department, Peru. Newly collected specimens from ~30 km NE from Moyobamba (type locality of B. peruviana) provide a better understanding of B. peruviana and enable us to show that it is the sister taxon of B. altamazonica. The new species is known from pre-montane forests in Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area, Cordillera Azul National Park and Shucshuyacu, San Martin department, Peru at 485-1311 m elevation, ~75 km SE from Moyobamba. Bolitoglossa awajun sp. n. is the fourth endemic species of salamander from Peru.
Start page
365
End page
406
Volume
4834
Issue
3
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Ciencia veterinaria
Zoología, Ornitología, Entomología, ciencias biológicas del comportamiento
Conservación de la Biodiversidad
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-85090555361
PubMed ID
Source
Zootaxa
ISSN of the container
11755326
Sponsor(s)
J. C. Cusi thanks the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Conservation International Foundation (BioCuen
J. C. Cusi thanks the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Conservation International Foundation (BioCuen cas project) and Percy Sladen Foundation for financing the fieldwork and the research in natural protected areas (Alto Mayo Protected Forest, Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area) and adjacent zones (Microcuenca Rumiyacu-Mishquiyacu, Morro Calzada, El Dorado native village). We also thank Dr. Ulla Helimo, Antonio Boveda, Gustavo Montoya, Ivonne Paico and Jorge Rengifo for their kind assistance with collecting permits (R.J. N? 001-2014-SERNANP-BPAM-JEF, R.D. N? 029-2016-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, R.J. N? 024-2016/GRSM/PE-HCBM/DMA/ACR-CE). Juan C. Cusi is sincerely grateful to Luis Jum Yagkytai (Pamuk of the Comunidad Nativa El Dorado, pueblo Awaj?n) and Adolfo Yagkitai E. (President of the Federaci?n Regional Ind?gena Awaj?n del Alto Mayo - FERIAAM), and the Awaj?n indigenous people for providing access to their territories. We also thank park rangers, local guides and research assistants (A. Barboza, J. Milla, A. Mendoza and A. Guzm?n) for the assistance during fielwork. We thank J. C?rdova (MUSM), P. Venegas (CORBIDI), J. Padial (MNCN), G. Schneider (UMMZ), and J. Chaparro (MHNCP) for granting access at the herpetological collections. Jeffrey W. Streicher (Natural History Museum, London) kindly provided information and photos of the holotype of Bolitoglossa peruviana. J. C. Cusi is grateful to C. Aguilar, S. Castroviejo-Fisher and Andres Jaramillo for providing valuable comments on the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for providing helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks to Omar Rojas, J. Padial, S. Castroviejo-Fisher, C. Torres, C. Funk and L. Rodriguez for providing specimens of Bolitoglossa. Additional research and collecting permits (to R. von May) were issued by the Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre (N? 120-2012-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, 064-2013-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, N? 0146-2013-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, and Contrato de Acceso Marco a Recursos Gen?ticos, N? 359-2013-MINAGRI-DGFFS-DGEFFS). G. Gagliardi-Urrutia thanks the personnel from the ?rea de Conservaci?n Regional Cordillera Escalera and The Field Museum for providing logistical support during surveys of the Cordillera Escalera Shawi, and SERFOR for providing collecting permits (N? 0068-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS and N? 0094-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS). R. von May thanks the National Science Foundation (DBI-1103087) and the National Geographic Society (Grant # 9191-12).
cas project) and Percy Sladen Foundation for financing the fieldwork and the research in natural protected areas (Alto Mayo Protected Forest, Cordillera Escalera Regional Conservation Area) and adjacent zones (Microcuen-ca Rumiyacu-Mishquiyacu, Morro Calzada, El Dorado native village). We also thank Dr. Ulla Helimo, Antonio Boveda, Gustavo Montoya, Ivonne Paico and Jorge Rengifo for their kind assistance with collecting permits (R.J. N° 001-2014-SERNANP-BPAM-JEF, R.D. N° 029-2016-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS, R.J. N° 024-2016/GRSM/PE-HCBM/DMA/ACR-CE). Juan C. Cusi is sincerely grateful to Luis Jum Yagkytai (Pamuk of the Comunidad Nativa El Dorado, pueblo Awajún) and Adolfo Yagkitai E. (President of the Federación Regional Indígena Awajún del Alto Mayo - FERIAAM), and the Awajún indigenous people for providing access to their territories. We also thank park rangers, local guides and research assistants (A. Barboza, J. Milla, A. Mendoza and A. Guzmán) for the assistance during fielwork. We thank J. Córdova (MUSM), P. Venegas (CORBIDI), J. Padial (MNCN), G. Schneider (UMMZ), and J. Chaparro (MHNCP) for granting access at the herpetological collections. Jeffrey W. Streicher (Natural History Museum, London) kindly provided information and photos of the holotype of Bolitoglossa pe-ruviana. J. C. Cusi is grateful to C. Aguilar, S. Castroviejo-Fisher and Andres Jaramillo for providing valuable comments on the manuscript. We also thank two anonymous reviewers for providing helpful comments and suggestions. Thanks to Omar Rojas, J. Padial, S. Castroviejo-Fisher, C. Torres, C. Funk and L. Rodriguez for providing specimens of Bolitoglossa. Additional research and collecting permits (to R. von May) were issued by the Servicio Nacional Forestal y de Fauna Silvestre (N° 120-2012-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, 064-2013-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, N° 0146-2013-AG-DGFFS-DGEFFS, and Contrato de Acceso Marco a Recursos Genéticos, N° 359-2013-MINAGRI-DGFFS-DGEFFS). G. Gagliardi-Urrutia thanks the personnel from the Área de Conservación Regional Cordillera Escalera and The Field Museum for providing logistical support during surveys of the Cordillera Escalera Shawi, and SERFOR for providing collecting permits (N° 0068-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS and N° 0094-2015-SERFOR-DGGSPFFS). R. von May thanks the National Science Foundation (DBI-1103087) and the National Geographic Society (Grant # 9191-12).
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