Topic
Microhylidae
About: Microhylidae is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 442 publications have been published within this topic receiving 6791 citations. The topic is also known as: Microhyidae.
Papers published on a yearly basis
Papers
TL;DR: It is found that ∼88% of living frogs originated from three principal lineages that arose at the end of the Mesozoic, coincident with the Cretaceous–Paleogene mass extinction event that decimated nonavian dinosaurs 66 Mya.
Abstract: Frogs (Anura) are one of the most diverse groups of vertebrates and comprise nearly 90% of living amphibian species. Their worldwide distribution and diverse biology make them well-suited for assessing fundamental questions in evolution, ecology, and conservation. However, despite their scientific importance, the evolutionary history and tempo of frog diversification remain poorly understood. By using a molecular dataset of unprecedented size, including 88-kb characters from 95 nuclear genes of 156 frog species, in conjunction with 20 fossil-based calibrations, our analyses result in the most strongly supported phylogeny of all major frog lineages and provide a timescale of frog evolution that suggests much younger divergence times than suggested by earlier studies. Unexpectedly, our divergence-time analyses show that three species-rich clades (Hyloidea, Microhylidae, and Natatanura), which together comprise ∼88% of extant anuran species, simultaneously underwent rapid diversification at the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K-Pg) boundary (KPB). Moreover, anuran families and subfamilies containing arboreal species originated near or after the KPB. These results suggest that the K-Pg mass extinction may have triggered explosive radiations of frogs by creating new ecological opportunities. This phylogeny also reveals relationships such as Microhylidae being sister to all other ranoid frogs and African continental lineages of Natatanura forming a clade that is sister to a clade of Eurasian, Indian, Melanesian, and Malagasy lineages. Biogeographical analyses suggest that the ancestral area of modern frogs was Africa, and their current distribution is largely associated with the breakup of Pangaea and subsequent Gondwanan fragmentation.
383 citations
TL;DR: In the chromosomes of 12 frog species of the suborder Diplasiocoela, the constitutive heterochromatin and the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) have been specifically stained and the various C-bands display a very variable reaction to alkaline pretreatment; this indicates heterogeneity in the constitutives.
Abstract: In the chromosomes of 12 frog species of the suborder Diplasiocoela (Amphibia, Anura), the constitutive heterochromatin and the nucleolus organizer regions (NORs) have been specifically stained. On most of the chromosomes, aside from the centric heterochromatin, telomeric and interstitial C-bands were also found. The various C-bands display a very variable reaction to alkaline pretreatment; this indicates heterogeneity in the constitutive heterochromatin. Sex chromosomes could not be identified in any of the species studied. The number and chromosomal positions of the NORs vary quite strongly between species and between families. In 4 species of the genus Rana, there were, aside from the “standard-NORs” in chromosome pair 10, between 4 and 14 extra, small NORs detectable in the smaller chromosome pairs. As possible causal mechanism of these additional small NORs the reintegration of amplified rDNA during amphibian oogenesis is suggested. Q- or G-bands could only be recognized in mitotic prophase chromosomes. The strong spiralization of metaphase chromosomes prevents the differential demonstration of Q- or G-bands in the euchromatic regions.
182 citations
TL;DR: The new species is known only from the type locality, and thus the finding of it has contributed to the endemic species diversity of China, and it is needed to take strategy to protect the species and habitats due to the increased threats of environmental changes.
Abstract: A new species of the microhylid frog genus Microhyla is described from the Fanjing Mountain of Guizhou Province, China. Phylogenetic analyses based on DNA sequences of the the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, 16S rRNA and COI genes supported the new species as an independent lineage, closely related to M. beilunensis, M. mixtura and M. okinavensis. The uncorrected genetic distance on 16S rRNA gene between the new species and its closest congeners M. beilunensis, M. mixtura and M. okinavensis are 3.5%, 4.6% and 4.6% respectively. The new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of the following morphological characters: (1) body of medium size (SVL 19.0-22.7 mm in males and 22.5-23.0 mm in females); (2) disk and dorsal median longitudinal groove on finger tips absent; (3) toe with rudimentary webbing at base; (4) disk with dorsal median longitudinal groove present at toe tips except for the toe I; (5) two metatarsal tubercles on palm; (6) tibiotarsal articulation reaching the level between eye to nostril when leg stretched forward; (7) a distinct V-shaped white stripe on the upper midsection. The new species is known only from the type locality, and thus the finding of it has contributed to the endemic species diversity of China. It is needed to take strategy to protect the species and habitats due to the increased threats of environmental changes.
140 citations
TL;DR: A new genus of diminutive (10.1–11.3 mm) microhylid frogs is described from New Guinea that is unique in its combination of having only seven presacral vertebrae, a reduced phalangeal formula that leaves the first generation of frogs as vestigial nubs, and reduction of the prepollex and prehallux to single elements.
Abstract: A new genus of diminutive (10.1–11.3 mm) microhylid frogs is described from New Guinea that is unique in its combination of having only seven presacral vertebrae, a reduced phalangeal formula that leaves the fi rst fi ngers and fitoes as vestigial nubs, and reduction of the prepollex and prehallux to single elements. Relationships to other genera are unknown, but overall similarity suggests some relationship to Cophixalus, although that genus also diff ers in some muscle characters and likely remains paraphyletic. Th e new genus contains two species, which are among the smallest known frogs in the world. Th eir miniaturization may be related to their inhabiting leaf litter, exploitation of which may select for small size. Th e new genus is currently known only from one mountaintop in the southeasternmost portion of New Guinea and another on a nearby island. Th is region is part of the East Papuan Composite Terrane and, should this lineage prove endemic to that region, it may suggest that it originated prior to that geological unit’s docking with mainland New Guinea at 23–29 MY.
131 citations
Related Topics (5)
Performance Metrics
| Year | Papers |
|---|---|
| 2021 | 17 |
| 2020 | 20 |
| 2019 | 21 |
| 2018 | 21 |
| 2017 | 22 |
| 2016 | 20 |