High mitochondrial sequence divergence meets morphological and bioacoustic conservatism: Boophis quasiboehmei sp. n., a new cryptic treefrog species from south-eastern Madagascar

摘要

We describe a new species of treefrog from Madagascar that is highly similar in external adult morphology, bioacoustics and colouration to Boophis boehmei but differs from this species by a remarkable differentiation in a fragment of the mitochondrial16S rRNA gene. A more detailed analysis revealed that this differentiation is concordant with the pattern in two nuclear genes (Ragl and POMC) which show no haplotype sharing of the new species with B. boehmei, and with a consistent difference in tadpole morphology (third lower row of labial keratodonts reduced in length in the new species). We conclude that concordance between these independent characters indicates two independent evolutionary lineages that should best be considered as separate species, despite their similar adult morphology. The new species, Boophis quasiboehmei sp. n., is so far known only from an area in the southern central east and south-east of Madagascar, south of the Mangoro river, while B. boehmei is known only from the areaaround Andasibe north of the river Man-goro. Preliminary data indicate that this group of treefrogs contains several more cryptic species, and a simple explanation assuming the Mangoro river as a barrier being responsible for divergence between them islikely no longer tenable.