Evolutionary history of the Cameroon radiation of puddle frogs (Phrynobatrachidae:<i>Phrynobatrachus</i>), with descriptions of two critically endangered new species from the northern Cameroon Volcanic Line

Gvoždík, Václav; Nečas, Tadeáš; Dolinay, Matej; Zimkus, Breda M.; Schmitz, Andreas; Fokam, Eric B.

doi:10.7717/peerj.8393

Cited by 13 publications

(30 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…Therefore, to avoid overparametrization (Barido-Sottani et al, 2018) a strict clock and the HKY site model unlinked among the 20 "supergenes" (bins) were applied, together with the birth-death model as the tree prior unlinked among the 20 bins and analytical integration of population sizes. Time calibration priors were set for the splits between the P. steindachneri complex and P. cricogaster, and P. jimzimkusi and P. njiomock, respectively, following Gvoždík et al (2020). Normal distributions were used with the means and standard deviations of 3.78 ± 0.7 Mya and 1.43 ± 0.4, which gave central 95% ranges about 2.4-5.2 Mya and 0.6-2.2 Mya, respectively.…”

Section: Phylogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This is a genomic evidence that P. njiomock is almost endemic to Lake Oku and nearest areas. Further from the lake it underlies to gene flow with P. jimzimkusi, and possibly also with the species (Gvoždík et al, 2020), which is described below.…”

Section: Phrynobatrachus Njiomockmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phrynobatrachus sp. nov. Nečas, Dolinay, Zimkus & Gvoždík ZooBank: will be added upon acceptance Synonymy: P. steindachneri C, P. steindachneri D (Gvoždík et al, 2020).…”

Section: Description Of a New Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Blue star marks type locality of P. steindachneri. The maximum likelihood mtDNA phylogenetic tree is adapted from Gvoždík et al (2020) with black and gray dots meaning high and intermediate supports, respectively. northern and eastern peripheral mountains (Fig.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This species complex is known from the elevation range 1300 to 2800 m a.s.l. (Doherty-Bone and Gvoždík, 2017), and contains six morphologically relatively cryptic evolutionary lineages as based on the mitochondrial DNA (Zimkus and Gvoždík, 2013;Gvoždík et al, 2020). Two of the six lineages were distinguished at species level: P. jimzimkusi Zimkus, Gvoždík, Gonwouo, 2013 from the southern mountains (Mt.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Gene flow in phylogenomics: Sequence capture resolves species limits and biogeography of Afromontane forest endemic frogs from the Cameroon Highlands

Dolinay

Nečas

Zimkus

et al. 2020

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Puddle frogs of the Phrynobatrachus steindachneri species complex are a useful group for investigating speciation and phylogeography in Afromontane forests of the Cameroon Highlands (Cameroon Volcanic Line) in western Central Africa. The species complex is represented by six morphologically relatively cryptic mitochondrial DNA lineages, with only two of them distinguished at the species level – southern P. jimzimkusi and Lake Oku endemic P. njiomock, leaving the remaining four lineages with a pooled identification as ‘P. steindachneri’. In this study, the six mtDNA lineages are subjected to genomic sequence capture analyses to delimit species (together with morphology) and to study biogeography. Nuclear DNA data (387 loci; 571,936 aligned base pairs) distinguished all six mtDNA lineages, but the splitting pattern and depths of divergences supported only four main clades—besides P. jimzimkusi and P. njiomock, only two from the four ‘P. steindachneri’ mtDNA lineages. One is here described as a new species, P. sp. nov. Reticulate evolution (hybridization) was detected within the species complex with morphologically intermediate hybrid individuals placed between the parental species in phylogenomic analyses, forming a phylogenetic artefact – a ladder-like tree pattern. The presence of hybrids is undesirable in standard phylogenetic analyses, but is essential and beneficial in the network multispecies coalescent. This latter approach allowed us an insight into the reticulate evolutionary history of these endemic frogs. Introgressions likely occurred during the Middle and Late Pleistocene climatic oscillations, due to the cyclic connections (likely dominating during cold glacials) and separations (warm interglacials) of montane forests. The genomic phylogeographic pattern supports the earliest division between southern (Mt. Manengouba to Mt. Oku) and northern mountains at the onset of the Pleistocene. Further subdivisions occurred in the Early Pleistocene separating populations from the northernmost (Tchabal Mbabo, Gotel Mts.) and middle mountains (Mt. Mbam, Mt. Oku, Mambilla Plateau), as well as the microendemic lineage restricted to Lake Oku (Mt. Oku). Mount Oku harboring three species is of particular conservation importance. This unique model system is highly threatened as all the species within the complex have exhibited severe population declines in the past decade, placing them on the brink of extinction. We therefore urge for conservation actions in the Cameroon Highlands to preserve their diversity before it is too late.

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Section: Phylogeographymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Phrynobatrachus Njiomockmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Phrynobatrachus sp. nov. Nečas, Dolinay, Zimkus & Gvoždík ZooBank: will be added upon acceptance Synonymy: P. steindachneri C, P. steindachneri D (Gvoždík et al, 2020).…”

Section: Description Of a New Speciesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%