Phylogenetic relationships of the mustache toads inferred from mtDNA sequences

Phylogenetic relationships of megophryid frogs of the genus Leptobrachium (Amphibia, Anura) as revealed by mtDNA gene sequences

“…However, our analysis did not support their V. boringii species group as including V. boringii, V. ailaonica (64), and V. promustache. Similarly, Rao and Wilkinson's (2008) V. ailaonica species group, including V. ailaonica, V. echinata (63) and V. ngoclinhensis (72), was not supported; our results, and those of Zheng et al (2008), did not nest V. ngoclinhensis (Subclade V) with V. ailaonica and V. echinata (Subclade IV). Certainly, V. ailaonica and V. echinata are sister species (Dubois and Ohler, 1998;Ohler et al, 2000;Grosjean, 2001), but there remains an argument as to whether they are conspecific (Ho et al, 1999;Zheng et al, 2008) or not (Ohler et al, 2000;Grosjean, 2001;Rao and Wilkinson, 2008).…”

“…Zheng et al (2008) recovered these three lineages but concluded that V. jiulongshanensis was a junior synonym of V. liui, incorrectly reflecting their phylogeny. Rao and Wilkinson (2008) also obtained the three lineages but found that V. l. liui formed a clade with V. jiulongshanensis and not with V. l. yaoshanensis. Thus, they synonymized V. jiulongshanensis into V. liui, but recognized V. yaoshanensis as a full species.…”

“…We suggest that additional work is required to confirm the taxonomic status of these taxa. Rao and Wilkinson (2008) proposed the formation of a V. boringiae species group comprised of V. boringiae (=boringii) (61), V. leishanensis, V. l. liui, V. l. yaoshanensis, and V. jiulongshanensis. We did not resolve this group as a monophyletic lineage, and the association of these species was only weakly supported in Rao and Wilkinson's trees.…”

“…The genus is often considered to contain two subgenera, Vibrissaphora Liu, 1945, with adult males bearing spines on upper lip, and Leptobrachium, which is without such spines (Ohler et al, 2004). Vibrissaphora is distributed in southern China and Indochina, and it includes five to seven species (Frost, 2009;Rao and Wilkinson, 2008;Fei et al, 2009). Subgenus Leptobrachium is distributed from Indochina to Sundaland and it contains 15-17 species (Frost, 2009;Fei et al, 2009).…”

“…Subgenus Leptobrachium is distributed from Indochina to Sundaland and it contains 15-17 species (Frost, 2009;Fei et al, 2009). Using DNA sequence data, both Zheng et al (2008) and Rao and Wilkinson (2008) place Vibrissaphora within the genus Leptobrachium, and neither group of researchers recognizes subgenera. However, this taxonomic conclusion is made without exploring the extent of genetic diversity within Sundaland and neither study includes the type species of the genus.…”