02313nas a2200205   4500008004100000245004600041210004600087260001500133300001400148490000800162520172000170100001901890700002301909700001601932700002201948700002001970700001901990700001602009856008202025       2003                        eng d00aMultiple overseas dispersal in amphibians0 aMultiple overseas dispersal in amphibians  c7 December  a2435-24420 v2703 aAmphibians are thought to be unable to disperse over ocean barriers because they do not tolerate the osmotic stress of salt water. Their distribution patterns have therefore generally been explained by vicariance biogeography. Here, we present compelling evidence for overseas dispersal of frogs in the Indian Ocean region based on the discovery of two endemic species on Mayotte. This island belongs to the Comoro archipelago, which is entirely volcanic and surrounded by sea depths of more than 3500 m. This constitutes the first observation of endemic amphibians on oceanic islands that did not have any past physical contact to other land masses. The two species of frogs had previously been thought to be non-endemic and introduced from Madagascar, but clearly represent new species based on their morphological and genetic differentiation. They belong to the genera Mantidactylus and Boophis in the family Mantellidae that is otherwise restricted to Madagascar, and are distinguished by morphology and mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequences from mantellid species occurring in Madagascar. This discovery permits us to update and test molecular clocks for frogs distributed in this region. The new calibrations are in agreement with previous rate estimates and indicate two further Cenozoic transmarine dispersal events that had previously been interpreted as vicariance: hyperoliid frogs from Africa to Madagascar (Heterixalus) and from Madagascar to the Seychelles islands (Tachycnemis). Our results provide the strongest evidence so far that overseas dispersal of amphibians exists and is no rare exception, although vicariance certainly retains much of its importance in explaining amphibian biogeography.1 aVences, Miguel1 aVieites, David, R.1 aGlaw, Frank1 aBrinkmann, Henner1 aKosuch, Joachim1 aVeith, Michael1 aMeyer, Axel  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Literature/V/Vences%20et%20al%202003.pdf01857nas a2200157   4500008004100000245012600041210006900167300001200236490000700248520131100255100002601566700001901592700001801611700001601629856005401645       2005                        eng d00aA previously unrecognized radiation of ranid frogs in Southern Africa revealed by nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences0 apreviously unrecognized radiation of ranid frogs in Southern Afr  a674-6850 v373 aIn sub-Saharan Africa, amphibians are represented by a large number of endemic frog genera and species of incompletely clarified phylogenetic relationships. This applies especially to African frogs of the family Ranidae. We provide a molecular phylogenetic hypothesis for ranids, including 11 of the 12 African endemic genera. Analysis of nuclear (rag-1, rag-2, and rhodopsin genes) and mitochondrial markers (12S and 16S ribosomal RNA genes) provide evidence for an endemic clade of African genera of high morphological and ecological diversity thus far assigned to up to five different subfamilies: Afrana, Cacosternum, Natalobatrachus, Pyxi-cephalus, Strongylopus, and Tomopterna. This clade has its highest species diversity in southern Africa, suggesting a possible biogeographic connection with the Cape Floral Region. Bayesian estimates of divergence times place the initial diversification of the southern African ranid clade at similar to 62-85 million years ago, concurrent with the onset of the radiation of Afrotherian mammals. These and other African ranids (Conraua, Petropedetes, Phrynobatrachus, and Pytchadena) are placed basally within the Ranoidae with respect to the Eurasian groups, which suggests an African origin for this whole epifamily. (c) 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.1 avan der Meijden, Arie1 aVences, Miguel1 aHoegg, Simone1 aMeyer, Axel  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/18002493nas a2200169   4500008004100000245010500041210006900146260000900215300001400224490000700238520192900245100001802174700001902192700002202211700001602233856007402249       2004                        eng d00aPhylogeny and comparative substitution rates of frogs inferred from sequences of three nuclear genes0 aPhylogeny and comparative substitution rates of frogs inferred f  cJuly  a1188-12000 v213 aPhylogenetic relationships among major clades of anuran amphibians were studied using partial sequences of three nuclear protein coding genes, Rag-1, Rag-2, and rhodopsin in 26 frog species from 18 families. The concatenated nuclear data set comprised 2,616 nucleotides and was complemented by sequences of the mitochondrial 12S and 16S rRNA genes for analyses of evolutionary rates. Separate and combined analyses of the nuclear markers supported the monophyly of modem frogs (Neobatrachia), whereas they did not provide support for the monophyly of archaic frog lineages (Archaeobatrachia), contrary to previous studies based on mitochondrial data. The Neobatrachia contain two well supported clades that correspond to the subfamilies Ranoidea (Hyperoliidae, Mantellidae, Microhylidae, Ranidae, and Rhacophoridae) and Hyloidea (Bufonidae, Hylidae, Leptodactylidae, and Pseudidae). Two other families (Heleophrynidae and Sooglossidae) occupied basal positions and probably represent ancient relicts within the Neobatrachia, which had been less clearly indicated by previous mitochondrial analyses. Branch lengths of archaeobatrachians were consistently shorter in all separate analyses, and nonparametric rate smoothing indicated accelerated substitution rates in neobatrachians. However, relative rate tests confirmed this tendency only for mitochondrial genes. In contrast, nuclear gene sequences from our study and from an additional GenBank survey showed no clear phylogenetic trends in terms of differences in rates of molecular evolution. Maximum likelihood trees based on Rag-1 and using only one neobatrachian and one archaeobatrachian sequence, respectively, even had longer archaeobatrachian branches averaged over all pairwise comparisons. More data are necessary to understand the significance of a possibly general assignation of short branches to basal and species-poor taxa by tree-reconstruction algorithms.1 aHoegg, Simone1 aVences, Miguel1 aBrinkmann, Henner1 aMeyer, Axel  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/H/Hoegg.pdf01918nas a2200157   4500008004100000245014700041210006900188260001300257300001400270490000800284520130200292100002601594700001901620700001601639856010501655       2004                        eng d00aNovel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic brevicipitine and scaphiophrynine toads as revealed by sequences from the nuclear Rag-1 gene0 aNovel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic brevicipitine   cAugust 7  aS378-S3810 v2713 aOwing to a general paucity of characters and an apparently high level of homoplasy, the systematics of frogs have remained disputed. A phylogeny based on the single-copy nuclear Rag-1 gene revealed unexpected placements of scaphiophrynine and brevicipitine toads. The former have usually been considered as sister group to all other extant microhylids or are even classified as a separate family. Their basal position among microhylids was weakly indicated in our analysis; but they clearly are part of a strongly supported clade composed of representatives from five other microhylid subfamilies. By contrast, the brevicipitines, a group that hitherto was unanimously considered to belong to the Microhylidae, were highly divergent and placed as a sister group to the arthroleptoid clade. These novel phylogenetic placements are best reflected by a classificatory status of the Scaphiophryninae as a subfamily of the Microhylidae, whereas the brevicipitines may merit recognition as a distinct family. Our findings seem to corroborate a high degree of morphological homoplasy in frogs and suggest that even highly derived morphological states, such as the hydrostatic tongue of microhylids, hemisotids and brevicipitines, may be subject to convergent evolution, parallelism or character reversal.1 avan der Meijden, Arie1 aVences, Miguel1 aMeyer, Axel  ufile://localhost/Users/breda/Desktop/Documents/Literature/V/van%20der%20Meijden%20et%20al%202004.pdf01954nas a2200193   4500008004100000245015600041210006900197260001300266300001400279490000700293520130700300100002601607700001901633700001801652700002001670700001901690700001601709856003501725       2007                        eng d00aNuclear gene phylogeny of narrow-mouthed toads (Family: Microhylidae) and a discussion of competing hypotheses concerning their biogeographical origins0 aNuclear gene phylogeny of narrowmouthed toads Family Microhylida  cSep 2007  a1017-10300 v443 aThe family Microhylidae has a large circumtropic distribution and contains about 400 species in a highly subdivided taxonomy. Relationships among its constituent taxa remained controversial due to homoplasy in morphological characters, resulting in conflicting phylogenetic hypotheses. A phylogeny based on four nuclear genes (rag-1, rag-2, tyrosinase, BDNF) and one mitochondrial gene (CO1) of representatives of all currently recognized subfamilies uncovers a basal polytomy between several subfamilial clades. A sister group relationship between the cophylines and scaphiophrynines is resolved with moderate support, which unites these endemic Malagasy taxa for the first time. The American members of the subfamily Microhylinae are resolved to form a clade entirely separate from the Asian members of that subfamily. Otophryne is excluded from the subfamily Microhylinae, and resolved as a basal taxon. The placement of the Asian dyscophine Calluella nested within the Asian Microhyline clade rather than with the genus Dyscophus is corroborated by our data. Bayesian estimates of the divergence time of extant Microhylidae (47-90 Mya) and among the subclades within the family are discussed in frameworks of alternative possible biogeographic scenarios. (c) 2007 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.1 avan der Meijden, Arie1 aVences, Miguel1 aHoegg, Simone1 aBoistel, Renaud1 aChanning, Alan1 aMeyer, Axel  u<Go to ISI>://PREV200700581894