02077nas a2200133   4500008004100000245008400041210006900125300001200194490000700206520162800213100002501841700002301866856005401889       2006                        eng d00aOntogenetic diet change in the arthroleptid frog Schoutedenella xenodactyloides0 aOntogenetic diet change in the arthroleptid frog Schoutedenella   a388-3940 v403 aAnuran amphibians are important consumers of arthropods in tropical ecosystems. Previous research has indicated that very small, terrestrial frogs, especially juveniles, largely consume small leaf litter arthropods. To date, few studies have examined diet in African anurans, and no studies exist of ontogenetic change in prey composition for any African frog. We investigated the change in diet that accompanies body size increase in the arthroleptid frog Schoutedenella xenodactyloides (Anura: Ranoidea) from a population located on the Mulanje Massif in Malawi, central Africa. Schoutedenella xenodactyloides is a miniature (< 22 mm snout-urostyle length; SUL), direct-developing frog that is often very abundant and is likely an important consumer of small leaf litter arthropods. Based on examination of stomach and intestinal contents from specimens that span the known range of posthatching body sizes, we document the taxonomic diversity of prey consumed by S. xenodactyloides. We present evidence that S. xenodactyloides exhibits a size-related ontogenetic change in the type and relative proportions of prey taxa. Small frogs (<= 13 min SUL) consume large numbers of collembolans and mites. As frogs attain larger body sizes; ants constitute a larger percentage of the total number of prey consumed; and collembolan and mite consumption falls below 10% of the total prey items. The prey consumed by S. xenodactyloides include at least 10 orders of arthropods and an unidentified mollusk. This is a greater diversity of prey items than previously found in Schoutedenella as well as most other arthroleptid species.1 aBlackburn, David, C.1 aMoreau, Corrie, S.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/15600465nas a2200133   4500008004100000245009800041210006900139260001300208490000800221100002500229700001800254700002400272856003500296       2007                        eng d00aFrogs with claws: Diversity, morphology, and function of pedal unguals in the Astylosternidae0 aFrogs with claws Diversity morphology and function of pedal ungu  cDec 20070 v2681 aBlackburn, David, C.1 aHanken, James1 aJenkins, Farish, A.  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20080013690001506nas a2200145   4500008004100000245009700041210006900138260001600207300001200223490000700235520104000242100001801282700002501300856003501325       2007                        eng d00aThe amphibians and reptiles of Nouabale-Ndoki national park, Republic of Congo (Brazzaville)0 aamphibians and reptiles of NouabaleNdoki national park Republic   cAug 20 2007  a149-1640 v433 aWe present an annotated list of 20 amphibian and 14 reptile species collected along the southern edge of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park in the Republic of Congo, which comprises lowland forests that are part of the Congo River drainage basin. This study has resulted in the first definitive records of the frogs Aubria masako, Amietophrynus regularis, Cryptothylax greshoffii, Hyperolius balfouri, H. brachiofasciatus, Leptopelis brevirostris, and L. calcaratus meridionalis from the Republic of Congo (Brazzaville). Comparing four sites subjected to different degrees of human disturbance, we note differences in herpetofaunal composition among these sites, which we attribute to difference in tolerance of human activity, opportunistic colonisation by non-native species, and, in some cases, a preference for proximity to human habitations. We compare the results of our study to other herpetofaunal surveys of Central and West Africa in order to gain insight into which faunae are most similar to that of Nouabale-Ndoki National Park.1 aJackson, Kate1 aBlackburn, David, C.  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20080010690800737nas a2200193   4500008004100000245019700041210006900238300000900307490000800316100002500324700002000349700001900369700002100388700001900409700001800428700002000446700002400466856005300490       2009                        eng d00aA new squeaker frog (Arthroleptidae: Arthroleptis) from the Cameroon Volcanic Line with redescriptions of Arthroleptis adolfifriederici Nieden, 1911 “1910” and A. variabilis Matschie, 18930 anew squeaker frog Arthroleptidae Arthroleptis from the Cameroon   a1-230 v5151 aBlackburn, David, C.1 aKosuch, Joachim1 aBurger, Marius1 aSchmitz, Andreas1 aWagner, Philip1 aGonwouo, Nono1 aHillers, Annika1 aRödel, Mark-Oliver  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/6001651nas a2200205   4500008004100000245010500041210006900146260001600215300001200231520099900243100002501242700002001267700002101287700001901308700002101327700001801348700002001366700002401386856003501410       2008                        eng d00aA new species of Cardioglossa (Anura : Arthroleptidae) from the Upper Guinean forests of West Africa0 anew species of Cardioglossa Anura Arthroleptidae from the Upper   cSep 10 2008  a603-6123 aWe describe a new frog species of the genus Cardioglosso from the Upper Guinean forests of West Africa. Cardioglosso occidentalis, new species, is found in primary rainforests in Ghana, Ivory Coast, Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. We demonstrate that this species is morphologically and genetically distinct from C. leucomystax, the species to which these populations were previously assigned. Cardioglossa occidentalis differs from similar congeners by the following combination of markings: fusion or near fusion of all three dorsal lobes (cephalic, scapular, and lumbar); prominent white line extending anteriorly from arm terminates ventral to eye; dark mask extending posteriorly from eye continues unbroken beyond posterior border of scapular lobe; lateral body covered in very few, large dark spots rimmed with thin white. Cordioglosso occidentalis appears related to C. leucomystax, C. melanoguster, and C. schioetzi. This description brings the number of Cardioglossa species to 16.1 aBlackburn, David, C.1 aKosuch, Joachim1 aSchmitz, Andreas1 aBurger, Marius1 aWagners, Philipp1 aGonwouo, Nono1 aHillers, Annika1 aRödel, Mark-Oliver  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20080059118302654nas a2200133   4500008004100000245018200041210006900223260001300292300001200305490000800317520213500325100002502460856003502485       2008                        eng d00aA new species of Cardioglossa (Amphibia: Anura: Arthroleptidae) endemic to Mount Manengouba in the Republic of Cameroon, with an analysis of morphological diversity in the genus0 anew species of Cardioglossa Amphibia Anura Arthroleptidae endemi  cNov 2008  a611-6300 v1543 aA new frog species of the genus Cardioglossa, that is probably restricted to less than 10 km(2) of gallery forest near the summit of Mount Manengouba in the Republic of Cameroon, is described. Unlike all other Cardioglossa, in life the coloration of the new species is typically brownish red, with no dorsal markings, but with a pair of thin, golden white lines that extend posteriorly from the tip of the rostrum and terminate just above and behind the tympanum. This new species is morphologically similar to C. oreas, another high-altitude species endemic to the Cameroonian mountains: both have small tympana and lack the hypertrophied third manual digit typical of males of other Cardioglossa. The tadpole of the new species is similar to that of C. occidentalis, the only other Cardioglossa for which the tadpole is fully described, but differs in having a broad anterolaterally projecting supraoral labium, lacking ventral pigmentation, and having a relatively longer spiracular tube. Several features of tadpole morphology are convergent with the unusual fossorial tadpole of the microhylid Otophryne and suggest a similar convergence in ecology. Principal components analysis of morphometric data, followed by discriminant function analysis, was used to explore patterns of morphological similarity within Cardioglossa. These analyses provide support for five species groups: (1) C. aureoli (distinct from other Cardioglossa); (2) C. escalerae, C. gratiosa and C. nigromaculata; (3) C. gracilis, C. melanogaster and C. schioetzi; (4) C. sp. nov. and C. oreas; and (5) C. cyaneospila, C. pulchra, C. venusta and C. trifasciata. The inclusion of C. cyaneospila in the last group supports previous suggestions of past biotic connections between the Albertine Rift mountains and those of the Cameroon Volcanic Line. The description of this new species further emphasizes Mt Manengouba as a centre of anuran endemism within the Cameroonian mountains and reaffirms the importance of this ecoregion within sub-Saharan Africa. (C) 2008 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2008, 154, 611-630.1 aBlackburn, David, C.  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20080070654800324nas a2200133   4500008004100000245001800041210001600059260001300075300001200088490000700100100002500107700002300132856003500155       2008                        eng d00a[TITLE BLANK]0 aTITLE BLANK  cJun 2008  a208-2090 v391 aBlackburn, David, C.1 aDroissart, Vincent  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20100003204602121nas a2200133   4500008004100000245019000041210006900231260001300300300001200313490000700325520159500332100002501927856003501952       2008                        eng d00aBiogeography and evolution of body size and life history of African frogs: phylogeny of squeakers (Arthroleptis) and long-fingered frogs (Cardioglossa) estimated from mitochondrial data0 aBiogeography and evolution of body size and life history of Afri  cDec 2008  a806-8260 v493 aThe evolutionary history of living African amphibians remains poorly understood. This study estimates the phylogeny within the frog genera Arthroleptis and Cardioglossa using approximately 2400 bases of mtDNA sequence data (12S, tRNA-Valine, and 16S genes) from half of the described species. Analyses are conducted using parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods. The effect of alignment on phylogeny estimation is explored by separately analyzing alignments generated with different gap costs and a consensus alignment. The consensus alignment results in species paraphyly, low nodal support, and incongruence with the results based on other alignments, which produced largely similar results. Most nodes in the phylogeny are highly supported, yet several topologies are inconsistent with previous hypotheses. The monophyly of Cardioglossa and of miniature species previously assigned to Schoutedenella was further examined using Templeton and Shimodaira-Hasegawa tests. Cardioglossa monophyly is rejected and C. aureoli is transferred to Arthroleptis. These tests do not reject Schoutedenella monophyly, but this hypothesis receives no support from non-parametric bootstrapping or Bayesian posterior probabilities. This phylogeny provides a framework for reconstructing historical biogeography and analyzing the evolution of body size and life history. Direct development and miniaturization appear at the base of Arthroleptis phylogeny concomitant with a range expansion from Central Africa to throughout most of sub-Saharan Africa. (C) 2008 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.1 aBlackburn, David, C.  u<Go to ISI>://PREV20090011890600474nas a2200109   4500008004100000245015900041210006900200300000900269490000800278100002500286856005300311       2009                        eng d00aDescription and phylogenetic relationships of two new species of miniature Arthroleptis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from the eastern Arc Mountains of Tanzania0 aDescription and phylogenetic relationships of two new species of  a1-170 v5171 aBlackburn, David, C.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/5000419nas a2200109   4500008004100000245010400041210006900145300001000214490000700224100002500231856005300256       2010                        eng d00aA new puddle frog (Phrynobatrachidae: Phrynobatrachus) from the Mambilla Plateau in eastern Nigeria0 anew puddle frog Phrynobatrachidae Phrynobatrachus from the Mambi  a33-520 v591 aBlackburn, David, C.  uhttps://africanamphibians.myspecies.info/node/29