Phylogenetic systematics of the Neotropical caecilian amphibian Luetkenotyphlus (Gymnophiona: Siphonopidae) including the description of a new species from the vulnerable Brazilian Atlantic Forest

Publication date: Available online 6 July 2019Source: Zoologischer AnzeigerAuthor(s): Adriano Oliveira Maciel, Thiago M. de Castro, Marcelo José Sturaro, Izadora Emanuelle Costa Silva, Jordana Guimarães Ferreira, Rafael dos Santos, Bárbara Risse-Quaioto, Bruno Alenkine Barboza, Jane C.F. Oliveira, Iracilda Sampaio, Horacio SchneiderAbstractLuetkenotyphlus brasiliensis has been described 168 years ago, being the only known species of that genus up till date. However, the diversity of caecilian amphibians surprises once again, with the discovery of a new species of Luetkenotyphlus from remnants of the critically threatened Atlantic Forest, in the State of Espírito Santo, Brazil. Herein we describe the new species on the basis of its morphology but also present a molecular phylogeny based on three genes (12S, 16S and COI) including more taxa of Siphonopidae together in a same phylogeny than the previous studies. Our phylogeny did not support the monophyly of Siphonops as currently defined, because Siphonops insulanus was recovered within Luetkenotyphlus, forming a monophyletic group, sister to a clade of three Siphonops spp. We have examined a specimen of Siphonops insulanus from the type locality (Ilha de São Sebastião, São Paulo, Brazil) revealing a shorter premaxillary-maxillary tooth series in comparison to Luetkenotyphlus. Based on our results, we also allocated Siphonops insulanus to Luetkenotyphlus in order to avoid paraphyly.
Source: A Journal of Comparative Zoology - Category: Zoology Source Type: research