Indraneil Das

Phylogenetic relationships of Ansonia from Southeast Asia inferred from mitochondrial DNA sequences: Systematic and biogeographic implications (Anura: Bufonidae)

We investigated the phylogenetic relationships and estimated the history of species diversification and biogeography in the bufonid genus Ansonia from Southeast Asia, a unique organism with tadpoles adapted to life in strong currents chiefly in montane regions and also in lowland rainforests. We estimated phylogenetic relationships among 32 named and unnamed taxa using 2461bp sequences of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA, tRNA(val), and 16S rRNA genes with equally-weighted parsimony, maximum likelihood, and Bayesian methods of inference. Monophyletic clades of Southeast Asian members of the genus Ansonia are well-supported, allowing for the interpretation of general biogeographic conclusions. The genus is divided into two major clades. One of these contains two reciprocally monophyletic subclades, one from the Malay Peninsula and Thailand and the other from Borneo. The other major clade primarily consists of Bornean taxa but also includes a monophyletic group of two Philippine species and a single peninsular Malaysian species. We estimated absolute divergence times using Bayesian methods with external calibration points to reconstruct the relative timing of faunal exchange between the major landmasses of Southeast Asia.

Phylogenetic relationships of the Rhacophorus everetti-group and implications for the evolution of reproductive modes in Philautus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae)

Hertwig, S., Das, I., Schweizer, M., Brown, R., & Haas, A. (2011). Phylogenetic relationships of the Rhacophorus everetti‐group and implications for the evolution of reproductive modes in Philautus (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae). —Zoologica Scripta, 41, 29–46.

Phylogeny and cryptic diversification in Southeast Asian flying geckos

The closed-canopy forests of Southeast Asia are home to an impressive number of vertebrates that have independently evolved morphologies that enhance directed aerial descent (gliding, parachuting). These assemblages include numerous mammal, frog, snake, and lizard clades. Several genera of gekkonid lizards, in particular, have evolved specialized structures such as cutaneous expansions, flaps, and midbody patagia, that enhance lift generation in the context of unique gliding and parachuting locomotion. The genus Ptychozoon represents arguably the most morphologically extreme, highly specialized clade of gliding geckos. Despite their notoriety and celebrated locomotor ability, members of the genus Ptychozoon have never been the subject of a species-level molecular phylogenetic analysis. In this paper, we utilize molecular sequence data from mitochondrial and nuclear gene fragments to estimate the evolutionary relationships of this unique group of flying geckos. Capitalizing on the recent availability of genetic samples for even the rarest of known species, we include the majority of known taxa and use model-based phylogenetic methods to reconstruct their evolutionary history. Because one species, P. kuhli, exhibits an unusually wide distribution coupled with an impressive range of morphological variation, we additionally use intensive phylogeographic/population genetic sampling, phylogenetic network analyses, and Bayesian species delimitation procedures to evaluate this taxon for the possible presence of cryptic evolutionary lineages. Our results suggest that P. kuhli may consist of between five and nine unrecognized, distinct species. Although we do not elevate these lineages to species status here, our findings suggest that lineage diversity in Ptychozoon is likely dramatically underestimated.

New Species of Cnemaspis (Reptilia: Gekkonidae) from Southeastern Thailand

A new small species of Cnemaspis, C.chanthaburiensis, is described from Chantaburi & Chon Buri Provinces, Southeastern Thailand. It is the only Cnemaspis occuring in the region and may be distinguished from congeners by its small size (maximum 41 mm svl), smooth ventral and subcaudal scales, 7-9 preanal pores in males, and by hyperphalangy of digits II and V of the manus and digit II of the pes. The hyperphalangeal condition is unique Asian geckos.

A New Species of Cyrtodactylus from the Nicobar Islands, India

A new species of bent-toed gecko, Cyrtodactylus adleri, is described, based on seven examples from the island of Great Nicobar, India. Although reported as conspecific with C. rubidus, it can be differentiated from the Andamanese species in possessing dark spots (vs. dark bands) on the dorsum; 48-50 imbricate (vs. 38-42 juxtaposed) midventrals; six (vs. four) postnasals; two (vs. three) postcloacal tubercles; and presence of a preanal groove. In the lack of a preanal groove, imbricate ventrals, and dark spots on dorsum, the new species appears close to the poorly known Sumatran endemic, C. lateralis, from which is may be differentiated in its small body size (SVL 53.5-64.7 mm in four adult females, 61.8-68.5 mm in three adult males), dark spots on dorsum, and 48-50 midventrals.

Revision of the Genus Cnemaspis Strauch, 1887 (Sauria: Gekkonidae), from the Mentawai and Adjacent Archipelagos off Western Sumatra, Indonesia, with the Description of Four New Species

Abstract Four new species of Cnemaspis are described from the Mentawai and adjacent archipelagos along the northwest to the southwest coast of Sumatra, Republic of Indonesia, and one each from Simeulue, Nias, Siberut, and Enggano. These populations were allocated by earlier workers to Cnemaspis kandiana (Kelaart, 1852), a Sri Lankan highland endemic. The high levels of endemicity of the fauna of these islands have been attributed to their geographical isolation, historical lack of aridity, and effects of glacial emergence of the Sunda Shelf caused by its maritime climate.

The global distribution of tetrapods reveals a need for targeted reptile conservation

The distributions of amphibians, birds and mammals have underpinned global and local conservation priorities, and have been fundamental to our understanding of the determinants of global biodiversity. In contrast, the global distributions of reptiles, representing a third of terrestrial vertebrate diversity, have been unavailable. This prevented the incorporation of reptiles into conservation planning and biased our understanding of the underlying processes governing global vertebrate biodiversity. Here, we present and analyse the global distribution of 10,064 reptile species (99% of extant terrestrial species). We show that richness patterns of the other three tetrapod classes are good spatial surrogates for species richness of all reptiles combined and of snakes, but characterize diversity patterns of lizards and turtles poorly. Hotspots of total and endemic lizard richness overlap very little with those of other taxa. Moreover, existing protected areas, sites of biodiversity significance and global conservation schemes represent birds and mammals better than reptiles. We show that additional conservation actions are needed to effectively protect reptiles, particularly lizards and turtles. Adding reptile knowledge to a global complementarity conservation priority scheme identifies many locations that consequently become important. Notably, investing resources in some of the world’s arid, grassland and savannah habitats might be necessary to represent all terrestrial vertebrates efficiently.The global distribution of nearly all extant reptile species reveals richness patterns that differ spatially from that of other taxa. Conservation prioritization should specifically consider reptile distributions, particularly lizards and turtles.

Testing the phylogenetic affinities of Southeast Asia's rarest geckos: Flap-legged geckos (Luperosaurus), Flying geckos (Ptychozoon) and their relationship to the pan-Asian genus Gekko

Some of Southeast Asias most poorly known vertebrates include forest lizards that are rarely seen by field biologists. Arguably the most enigmatic of forest lizards from the Indo Australian archipelago are the Flap-legged geckos and the Flying geckos of the genera Luperosaurus and Ptychozoon. As new species have accumulated, several have been noted for their bizarre combination of morphological characteristics, seemingly intermediate between these genera and the pan-Asian gecko genus Gekko. We used the first multilocus phylogeny for these taxa to estimate their relationships, with particular attention to the phylogenetic placement of the morphologically intermediate taxa Ptychozoon rhacophorus, Luperosaurus iskandari, and L. gulat. Surprisingly, our results demonstrate that Luperosaurus is more closely related to Lepidodactylus and Pseudogekko than it is to Gekko but that some species currently classified as Luperosaurus are nested within Gekko. The Flying Gecko genus Ptychozoon is also nested within Gekko, suggesting that higher-level taxonomic revision of the generic boundaries within Southeast Asian gekkonines will be a priority for the immediate future.

Diversification in a biodiversity hotspot – The evolution of Southeast Asian rhacophorid tree frogs on Borneo (Amphibia: Anura: Rhacophoridae)

The tree-frog family Rhacophoridae is a major group contributing to the high pecies richness and reproductive diversity among vertebrates of Sundaland. Nonetheless, rhacophorid evolution, specially on Borneo, has not been studied within a phylogenetic context. In this study, we examine the phylogenetic relationships of 38 (out of 41) Bornean species of Rhacophoridae, in combination with data from previous phylogenetic studies. In the final super matrix of 91 species, we analyse sequence data from two mitochondrial and three nuclear genes. The resulting trees show the genus Rhacophorus as a paraphyletic assemblage. As a consequence, we transfer Rhacophorus appendiculatus and R. kajau to two other genera and propose the new phylogeny-based combinations--Kurixalus appendiculatus and Feihyla kajau, respectively. Furthermore, we use our phylogenetic hypotheses to reconstruct the evolution of reproductive modes in rhacophorid tree frogs. Direct development to the exclusion of a free larval stage evolved twice independently, once in an ancestor of the Pseudophilautus+Raorchestes clade in India and Sri Lanka, and once within Philautus in Southeast Asia. The deposition of egg clutches covered by a layer of jelly in Feihyla is also present in F. kajau and thus confirms our generic reassignment. The remarkably high diversity of rhacophorid tree frogs on Borneo is the outcome of a complex pattern of repeated vicariance and dispersal events caused by past changes in the climatic and geological history of the Sunda shelf. We identified geographic clades of closely related endemic species within Rhacophorus and Philautus, which result from local island radiations on Borneo.

New Species of Nyctibatrachus (Anura: Ranidae) from Castle Rock, Karnataka State, Southwest India

Abstract A new species of ranid frog of the genus Nyctibatrachus is described from Castle Rock, Karnataka State, Southwest India. The new species is compared with all known congeners and is diagnosed by the following combination of characters: head wider than long; snout projecting beyond mouth; supratympanic fold poorly defined; webbing on toes reaching base of disks except on Toe IV, where it reaches distal subarticular tubercle; tips of digits on fingers and toes flattened to form disks with distinct grooves separating dorsum of disks from venter; and femoral gland present. The largest specimen in the type series has a snout-vent length of 43.2 mm. Nyctibatrachus hussaini Krishnamurthy, Reddy and Gururaja, 2001, is shown to be an invalid nomen, for lack of typification.