Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes
Heretofore, the populations of the genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> Günther, 1859 (Dicroglossidae) in their northern and western borders laying in Pakistan have been assigned to two species, <i>S. breviceps</i> (Schneider, 1799) and <i>S. strachani</i> (Murray, 1884). Th...
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| author | Daniel Jablonski Rafaqat Masroor Sylvia Hofmann |
| author_facet | Daniel Jablonski Rafaqat Masroor Sylvia Hofmann |
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| description | Heretofore, the populations of the genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> Günther, 1859 (Dicroglossidae) in their northern and western borders laying in Pakistan have been assigned to two species, <i>S. breviceps</i> (Schneider, 1799) and <i>S. strachani</i> (Murray, 1884). The genus originated in the Oriental zoogeographic region and comes to close geographic proximity with the Palearctic region in Pakistan. The recent molecular studies have on one hand restricted the distribution range of <i>S. breviceps</i> to the eastern coastal plains of India and, on the other hand, revealed the northern- and westernmost population in India as a separate species, <i>S. pashchima</i> Padhye et al., 2017. This species has recently been synonymized with <i>S</i>. <i>maskeyi</i> (Schleich and Anders, 1998). These taxonomic changes, however, warranted the need for validation of Pakistani <i>Sphaerotheca</i> based on genetic data. We sequenced and analyzed 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene from specimens originating from the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan and compared these with all available GenBank sequences of the genus. Based on this data, we conclude that the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan are occupied by <i>S. maskeyi</i>. Simultaneously, we bring the first record of this species for the Palearctic region. We further suggest that more genetic material from across Pakistan is required to ascertain the validity of <i>S. strachani</i> and for the phylogeographic evaluation of western and northern border populations of the genus. Our geographically wide and revisited molecular phylogeny shows that the genus exhibits genetic diversity suggesting further taxonomic changes. The low level of genetic divergences between <i>S</i>. <i>breviceps</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> Prasad et al., 2019 compared to other species of the genus, indicates that the taxonomic status of <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> is questionable. Moreover, we found that <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>swani</i> (Mayers and Leviton, 1956) are genetically conspecific with <i>S</i>. <i>breviceps</i> and both should be thus considered its junior synonyms. On the other hand, <i>S</i>. <i>dobsonii</i> and populations from Myanmar need further detailed investigations. |
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| spelling | doaj.art-6659157af8524d27a55142735a008e572023-11-21T20:14:00ZengMDPI AGDiversity1424-28182021-05-0113521610.3390/d13050216Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic ChangesDaniel Jablonski0Rafaqat Masroor1Sylvia Hofmann2Department of Zoology, Comenius University in Bratislava, Ilkovičova 6, Mlynská dolina, 84215 Bratislava, SlovakiaZoological Sciences Division, Pakistan Museum of Natural History, Islamabad 44000, PakistanCentre of Taxonomy and Evolutionary Research, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig, 53113 Bonn, GermanyHeretofore, the populations of the genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> Günther, 1859 (Dicroglossidae) in their northern and western borders laying in Pakistan have been assigned to two species, <i>S. breviceps</i> (Schneider, 1799) and <i>S. strachani</i> (Murray, 1884). The genus originated in the Oriental zoogeographic region and comes to close geographic proximity with the Palearctic region in Pakistan. The recent molecular studies have on one hand restricted the distribution range of <i>S. breviceps</i> to the eastern coastal plains of India and, on the other hand, revealed the northern- and westernmost population in India as a separate species, <i>S. pashchima</i> Padhye et al., 2017. This species has recently been synonymized with <i>S</i>. <i>maskeyi</i> (Schleich and Anders, 1998). These taxonomic changes, however, warranted the need for validation of Pakistani <i>Sphaerotheca</i> based on genetic data. We sequenced and analyzed 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene from specimens originating from the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan and compared these with all available GenBank sequences of the genus. Based on this data, we conclude that the Himalayan foothills of Pakistan are occupied by <i>S. maskeyi</i>. Simultaneously, we bring the first record of this species for the Palearctic region. We further suggest that more genetic material from across Pakistan is required to ascertain the validity of <i>S. strachani</i> and for the phylogeographic evaluation of western and northern border populations of the genus. Our geographically wide and revisited molecular phylogeny shows that the genus exhibits genetic diversity suggesting further taxonomic changes. The low level of genetic divergences between <i>S</i>. <i>breviceps</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> Prasad et al., 2019 compared to other species of the genus, indicates that the taxonomic status of <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> is questionable. Moreover, we found that <i>S</i>. <i>magadha</i> and <i>S</i>. <i>swani</i> (Mayers and Leviton, 1956) are genetically conspecific with <i>S</i>. <i>breviceps</i> and both should be thus considered its junior synonyms. On the other hand, <i>S</i>. <i>dobsonii</i> and populations from Myanmar need further detailed investigations.https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/5/216distributiondiversityfirst recordIndian subcontinentmitochondrial DNAnomenclature |
| spellingShingle | Daniel Jablonski Rafaqat Masroor Sylvia Hofmann Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes Diversity distribution diversity first record Indian subcontinent mitochondrial DNA nomenclature |
| title | Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes |
| title_full | Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes |
| title_fullStr | Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes |
| title_full_unstemmed | Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes |
| title_short | Revisited Molecular Phylogeny of the Genus <i>Sphaerotheca</i> (Anura: Dicroglossidae): The Biogeographic Status of Northernmost Populations and Further Taxonomic Changes |
| title_sort | revisited molecular phylogeny of the genus i sphaerotheca i anura dicroglossidae the biogeographic status of northernmost populations and further taxonomic changes |
| topic | distribution diversity first record Indian subcontinent mitochondrial DNA nomenclature |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1424-2818/13/5/216 |
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