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Type: Correspondence
Published: 2020-11-11
Page range: 598–600
Abstract views: 116
PDF downloaded: 9

Over-splitting destabilizes the taxonomy of hylaranine frogs: A response to Chandramouli et al. (2020)

Lee Kong Chian Natural History Museum, National University of Singapore, 2 Conservatory Drive, 117377 Singapore
Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 66045 Lawrence KS, USA.
Biodiversity Informatics and Research Center, Father Saturnino Urios University, San Francisco St., 8600 Butuan City, Philippines
Biodiversity Institute and Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Kansas, 66045 Lawrence KS, USA.
taxonomy Amphibia

Abstract

In a recent article, Chandramouli et al. (2020) re-assessed the systematic position of the hylaranine frog Indosylvirana nicobariensis and proposed a new monotypic genus, Bijurana, for this species. The authors re-examined the type series of specimens and attempted to justify the recognition of a new genus using morphological and phylogenetic data. They concluded that the taxon’s unique phylogenetic position, high genetic divergence (uncorrected p-distance ≥ 13.64% of the 16S rRNA mitochondrial gene), and a unique combination of morphological characters warranted the erection of the new genus.

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