Call a spade a spade: taxonomy and distribution of Pelobates, with description of a new Balkan endemic

By

Dufresnes, Christophe
Strachinis, Ilias
Tzoras, Elias
Litrvinchuk, Spartak N
Denoël, Mathieu

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2019

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

859

Pages

131-158

Subjects

Amphibian , Palearctic , Pelobates balcanicus , Pelobates balcanicus chloeae , Pelobates vespertinus , Pelobatidae , phylogenomics , phylogeography , spadefoot toad

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.859.33634

 

Abstract

The genomic era contributes to update the taxonomy of many debated terrestrial vertebrates. In an accompanying work, we provided a comprehensive molecular assessment of spadefoot toads (Pelobates) using genomic data. Our results call for taxonomic updates in this group. First, nuclear phylogenomics confirmed the species-level divergence between the IberianP.cultripesand its Moroccan relativeP.varaldii. Second, we inferred thatP.fuscusandP.vespertinus, considered subspecies until recently, feature partial reproductive isolation and thus deserve a specific level. Third, we evidenced cryptic speciation and diversification among deeply diverged lineages collectively known asPelobatessyriacus. Populations from the Near East correspond to the Eastern spadefoot toadP.syriacussensu stricto, which is represented by two subspecies, one in the Levant (P.s.syriacus) and the other in the rest of the range (P.s.boettgeri). Populations from southeastern Europe correspond to the Balkan spadefoot toad,P.balcanicus. Based on genetic evidence, this species is also polytypic: the nominalP.b.balcanicusinhabits the Balkan Peninsula; a new subspeciesP.b.chloeaessp. nov.appears endemic to the Peloponnese. In this paper, we provide an updated overview of the taxonomy and distribution of all extantPelobatestaxa and describeP.b.chloeaessp. nov.