Description of a new Kurixalus species (Rhacophoridae, Anura) and a northwards range extension of the genus

By

Messenger, Kevin
Othman, Siti N.
Chuang, Ming-Feng
Yang, Yi
Borzée, Amaël

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2022

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

1108

Pages

15--49

Subjects

bush frog , China , East Asia , Rhacophorid , species description , taxonomy

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1108.81725

 

Abstract

Knowledge of biodiversity before species become extinct is paramount to conservation, especially when the relevant species are far from their expected distribution and, thus, likely overlooked. Here, we describe a new Kurixalus species corresponding to a range extension of Kurixalus on the Asian mainland, with the closest population in Taiwan. The species diverged from its closest relative during the Late Pliocene to Pleistocene, ca. 3.06 Mya (HPD 95%: 5.82-0.01), based on calibrations with a relaxed clock species tree of unlinked mtDNA 12S rRNA and nuclear DNA TYR. The status of the newly-described species is also supported by a divergence in call properties and morphometrics. We named the species described here as Kurixalus inexpectatus sp. nov. due to the nature of the discovery, as well as the adjunct distribution of the species relative to its closest congeners. The species was found in Zhejiang Province and it represents a range extension of 663 km for the Kurixalus genus.