Systematics and biogeography of Lesser Sunda paddy frogs (Dicroglossidae: Fejervarya)

WA Museum Records and Supplements | Updated 9 months ago

ABSTRACT – The Lesser Sunda Archipelago is one of the world’s most tectonically complex regions and hosts a unique assemblage of amphibian species. Paddy frogs (genus Fejervarya) occur throughout the region, but the systematic position and distribution of each constituent species remains unclear. We present a set of comprehensive mtDNA and morphometric data on the three paddy frog species in the Lesser Sundas: F. cancrivora, F. iskandari and F. verruculosa. We clarify the phylogenetic position of F. verruculosa, placing it as the sister species of F. cancrivora. We also confirm that F. iskandari occur in the Lesser Sundas. Molecular data suggests that F. cancrivora is panmictic across Java and the Sunda Arc, while F. verruculosa and F. iskandari comprise multiple highly divergent populations within the Lesser Sundas. Phylogeographic results appear to support at least two natural colonisations of Fejervarya in the Lesser Sunda Archipelago, one by F. iskandari and one by F. verruculosa, whereas contemporary F. cancrivora populations likely arose from human-mediated movement. Our results demonstrate the biogeographic complexity of the Lesser Sunda Archipelago and identify key knowledge gaps in Lesser Sunda Fejervarya.

Author(s) Alen N. Tanoyo, Sean B. Reilly, Paul Doughty, Evy Arida, Djoko T. Iskandar and Jimmy A. McGuire 
Volume
Records 39 :
Article Published
2024
Page Number
15

DOI
10.18195/issn.0312-3162.39.2024.015-062