Monday, January 25, 2016

[Herpetology • 2016] Nasutixalus medogensis • A New Genus and Species of Treefrog (Anura, Rhacophoridae) from Medog, southeastern Tibet, China


墨脱棱鼻树蛙 |  Nasutixalus medogensis
  Jiang, Yan, Wang & Che, 2016
photo: Ke JIANG [蒋珂] || DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2016.1.15

Abstract
A new genus and species of threefrog is described from Medog, southeastern Tibet, China based on morphological and phylogenetic data. The new genus can be distinguished from other treefrog genera by the following combination of characters: (1) body size moderate, 45.0 mm in male; (2) snout rounded; (3) canthus rostralis obtuse and raised prominently, forming a ridge from nostril to anterior corner of eyes; (4) web rudimentary on fingers; (5) web moderately developed on toes; (6) phalange "Y" shaped, visible from dorsal side of fingers and toes; (7) skin of dorsal surfaces relatively smooth, scatted with small tubercles; (8) iris with a pale yellow, "X" shaped pattern of pigmentation.

Key words: Taxonomy, New genus, New species, Theloderma molochNasutixalus medogensis sp. nov.


Phylogenetic analysis: Currently  recognized  genera  of  the  family  Rhacophoridae  were recovered  as  monophyletic  groups  in  our  phylogenetic  analysis  (Figure 1). However, similar to previous studies (Li et al., 2009), our data  cannot  resolve  phylogenetic  relationships  among  different  genera.   The Medog treefrog   was   clustered   and   share   the   haplotype  with  a  formerly  identified  T. moloch  (specimen  voucher  number  6255  RAO)  in  Li  et  al.  (2009),  and  both  of  them  form  a  distinct clade from all other species of genus Theloderma, including the  true T. moloch.  Such  result  is  similar  to  the  phylogenetic  topography recovered in Li et al. (2013) using more datasets. Therefore,   according   to   a   combination   of   morphological   characters  and  phylogenetic  data  of  mitochondrial  genes,  we  conclude that the male treefrog specimen (KIZ016395) consisted an  independent  evolutionary  lineage  and  concordant  evidence  confirm species status (Hou et al., 2014; Wu & Murphy, 2015), which is described as a new species and a new genus in family Rhacophoridae.  


Nasutixalus gen. nov. Jiang, Yan, Wang and Che 

Type species: Nasutixalus medogensis sp. nov. 

Diagnosis: (1)  Body  size  moderate  (45.0  mm  in  male);  (2)  snout  rounded;  (3)  canthus  rostralis  obtuse  and  raised  prominently,  forming  a  ridge  from  nostril  to  anterior  corner  of  eyes;  (4)  web  rudimentary on fingers; (5) web moderately developed on toes; (6) phalange “Y” shaped, visible from dorsal side of fingers and toes;  (7)  skin  of  dorsal  surfaces  relatively  smooth,  scatted  with  small tubercles; (8) iris with a pale yellow, “X” shaped pattern of pigmentation, especially distinct in preservative. 

Distribution: Currently   known   only   from   the   type   locality,   Medog, Tibet, China.


Etymology: The generic nomen Nasutixalus is derived from the Latin adjective nasutus (“large-nosed” in English), means the prominent ridge from nostril to the anterior corner of eye, and ixalus, a common generic root for treefrogs. We suggest the common name of the new genus be “ridged-nose treefrog” in English, and “Leng Bi Shu Wa” (棱鼻树蛙) in Chinese.

Content: The new genus currently contains a single species, Nasutixalus medogensis sp. nov. which is described below.

Nasutixalus  medogensis  sp.  nov.  Jiang,  Wang,  Yan  and  Che (Figures 2-4) 
Synonyms: Thermoderma moloch: Li et al., 2009 

Holotype: KIZ 016395, adult male, collected from Gelin (N29.21665°, E95.17571°, elevation 1 619 m), Beibeng, Medog, southeastern Tibet, China, on 28 April  2015, by Ke JIANG.

Etymology The species name “medogensis” is named after the type locality, Medog, Tibet, China. According to the Latin name, we suggest the  English  common  name  as  “Medog  Ridged-nose  Treefrog”,  and  the  Chinese  formal  name  as  “Muo  Tuo  Leng  Bi  Shu  Wa”  (墨脱棱鼻树蛙).




Ke JIANG, Fang YAN, Kai WANG, Da-Hu ZOU, Cheng Land Jing CHE. 2016. A New Genus and Species of Treefrog from Medog, southeastern Tibet, China (Anura, Rhacophoridae).
ZOOLOGICAL RESEARCH37(1); 15-20.  DOI: 10.13918/j.issn.2095-8137.2016.1.15

藏东南发现树蛙科新属新种 
就在今年,包括笔者在内的几位研究人员一道,在西藏东南部墨脱热带雨林中发现一类全新的树蛙物种!通过DNA和形态比较,我们中国的两栖爬行动物学者确定这不仅仅是一个新物种,它更代表一个从未被描述过的新属!