Meeting Abstract

P1-17  Monday, Jan. 4 15:30  Phylogenetic Analysis of the Mantidactylus lugubris Complex with the Description of a New Species Endemic to Madagascar. JACOBS, J.L.*; HUTTER, C.R.; GLOR, R.E.; California State University, Long Beach; University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute; University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute jjacobs228@gmail.com

The frog family Mantellidae is endemic to Madagascar and the Comoros Islands and includes 207 described species. Recent research suggests a similar number of species remain undescribed. The Mantidactylus lugubris complex consists of two species of medium-sized stream-dwelling frogs, and six candidate species. Populations of Mantidactilus cowanii from Ranomafana National Park and the nearby area may represent a third species, Mantilidactylus sp. 48. We test the hypothesis that this population represents a distinct species using morphological and multilocus molecular phylogenetic data. Bayesian and maximum likelihood analyses of genes, 16S, POMC and RAG2 show that Mantilidactylus sp. 48 is a monophyletic group that we propose to be elevated to species status. This research was supported in part by the National Science Foundation- Grant #DBI-126795