The Great Lakes spiny reed frog (Afrixaluslacustris) was recently described from transitional (submontane) forests at mid-elevations of the Albertine Rift mountains in the eastern Congolian region. Previously, because of its similarity, it had been understood to represent eastern populations of the unrelated A.laevis, which is known mainly from Cameroon. Based on DNA barcoding, we document the westward extension of the known range of A.lacustris within lowland rainforests in the Northeastern and Central Congolian Lowland Forests. One sample was represented by a larva found in a clutch in a folded leaf, a typical oviposition type for most Afrixalus species, contrary to oviposition on an unfolded leaf surface in the similar A.laevis and closely related A.dorsimaculatus and A.uluguruensis. Comparison of the advertisement call of A.lacustris from Salonga National Park, Democratic Republic of the Congo, indicates similarity to its sister species from montane areas of the Albertine Rift, the ghost spiny reed frog (A.phantasma). Phylogeographic analysis suggests that A.phantasma and A.lacustris speciated allopatrically during the Early Pleistocene, with the former having refugia in montane forests and the latter in transitional and also lowland forests. The lowland populations of A.lacustris represent distinct evolutionary lineages, which diversified probably in isolated forest refugia during the Middle Pleistocene.

• Keywords
• Afrotropics, Central Africa, bioacoustics, distribution, frogs, leaf-folding frogs, phylogeography, reproduction, spiny reed frogs, tropical rainforests,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH

The reed frog genus Hyperolius (Afrobatrachia, Hyperoliidae) is a speciose genus containing over 140 species of mostly small to medium-sized frogs distributed in sub-Saharan Africa. Its high level of colour polymorphism, together with in anurans relatively rare sexual dichromatism, make systematic studies more difficult. As a result, the knowledge of the diversity and taxonomy of this genus is still limited. Hyperolius robustus known only from a handful of localities in rain forests of the central Congo Basin is one of the least known species. Here, we have used molecular methods for the first time to study the phylogenetic position of this taxon, accompanied by an analysis of phenotype based on external (morphometric) and internal (osteological) morphological characters. Our phylogenetic results undoubtedly placed H. robustus out of Hyperolius into a common clade with sympatric Cryptothylax and West African Morerella. To prevent the uncovered paraphyly, we place H. robustus into a new genus, Congolius. The review of all available data suggests that the new genus is endemic to the central Congolian lowland rain forests. The analysis of phenotype underlined morphological similarity of the new genus to some Hyperolius species. This uniformity of body shape (including cranial shape) indicates that the two genera have either retained ancestral morphology or evolved through convergent evolution under similar ecological pressures in the African rain forests.

• MeSH
• Rainforest MeSH
• Ecosystem MeSH
• Phenotype MeSH
• Phylogeny * MeSH
• Evolution, Molecular * MeSH
• Polymorphism, Genetic MeSH
• Ranidae anatomy & histology   classification   genetics   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't MeSH
• Geographicals
• Congo MeSH

The Cameroon Volcanic Line, a mountain chain located between West and Central Africa, is a region of numerous endemic diversifications, including of puddle frogs (Phrynobatrachus). This study reviews the phylogeny and taxonomy of puddle frogs of the "Cameroon radiation," which is a clade containing mainly montane but also at least three lowland species. Molecular data revealed a novel evolutionary lineage from high altitudes in the northern part of the mountains. Puddle frogs from the new, minute-sized (SVL < 20 mm) lineage are identified using molecular, morphological and acoustic data and described as two new species, Phrynobatrachus arcanus sp. nov. (Gotel Mountains, Cameroon-Nigeria) and P. mbabo sp. nov. (Tchabal Mbabo, Cameroon). The tadpole of the first species is also described. Phylogenetic analyses placed the new lineage to the proximity of the recently described lowland small-sized taxa (P. horsti, P. ruthbeateae). Based on the inferred phylogeny, we propose five species groups within the Cameroon radiation: P. arcanus, P. chukuchuku, P. ruthbeateae, P. steindachneri, and P. werneri. The taxonomically enigmatic P. hylaios is proposed to be a member of the P. ruthbeateae species group. The basal radiation evolved during the late Miocene with subsequent diversifications occurring during the Pliocene, while closely related terminal taxa originated during the Pleistocene. We recommend that the newly described species are categorized as Critically Endangered due to their limited ranges and because recent surveys did not identify any individuals at the type localities. This further supports the need for conservation interventions in the mountains of Cameroon and Nigeria.

• Keywords
• Adamawa Plateau, Amphibians, Bioacoustics, Biodiversity, Biogeography, Diversification, Integrative taxonomy, Rainforest, Species groups, Tadpole description,
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH