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The contributed papers in this special issue each provide valuable perspectives on how social processes are relevant to academic motivation. Yet a critical question remains: How can this research lead to concrete guidance for educators who wish to create motivating and equitable classrooms? We propose this complex task can be simplified by encouraging educators to address students' concerns about how they are viewed by instructors in school. Our review of the literature suggests that two meta-concerns are particularly important to address for students from groups marginalized in education: whether instructors may (1) see them as limited in academic potential and (2) narrowly define them by their academic success. We argue that effective teaching practices address these concerns by communicating two corresponding messages: (1) inclusive expectations, "I recognize your potential for academic growth" and (2) broad regard, "I regard you as a whole person, with a range of personal values, social identities, and relationships." These messages can shift students away from a "narrow" sense of self, in which their value is defined by current academic performance, and towards an "expansive" sense of self, in which students feel both academically capable and valued for more than just their academic success. We present evidence that novice instructors can use this framework to develop or adapt practices that are attuned to marginalized students' two meta-concerns and enhance student motivation and engagement. Throughout this commentary, we describe how this framework can build on the important theoretical advances presented elsewhere in this special issue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Values‐affirmation interventions have the potential to improve students' experience and achievement in school. Researchers have proposed that these benefits are greatest when affirmation exercises are delivered by teachers (versus researchers). The current research provides an experimental test of whether describing affirmation activities as provided by teachers increases students' engagement with the activities and students' positive perceptions of their teachers. In a 2×2 field experiment, delivered to students during their first year of high school, students completed either an affirmation or matched control activity purportedly provided by either teachers or researchers. We found that describing affirmation activities as provided by teachers led students to perceive that teachers at their school were more interested in students' broader lives outside of school and provided marginally more care and support to students, as compared to the same affirmation exercise described as provided by researchers and control activities attributed to either source. In addition, teacher‐provided affirmation activities prompted students to write more during the activities. The present study provides initial evidence that affirmation interventions can improve students' perceptions of their relationship with their teachers—a potent driver of student success—but only when affirmation activities are seen as coming from and of interest to teachers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although workplace stress management interventions have been shown to be effective, they are limited by how and when they deliver, contextualize, and reinforce content. In the current article, we evaluate whether a wearable-based stress management intervention can improve mental health outcomes. Employees (N = 169) drawn from a large technology corporation were randomly assigned to either a wearable-based treatment or waitlist control. The treatment consisted of a very brief mindfulness-based training accompanied by a physiological monitoring device capable of sensing respiratory patterns and a smartphone application that allowed participants to visualize respiratory changes over time, observe real-time biofeedback, and receive real-time notifications of physiological stress. After the 4-week intervention period, the treatment group reported experiencing 15.8% fewer negative instances of stress, 13.0% fewer distressing symptoms, and 28.2% fewer days feeling anxious or stressed compared with a control group. We also find marginal evidence that the treatment group reported fewer negative emotions, but do not find robust evidence that the intervention increased broad measures of well-being. The results suggest the use of wearables as a scalable means of complementing existing workplace stress management interventions and policies. Further research is needed to distinguish how interventions incorporating wearable-based components may impact mental health beyond stand-alone mindfulness trainings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A stable alpha taxonomy is essential to understanding evolutionary processes and achieving effective conservation aims. Taxonomy depends on the identification of independently evolving lineages, and the delimitation of these lineages based on multiple lines of evidence. Coalescent species delimitation within an integrative framework has increased the rigor of the delimitation process. Here we use genome-wide SNP data and coalescent species delimitation to explore lineage relationships within several North American whipsnake species, test the species status of several lineages, and test the effect of missing data on species delimitation. We find support for the elevation of several previously recognized subspecies to full species status, and formally elevate two species. This study demonstrates the power of molecular data and model-based delimitation methods to identify evolutionary relationships, and finds that missing data have little impact on the outcome of delimitation analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We conduct species delimitation of the widespread parachuting frog species Rhacophorus catamitus using samples from across the island of Sumatra, Indonesia. We use mitochondrial, genomic and morphological data, and find that R. catamitus is composed of three lineages corresponding to northern, central and southern lineages. Mitochondrial and genomic data show admixture or incomplete lineage sorting between the central and southern lineages, but deep divergence from the northern lineage. Coalescent species delimitation supports a three species model for this complex, and we recommend that the northern lineage be described as a new species. Our study highlights the power of coalescent species delimitation in an integrative framework for identifying unrecognised diversity in understudied tropical species complexes. We also emphasise the evolutionary importance of northern Sumatra, a region that harboured montane refugia during Pliocene-Pleistocene climate change, but has also been heavily affected by volcanic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe three new species of centipede-eating snakes in the Tantilla taeniata species group. These new species come from the vicinities of three river drainage valleys in Honduras. One of the new species has a narrow vertebral stripe and comes from foothills of Sierra de Botaderos and Sierra de Agalta, on both sides of the lower drainage of the Río Sico Tinto in the Agalta Valley. A second species, with a relatively high number of ventral scales, inhabits lowlands and foothills near the Río Ulúa drainage valley, from Lago de Yojoa, Cortés, to northwestern Atlántida. The third new species, with a relatively low number of ventral scales, inhabits the upper and middle drainage system in the vicinity of the Río Choluteca, from near Danlí, El Paraíso, to Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. All three species can easily be distinguished morphologically from other members of the genus, and in particular from other members of the T. taeniata group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We used morphological and molecular data to infer the identity and origin of frogs in the genus Fejervarya that have been introduced to the island of Guam. Mensural and meristic data were collected from 96 specimens from throughout their range on the island and a principal component analysis was used to investigate the distribution of these data in morphological space. We also amplified a fragment of the 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid mitochondrial gene from 27 of these specimens and compared it to 63 published sequences of Fejervarya and the morphologically similar Zakerana. All examined Fejervarya from Guam are morphologically indistinguishable and share an identical haplotype. The molecular data identify them as Fejervarya cancrivora with a haplotype identical to F. cancrivora from Taiwan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The venoms of coral snakes (genus Micrurus) are known to induce a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities. While some studies have investigated their potential human effects, little is known about their mechanism of action in terms of the ecological diversity and evolutionary relationships among the group. In the current study we investigated the neuromuscular blockade of the venom of two sister species Micrurus mipartitus and Micrurus dissoleucus, which exhibit divergent ecological characteristics in Colombia, by using the chick biventer cervicis nerve-muscle preparation. We also undertook a phylogenetic analysis of these species and their congeners, in order to provide an evolutionary framework for the American coral snakes. The venom of M. mipartitus caused a concentration-dependant inhibition (3–10 μg/ml) of nerve-mediated twitches and significantly inhibited contractile responses to exogenous ACh (1 mM), but not KCl (40 mM), indicating a postsynaptic mechanism of action. The inhibition of indirect twitches at the lower venom dose (3 μg/ml) showed to be triphasic and the effect was further attenuated when PLA2 was inhibited. M. dissoleucus venom (10–50 μg/ml) failed to produce a complete blockade of nerve-mediated twitches within a 3 h time period and significantly inhibited contractile responses to exogenous ACh (1 mM) and KCl (40 mM), indicating both postsynaptic and myotoxic mechanisms of action. Myotoxic activity was confirmed by morphological studies of the envenomed tissues. Our results demonstrate a hitherto unsuspected diversity of pharmacological actions in closely related species which exhibit divergent ecological characteristics; these results have important implications for both the clinical management of Coral snake envenomings and the design of Micrurus antivenom. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We present the first phylogenetic study on the widespread Middle American microhylid frog genus Hypopachus. Partial sequences of mitochondrial (12S and 16S ribosomal RNA) and nuclear (rhodopsin) genes (1275bp total) were analyzed from 43 samples of Hypopachus, three currently recognized species of Gastrophryne, and seven arthroleptid, brevicipitid and microhylid outgroup taxa. Maximum parsimony (PAUP), maximum likelihood (RAxML) and Bayesian inference (MrBayes) optimality criteria were used for phylogenetic analyses, and BEAST was used to estimate divergence dates of major clades. Population-level analyses were conducted with the programs NETWORK and Arlequin. Results confirm the placement of Hypopachus and Gastrophryne as sister taxa, but the latter genus was strongly supported as paraphyletic. The African phrynomerine genus Phrynomantis was recovered as the sister taxon to a monophyletic Chiasmocleis, rendering our well-supported clade of gastrophrynines paraphyletic. Hypopachus barberi was supported as a disjunctly distributed highland species, and we recovered a basal split in lowland populations of Hypopachus variolosus from the Pacific versant of Mexico and elsewhere in the Mesoamerican lowlands. Dating analyses from BEAST estimate speciation within the genus Hypopachus occurred in the late Miocene/early Pliocene for most clades. Previous studies have not found bioacoustic or morphological differences among these lowland clades, and our molecular data support the continued recognition of two species in the genus Hypopachus. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As most recently recognized, the name Cerrophidion barbouri Dunn, 1919, refers to a highland species of pitviper endemic to Guerrero, Mexico, of which Agkistrodon browni Shreve, 1938, is considered a junior synonym. This species is rarely collected and prior to recent decades it was known from only a few specimens. A careful re-examination of nearly all known specimens of C. barbouri and the type series of A. browni reveals that both names represent valid species and we therefore resurrect A. browni. Both species are extremely variable with respect to cephalic scalation and colour pattern, which has previously confounded efforts to identify them. We provide phylogenetic analyses using both Bayesian and maximum parsimony criteria of New World pitvipers to investigate the phylogenetic position of A. browni and C. barbouri. Our phylogenetic tree, based on 2235 bp of mitochondrial data [12S, 16S, cytochrome b (cyt b), NADH dehydrogenase subunit 4 (ND4)], strongly supports a clade consisting of A. browni, C. barbouri, and Ophryacus melanurus, which has a distant sister relationship to Ophryacus undulatus. Based on the deep phylogenetic divergences amongst these species and distinctive morphology we recommend that a new genus be recognized for A. browni, C. barbouri, and O. melanurus. Finally, we revise the genera Cerrophidion and Ophryacus in accordance with our new classification. © 2011 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2011, 163, 943-958. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Herein is presented a list of the reptiles and anurans from the Parc National des Volcans (PNV) (01°43′ S, 29°52′ W), an area in the west and north provinces of the Republic of Rwanda in the Albertine Rift region of Africa. Fieldwork was conducted between two and six days per week from June through August 2007 and 2008. We also conducted literature searches of all historical expeditions within the park for species records. Seventeen species of reptiles and anurans are recorded from the PNV. Nine of the species were anurans, distributed in five families: Arthroleptidae (3), Bufonidae (1), Hyperoliidae (3), Phrynobatrachidae (1), and Pipidae (1). Eight species of reptiles were recorded from five families: Chamaeleonidae (1), Lacertidae (2), Scincidae (2), Colubridae (2), and Viperidae (1). Eight of the seventeen species found in the PNV are endemic to the Albertine Rift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of colubrid snake of the genus Coniophanes from the Pacific coast of Michoacán, Mexico. This species is known from a single adult female collected near sea level in dry deciduous forests. The new species is most similar to C. piceivittis, C. schmidti and C. taylori. It shares with these three species 25 scale rows at midbody, a small sub-preocular scale, and a pattern of three dark brown stripes over a pale brown body. The new species differs most noticeably from the other three in possessing a narrower dark vertebral stripe. Coniophanes p. taylori is elevated to a species status, therefore the C. piceivittis group consists of four species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Lineage diversification in the Neotropics is an interesting topic in evolutionary biology but is also one of the least understood. The abiotic and biotic complexity of the region precludes generalizations that can be drawn regarding the historical evolutionary processes responsible for the diversity observed. The snake genus Leptodeira provides an excellent opportunity to investigate such processes because it spans the entire Neotropical region. In this study, we infer the phylogenetic position of Leptodeira within Dipsadinae, estimate evolutionary relationships among and within Leptodeira species, and estimate the diversification time and biogeography of the genus. Three mitochondrial gene regions were sequenced for individuals representing all the Leptodeira species and most subspecies currently recognized. Additionally, two nuclear protein-coding gene regions were sequenced for representatives of each species and several genera within the Dipsadinae. We infer that several Leptodeira species are either paraphyletic or polyphyletic as currently recognized, and that most recognized subspecies are not monophyletic lineages. Despite the taxonomic discordance with evolutionary relationships, clades appear to correspond very well to major biogeographic regions of Mexico, Central America and South America. Our results thus highlight the important role of the Miocene and Pliocene for lineage diversification in the Neotropics. Additionally, our time estimates suggest that recent intraspecific phylogeographic structure is likely the result of habitat and climatic fluctuations during the Pleistocene. Cumulatively, our inferences of lineage diversification within Leptodeira suggest a complex evolutionary scenario in the Mexican transition zone and a north to south expansion with a final colonization of the tropics in South America. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

We describe a new species of anole of the Norops schiedei group from western Guatemala. A distinctive suite of characters distinguish it from the remaining species of the group (e.g., prenasal scales fused to circumnasal; most midventral scales weakly keeled; all scales in prefrontal depression strongly keeled; scales comprising supraorbital semicircles about same size as scales between semicircles; all keels on dorsal surface of head oriented nearly longitudinally; hemipenis large and bilobate). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The snake family Elapidae contains over 60 genera (about 300 species) of highly venomous snakes. About one-third of the alpha-taxonomic diversity of the Elapidae comprises coralsnakes: a major radiation of colourful venomous snakes including six genera distributed in Asia and the Americas. In this study, we examine molecular phylogenetic and descriptive morphological evidence for the placement of the monotypic coralsnake genus Hemibungarus ( H. calligaster (Wiegmann)) among the elapids, and clarify the relationships among genera traditionally referred to as ‘coralsnakes’. We use two mitochondrial gene fragments (ND4 and cyt- b) and a nuclear gene fragment (c-mos) to estimate relationships among elapids and other colubroid snakes, based on parsimony and likelihood methods, as well as Bayesian phylogenetic methods incorporating complex partitioned models of nucleotide evolution. As different phylogenetic methods provided alternativee results, we include an extensive examination of molecular phylogenetic analyses to facilitate a transparent and thorough exploration of the data. Additionally, we highlight external morphological and hemipenial characters that appear to further support molecular hypotheses for the placement of Hemibungarus, and relationships among the Elapinae. Owing to conflicting descriptions of morphological characters in the literature, and the unavailable of comparative morphological data for certain key species, we include detailed descriptions of the hemipenes of Bungarus caeruleus (Schneider), B. fasciatus (Schneider), Calliophis nigrescens Günther, Dendroaspis polylepis (Günther), H. calligaster (Wiegmann), Naja naja (Linnaeus) and Ophiophagus hannah (Cantor). We present evidence that Asian and American coralsnakes ( Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micruroides, Micrurus and Leptomicrurus) form an exclusive clade, distantly related to Hemibungarus. Thus, despite long-held beliefs of systematic affinities based on morphology and colour pattern, our results suggest that Hemibungarus is not (phylogenetically) a coralsnake, but instead shares an exclusive common ancestor with Afro-Asian elapine genera ( Elapsoidea, Dendroaspis and Ophiophagus). Results of our molecular phylogenetic analyses also support the recognition of two primary clades of elapids corresponding to the subfamilies Elapinae and Hydrophiinae. Additionally, we provide evidence that the Elapinae consists of two main clades: (1) coralsnakes s.s. ( Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micruroides, Micrurus, Leptomicrurus), and (2) the remaining genera of Afro-Asian species, including cobras, kraits, mambas and Hemibungarus. We suggest a new classification for these two elapine clades: Calliophini for the coralsnakes ( Calliophis, Sinomicrurus, Micrurus, Micruroides and Leptomicrurus), and Hemibungarini for the remaining Afro-Asian elapine species, including Hemibungarus. © 2007 The Linnean Society of London, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2007, 151, 809–831. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Tantilla is described from a single specimen obtained from Volcán Ceboruco, southern Nayarit, Mexico. The new species closely resembles other species of the Tantilla calamarina group. With the addition of the taxon described herein, the calamarina group now contains seven species, T. calamarina, Tantilla cascadae, Tantilla coronadoi, Tantilla deppei, Tantilla sertula, Tantilla vermiformis, and the new species described herein. Collectively, members of the group are distributed along the Pacific versant of Middle America in three disjunct regions: (1) from northern Sinaloa to Guerrero, including the Tres Marlas Islands; (2) the Balsas Basin of Morelos, Puebla, Distrito Federal, and the State of Mexico; and (3) from El Salvador to northwestern Costa Rica. We provide a small list of specimens collected in the highlands of Nayarit, and report Lithobates psilonota, Ambystoma rosaceum, Elgaria kingi, Plestiodon lynxe and Rhadinaea hesperia for the first time from the state. We report the second specimen of T. sertula, known previously only from the holotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Plectrohyla is described from the Sierra de Miahuatlán in southern Oaxaca, Mexico. It is known from a single adult female obtained from pine-oak forest at 2550 m. The new species is similar to Plectrohyla cembra in size, habitus, and in having a partially concealed tympanum but differs most notably in aspects of color pattern, hand morphology, head shape, and palatine features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of frog of the Craugastor alfredi group is described from western Honduras. The new species is the first member of the C. alfredi group reported from Honduras. It inhabits the Montane Subtropical (Premontane) Wet Forest of Monta˜a del Cerro Azul, Sierra del Espíritu Santo. It differs from all other species in the group by the combination of having the fifth toe pad wider than the second, few melanophores on the abdominal area of the venter, a small number of vomerine teeth (0--8), and a rounded proximal subarticular tubercle on Toe V about one-half the size of the distal subarticular tubercle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report the first phylogenetic analysis of DNA sequence data for the Central American component of the genus Eleutherodactylus (Anura: Leptodactylidae: Eleutherodactylinae), one of the most ubiquitous, diverse, and abundant components of the Neotropical amphibian fauna. We obtained DNA sequence data from 55 specimens representing 45 species. Sampling was focused on Central America, but also included Bolivia, Brazil, Jamaica, and the USA. We sequenced 1460 contiguous base pairs (bp) of the mitochondrial genome containing ND2 and five neighboring tRNA genes, plus 1300bp of the c-myc nuclear gene. The resulting phylogenetic inferences were broadly concordant between data sets and among analytical methods. The subgenus Craugastor is monophyletic and its initial radiation was potentially rapid and adaptive. Within Craugastor, the earliest splits separate three northern Central American species groups, milesi, augusti, and alfredi, from a clade comprising the rest of Craugastor. Within the latter clade, the rhodopis group as formerly recognized comprises three deeply divergent clades that do not form a monophyletic group; we therefore restrict the content of the rhodopis group to one of two northern clades, and use new names for the other northern (mexicanus group) and one southern clade (bransfordii group). The new rhodopis and bransfordii groups together form the sister taxon to a clade comprising the biporcatus, fitzingeri, mexicanus, and rugulosus groups. We used a Bayesian MCMC approach together with geological and biogeographic assumptions to estimate divergence times from the combined DNA sequence data. Our results corroborated three independent dispersal events for the origins of Central American Eleutherodactylus: (1) an ancestor of Craugastor entered northern Central America from South American in the early Paleocene, (2) an ancestor of the subgenus Syrrhophus entered northern Central America from the Caribbean at the end of the Eocene, and (3) a wave of independent dispersal events from South America coincided with formation of the Isthmus of Panama during the Pliocene. We elevate the subgenus Craugastor to the genus rank. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Among direct-developing rain frogs of the genus Craugastor is a clade of 19 described species (bocourti series) that occur in Mexico and northern Central America. Many of these 19 species have been described based on subtle morphological differences and have never been examined using molecular data. Here, we used a multilocus dataset (one mitochondrial (mtDNA) and four nuclear (nDNA) gene fragments, totalling 3,048 concatenated base pairs) to investigate species limits and phylogenetic relationships among 60 northern rain frogs referable to 12 species, with a focus on species from Guatemala. We inferred phylogenies using maximum likelihood and Bayesian analyses on separate mtDNA and nDNA datasets. Concatenated and coalescent species-tree analyses support the monophyly of multiple species, with interspecific relationships mostly unresolved. These mtDNA and nDNA trees were often incongruent with morphology-based taxonomy. For example, two genetically shallow clades contained individuals referable to at least five described species, whereas a single described species contained deep divergences indicative of multiple cryptic species. These findings indicate that morphology-based taxonomy has both overestimated and underestimated actual species diversity (depending on the species), an interpretation supported by two molecular species-delimitation procedures. Based on these findings, we synonymise C. glaucus (Lynch, 1967) and C. stuarti (Lynch, 1967) with C. xucanebi (Stuart, 1941). We also synonymise C. nefrens (Smith, 2005) and C. cyanochthebius McCranie & Smith, 2006 with C. campbelli (Smith, 2005). The molecular data also support multiple undescribed species, notably within C. decoratus (Taylor, 1942). Overall, we show how morphology-based species delimitation can both underestimate and overestimate species richness in morphologically conservative groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review morphology of Sunda Shelf Gonocephalus with an emphasis on Sumatran and Javan species. At least 15 species and subspecies inhabit Peninsular Malaysia, Sumatra, Java, Borneo, and adjacent smaller continental islands. Following analysis of external morphology, we provide a dichotomous key to Sunda Shelf Gonocephalus and resolve two taxonomic problems with this group of lizards. Three populations of Gonocephalus doriae on Borneo, Peninsular Malaysia, and Sumatra are recognized as subspecies, because they lack concordance of multiple morphological differences and have low genetic divergence in a 556 base-pair fragment of the 16S rRNA gene. Described as new herein, G. doriae brevis from Aceh and North Sumatra differs from G. d. abbotti and G. d. doriae in usually having more scales around midbody and a relatively shorter tail with fewer dark bands. Though previously reported as lost, a syntype of G. d. doriae (MSNG 29152) is designated as lectotype, illustrated, and described. Also described as new, G. inauris from high elevations of the Bukit Barisan Range of Bengkulu, Sumatra, is a species of the G. megalepis Group differing from all congeners in having 7/6 (vs. 8–19) loreals separating the last canthal and supralabials, 8/8 (11–27) infraorbitals, and 58 (73–153) scales around midbody. In this new species, distinctly enlarged suboculars broadly contact its supralabials, whereas 1–4 lorilabials separate the suboculars and supralabials in congeners. High genetic divergence in the new species mirrors its high level of morphological divergence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental research has demonstrated that a stress-is-enhancing mindset can be induced and can improve outcomes by presenting information on the enhancing nature of stress. However, experimental evidence, media portrayals, and personal experience about the debilitating nature of stress may challenge this mindset. Thus, the traditional approach of focusing on the more "desired" mindset without arming participants against encounters with the less desired mindsets may not be sustainable in the face of conflicting information. How might this limitation be resolved? Here, we present three randomized-controlled interventions that test the efficacy of a "metacognitive approach." In this approach, participants are givenmore balanced information about the nature of stress along with metacognitive information on the power of their mindsets aimed at empowering them to choose a more adaptive mindset even in the face of conflicting information. In Experiment 1, employees of a large finance company randomized to the metacognitive mindset intervention reported greater increases in stress-is-enhancing mindsets and greater improvements in self-reported measures of physical health symptoms and interpersonalskill work performance 4weeks later compared to awaitlist control. Experiment 2, adapted to be distributed electronically via multimedia modules, replicates the effects on stress mindset and symptoms. Experiment 3 compares the metacognitive stress mindset intervention with a more traditional stress mindset manipulation. The metacognitive approach led to greater initial increases in a stress-is-enhancing mindset relative to the traditional intervention, and these increases were sustained after exposure to contradictory information. Taken together, these results provide support for a metacognitive approach to mindset change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coralsnakes of the genus Micrurus are a diverse group of venomous snakes ranging from the southern United States to southern South America. Much uncertainty remains over the genus diversity, and understanding Micrurus systematics is of medical importance. In particular, the widespread Micrurus nigrocinctus spans from Mexico throughout Central America and into Colombia, with a number of described subspecies. This study provides new insights into the phylogenetic relationships within M. nigrocinctus by examining sequence data from a broad sampling of specimens from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, and Panama. The recovered phylogenetic relationships suggest that M. nigrocinctus is a species complex originating in the Pliocene and composed of at least three distinct species-level lineages. In addition, recovery of highly divergent clades supports the elevation of some currently recognized subspecies to the full species rank while others may require synonymization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: This study seeks to understand the geological and climatological processes that have promoted biodiversity on the Sunda Shelf in Southeast Asia. Using the parachuting frog genus Rhacophorus, we estimate divergence times and quantify the respective contributions of between and within‐island diversification to species richness and endemism. Location: East and Southeast Asia, the Sunda Shelf. Methods: We generated a concatenated mitochondrial and nuclear DNA sequence alignment for 40 species of Rhacophorus. We estimated phylogenetic relationships and divergence times, constructed lineage‐through‐time (LTT) plots and reconstructed ancestral ranges. Results: We found that Rhacophorus originated 33.0 Ma (95% HPD 27.0–38.0 Ma), and that the diversification rate slowed towards the present. Dispersal was important in early Rhacophorus evolution, but subsequent in situ diversification produced most species diversity on Sumatra and Borneo. Clades that diversified via in situ processes contained higher proportions of endemic species. Main conclusions: Species diversification on the Sunda Shelf is ancient and has occurred slowly. Both dispersal and in situ diversification have promoted Sundaland species accumulation, but within‐island phylogenesis has produced a greater proportion of endemic species on Sumatra and Borneo. Species richness and endemism are most influenced by the size of an island, rather than connectivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Allopatric divergence following the formation of geographical features has been implicated as a major driver of evolutionary diversification. Widespread species complexes provide opportunities to examine allopatric divergence across varying degrees of isolation in both time and space. In North America, several geographical features may play such a role in diversification, including the Mississippi River, Pecos River, Rocky Mountains, Cochise Filter Barrier, Gulf of California and Isthmus of Tehuantepec. We used thousands of nuclear single nucleotide polymorphisms ( SNPs) and mitochondrial DNA from several species of whipsnakes (genera Masticophis and Coluber) distributed across North and Central America to investigate the role that these geographical features have played on lineage divergence. We hypothesize that these features restrict gene flow and separate whipsnakes into diagnosable genomic clusters. We performed genomic clustering and phylogenetic reconstructions at the species and population levels using Bayesian and likelihood analyses and quantified migration levels across geographical features to assess the degree of genetic isolation due to allopatry. Our analyses suggest that (i) major genetic divisions are often consistent with isolation by geographical features, (ii) migration rates between clusters are asymmetrical across major geographical features, and (iii) areas that receive proportionally more migrants possess higher levels of genetic diversity. Collectively, our findings suggest that multiple features of the North American landscape contributed to allopatric divergence in this widely distributed snake group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Dipsas Laurenti, 1768, from Central Panama is described based on molecular analyses, hemipenial morphology, and external characters. This is the sixth species of Dipsas to be described for the country; the snake has been suspected to exist since 1977 and has not been thoroughly studied until now. Additionally, morphological comparations including scale counts are done with other species within the genus, and the current geographic distribution of Dipsas temporalis (Werner, 1909), the sister species, is updated. Finally, a key to the species of Dipsas currently known from Middle America is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sceloporus lizards depend on external heat to achieve their preferred temperature ( Tsel) for performing physiological processes. Evidence both in the field and laboratory indicates that pregnant females of this Genus select body temperatures ( Tb) lower than 34 °C as higher temperatures may be lethal to embryos. Therefore, thermoregulation is crucial for successful embryo development. Given the increase in global air temperature, it is expected that the first compensatory response of species that inhabit tropical climates will be behavioral thermoregulation. We tested whether viviparous Sceloporus formosus group lizards in the wild exhibited differences in thermoregulatory behavior to achieve the known Tsel for developing embryos regardless of local thermal conditions. We quantified field active body temperature, thermoregulatory behavior mechanisms (time of sighting, microhabitat used and basking time) and available microhabitat thermal conditions (i.e. operative temperature) for 10 lizard species during gestation, distributed along an altitudinal gradient. We applied both conventional and phylogenic analyses to explore whether Tb or behavioral thermoregulation could be regulated in response to different thermal conditions. These species showed no significant differences in field Tb during gestation regardless of local thermal conditions. In contrast, they exhibited significant differences in their behavioral thermoregulation associated with local environmental conditions. Based on these observations, the differences in thermoregulatory behavior identified are interpreted as compensatory adjustments to local thermal conditions. We conclude that these species may deal with higher temperatures predicted for the tropics by modulating their thermoregulatory behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Craugastor mexicanus series (Anura: Craugastoridae) includes six species of direct-developing frogs that occur in Mexico and Guatemala. Notably, two of these species have small adult body sizes (<18 mm snout to vent length) and several have intraspecific polymorphism in color pattern. Using a geographic sampling focused on eastern Mexico (the location of most type localities), we conducted a molecular phylogenetic analysis of two mitochondrial (12S, 16S) and two nuclear (RAG1, TYR) gene fragments. This analysis revealed two widespread species, C. mexicanus and C. pygmaeus, along with evidence of multiple undescribed taxa from the states of Oaxaca, Mexico, Guerrero, and Jalisco. Interestingly, the widespread species have stratified geographic distributions with the larger bodied clade restricted to high elevations and the smaller bodied clade to low elevations. We also identify regions of Guerrero and Oaxaca where multiple species co-occur. To reevaluate the quality of characters that have been previously used to diagnose species, we tested for heterochrony and sexual dimorphism using microcomputed tomography and linear measurements. We found evidence for paedomorphosis as the mechanism of miniaturization in small-bodied taxa. Linear measurements confirmed that tympanum and body size are sexually dimorphic traits in both small- and large-bodied species. We used this enhanced understanding of morphological variation in the group to describe six new species. Despite this progress, we suspect that additional species await discovery, particularly in western Mexico and east of the Isthmus of Tehuantepec where our sampling efforts were limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rivers are known to act as biogeographic barriers in several strictly terrestrial taxa, while possibly serving as conduits of dispersal for freshwater-tolerant or -dependent species. However, the influence of river systems on genetic diversity depends on taxa-specific life history traits as well as other geographic factors. In amphibians, several studies have demonstrated that river systems have only minor influence on their divergence. Here, we assess the role of the paleodrainage systems of the Sunda region (with a focus on the island of Sumatra) in shaping the evolutionary history of two genera of frogs (Sumaterana and Wijayarana) whose tadpoles are highly dependent on cascading stream habitats. Our phylogenetic results show no clear association between the genetic diversification patterns of both anurans genera and the existence of paleodrainage systems. Time-calibrated phylogenies and biogeographical models suggest that these frogs colonized Sumatra and diversified on the island before the occurrence of the Pleistocene drainage systems. Both genera demonstrate phylogenetic structuring along a north–south geographic axis, the temporal dynamics of which coincide with the geological chronology of proto Sumatran and -Javan volcanic islands. Our results also highlight the chronic underestimation of Sumatran biodiversity and call for more intense sampling efforts on the island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new method of coding polymorphic multistate characters for phylogenetic analysis is presented. By dividing such characters into subcharacters, their frequency distributions can be represented with discrete states. Differential weighting is used to counter the effect of representing one character with multiple characters. The new method, generalized frequency coding (GFC), is potentially superior to previously used methods in that it incorporates more information and is applicable to both qualitative and quantitative characters. When applied to a previously published data set that includes both types of polymorphic multistate characters, the method performed well, as assessed with g1 and nonparametric bootstrap statistics and giving results congruent with those of other studies. The data set was also used to compare GFC with both gap-weighting and Manhattan distance step matrix coding. On these grounds and for philosophical reasons, we consider GFC to be a better estimator of phylogeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We infer a dated phylogeny of the longtailed rattlesnakes from nuclear and mtDNA. [•] BI, ML and species tree analysis supported the monophyly of the longtailed species. [•] Longtailed rattlesnakes split form the C. atrox and C. viridis groups 5.1–8.9mya. [•] Longtailed rattlesnakes diverged from each other between 1.5 and 5.6mya. [•] The three longtailed rattlesnakes should be considered separate species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While species boundaries between conspicuously divergent populations of the medically important snake genus Sinomicrurus are well established, instances of erratic chromatic and meristic variation continue to confound taxonomists, since the mid‐1800s. This predicament can be attributed to an inadequate molecular phylogenetic framework and the lack of a comprehensive taxonomic representation of geographic variants. Here, we revisit lineage delineation in this genus, drawing cohesive evidence from a plurality of data and analysis types, including a promising, yet taxonomically under‐utilized, supervised machine learning algorithm (random forest). Overall, this study incorporates data generated by molecular analyses as well as morphometrics and comparative anatomy based on 236 specimens from 28 different natural history collections examined by us, and an additional 161 records from 47 other sources. Our results indicate several very divergent evolutionary lineages concealed as subspecies. Thus, to better reflect this phylogenetic diversity, we raise S. macclellandi iwasakii from the southern Ryukyus and S. m. swinhoei from Taiwan to full species, and resurrect S. annularis. We highlight the need to distinguish at species level the current subspecies of S. japonicus, namely as, S. japonicus and S. boettgeri, and provide diagnostic characters to that end. On the other hand, given unpersuasive support of lineage independence, we sink Taiwanese S. hatori into S. sauteri and S. nigriventer into S. macclellandi. We also meticulously redescribe S. peinani from mainland China and Vietnam based on a substantial number of additional specimens, while synonymizing the recently described S. houi under S. kelloggi. We conclude with a discussion on the role of regional biogeography as a primary driver of cladogenesis in the genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite a considerable amount of research, the systematics of the ranid genus Huia have remained unresolved, mostly owing to insufficient sampling and morphological similarities. As currently circumscribed, Huia consists of five species, but multiple studies have consistently demonstrated that it is not a monophyletic genus. However, no study has approached the problem with adequate data and provided a systematically sound solution, leaving the genus to languish in a classification that is phylogenetically incoherent. We generated the most comprehensive sampling of Huia to date, based on extensive fieldwork in Java and Sumatra. Using an integrative taxonomy framework, we analysed four mitochondrial and two nuclear markers and, in conjunction with tadpole morphology, investigated the phylogenetics of Huia and its congeners. Corroborating previous studies, Huia is recovered as a paraphyletic group. Huia cavitympanum emerges as the sister taxon to Meristogenys. The remaining members of Huia form a monophyletic group, sister to the H. cavitympanum + Meristogenys clade. Our extensive geographical sampling in Sumatra and Java reveals multiple highly divergent lineages that potentially represent undescribed species. Using our expanded molecular and morphological dataset, we resolve the paraphyly of Huia by restricting the genus to its type species and propose a new genus to accommodate the strongly supported clade of Sumatran and Javan populations previously belonging to Huia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Craugastor uno is a direct-developing frog endemic to high-elevation pine-oak forests of the Sierra Madre del Sur in Mexico. The species was described from a single female specimen collected in the state of Guerrero, but otherwise remains poorly known. It is listed as endangered by the IUCN and some authors have considered it extinct. A recent report expanding the range to include montane localities in the state of Oaxaca has been disputed. Herein we describe variation in a group of 7 C. uno specimens that includes males, females, and juveniles collected from 1972 to 2004. We compared individuals from localities in the states of Guerrero and Oaxaca using morphology and several genetic markers. Molecular analyses revealed C. uno exhibits little genetic variation at the loci sampled. Our findings suggest that while the Guerrero and Oaxaca populations have diverged only recently from one another, they appear to be presently isolated and may be distinguished by several distinct quantitative and qualitative morphological traits. We also report multilocus genetic evidence of this putative isolation in the form of regional segregation among haplotypes. However, at this time we refrain from revising the taxonomy owing to our small sample size and limited geographic coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The jumping pitvipers, genus Atropoides, occur at low to middle elevations throughout Middle America. Recent molecular phylogenetic analyses have included all six species of Atropoides, but only two studies have found Atropoides to be monophyletic and questions persist about relationships within the A. nummifer complex. In this study, our phylogenetic analyses of morphological data provide strong support for the monophyly of Atropoides and recover relationships within the genus that are mostly congruent with those of recent molecular studies, further supporting the evolutionary and biogeographic hypotheses proposed in those studies. Our analyses find support for a sister relationship between A. picadoi and the other Atropoides species and an A. occiduus-A. indomitus clade sister to an A. nummifer-A. mexicanus-A. olmec clade. Within the A. nummifer complex, we find A. mexicanus and A. olmec to be sister species to the exclusion of A. nummifer. We include morphological synapomorphies to support each clade within Atropoides and describe and illustrate the hemipenes of each species. In addition, we discuss the importance of morphological phylogenetics and the functionality and limitations of hemipenial data in systematics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of treefrog is described from the central region of the Western Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero, Mexico. This frog is a member of the genus Charadrahyla, which contains five other species that are restricted to mesic highlands in Mexico. It possesses extensive webbing and in particular a hypertrophied membrane between toes I and II. This characteristic distinguishes the species from all other Middle American hylid frogs, except C. trux that also occurs in Sierra Madre del Sur of Guerrero. From C. trux the new form differs in being smaller, having relatively longer legs, aspects of coloration, and in having more prominent cloacal ornamentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The previously unreported tadpole of Leptopelis karissimbensis, an endangered treefrog from Rwanda, is described. Tadpoles were collected, photographed, measured, and examined for standard metrics of tadpole morphology. Larvae of L. karissimbensis resemble other tadpoles in the genus Leptopelis in being muscular, elongate, and eel-like. The lateral tooth row formula for L. karissimbensis is 413. In late stage larvae, tadpoles of L. karissimbensis exhibit a prominent white spot below the eye. Larvae of this species were often abundant in suitable habitat at approximately 2,800 m in elevation. Larval habitat: for L. karissimbensis includes seasonally flooded marshes, forest pools, and permanent ponds in the Virunga Mountains, the only known range of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim We used inferences of phylogenetic relationships and divergence times for three lineages of highland pitvipers to identify broad-scale historical events that have shaped the evolutionary history of Middle American highland taxa, and to test previous hypotheses of Neotropical speciation. Location Middle America (Central America and Mexico). Methods We used 2306 base pairs of mitochondrial gene sequences from 178 individuals to estimate the phylogeny and divergence times of New World pitviper lineages, focusing on three genera ( Atropoides, Bothriechis and Cerrophidion) that are broadly co-distributed across Middle American highlands. Results We found strong correspondence across three highland lineages for temporally and geographically coincident divergences in the Miocene and Pliocene, and further identified widespread within-species divergences across multiple lineages that occurred in the early–middle Pleistocene. Main conclusions Available data suggest that there were at least three major historical events in Middle America that had broad impacts on species divergence and lineage diversification among highland taxa. In addition, we find widespread within-species genetic structure that may be attributable to the climatic changes that affected gene flow among highland taxa during the middle–late Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We describe a new species of the Gonocephalus megalepis group and provide new morphological and distribution data for the three other species of the group. The combination of a wide gap between the nuchal and dorsal crests, distinctly heterogenous scales on the flanks, a gular crest, two large tubercular scales ventral to the tympanum, and 97–125 scales around midbody will distinguish the new species from all congeners. The new species occurs above 1100 m on mountains of Sumatra's southern Bukit Barisan Range below 3°S latitude. Head scales of some specimens were infested by a green, filamentous symbiont, which we tentatively identify as an epizoic plant. Gravid females develop crimson stripes on their gular pouch as an apparent social signal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Oxybelis currently is composed of four taxa despite numerous studies suggesting and describing multiple taxa within the O. aeneus complex. Here, we utilize a multilocus molecular dataset (i.e., cyt b, ND4, 12S, 16S, cmos, PRLR, 3663 bp) to conduct phylogenetic analyses to assess the evolutionary history of Oxybelis. Our molecular analyses find three major lineages of Oxybelis (i.e., O. aeneus complex, O. brevirostris, O. fulgidus complex) with a sister relationship between O. brevirostris and the O. aeneus complex to the exclusion of the O. fulgidus complex. More specifically, O. aeneus appears to harbor at least five taxa currently unrecognized while O. fulgidus was found to be paraphyletic with respect to O. wilsoni, suggesting cryptic diversity and novel taxa in that clade as well. Additionally, we use morphological data in concert with our molecular analyses and the literature to support removing Oxybelis microphthalmus Barbour and Amaral, 1926; Oxybelis potosiensis Taylor, 1941; and Dryophis vittatus Girard, 1854 from the synonymy of O. aeneus. Finally, we describe two new species from Central America and northern South America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lizards of the genus Dendragama are endemic to the highland cloud forests of Sumatra's Barisan Mountain Range in western Indonesia, and recent studies have uncovered widespread diversity within the genus. Here, a suite of morphological characters and mitochondrial DNA are used to compare three geographically isolated populations of D. boulengeri from (1) Mount Kerinci in Jambi province, (2) Mount Marapi of west Sumatra, and (3) the Karo Highlands of north Sumatra. Additional phylogeographic analyses with two recently described sister species, D. australis and D. dioidema were conducted. Five genetically distinct clades of Dendragama, all distributed allopatrically of one another were identified and some are suspected to inhabit small distributions. Morphological and genetic data confirm the Karo Highlands population D. schneideri (previously Acanthosaura schneideri Ahl, 1926) should be revalidated from the synonymy of D. boulengeri. Dendragama schneideri is endemic to montane forests of the Karo Highlands surrounding Lake Toba in Sumatra Utara province. Pairwise genetic distances of 6-11% separate D. schneideri from congeners. Two distinct clades of D. boulengeri from Mount Kerinci and Mount Marapi were identified, which are 5.0% genetically distant from one another. Using morphological characters, we provide the first key for distinguishing between species of Dendragama. Based on biogeographic patterns and levels of genetic variation it is suspected that at least 18 other isolated cloud forest locations may hold new species or divergent populations of Dendragama but lack survey work. Collectively, these comparisons among populations of montane lizards further elucidate the complex biogeographic history of Sumatra's montane forest species and the first phylogeny of the genus Dendragama. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catastrophic events, such as volcanic eruptions, can have profound impacts on the demographic histories of resident taxa. Due to its presumed effect on biodiversity, the Pleistocene eruption of super‐volcano Toba has received abundant attention. We test the effects of the Toba eruption on the diversification, genetic diversity, and demography of three co‐distributed species of parachuting frogs (Genus Rhacophorus) on Sumatra. We generate target‐capture data (~950 loci and ~440,000 bp) for three species of parachuting frogs and use these data paired with previously generated double digest restriction‐site associated DNA (ddRADseq) data to estimate population structure and genetic diversity, to test for population size changes using demographic modelling, and to estimate the temporal clustering of size change events using a full‐likelihood Bayesian method. We find that populations around Toba exhibit reduced genetic diversity compared with southern populations, and that northern populations exhibit a shift in effective population size around the time of the eruption (~80 kya). However, we infer a stronger signal of expansion in southern populations around ~400 kya, and at least two of the northern populations may have also expanded at this time. Taken together, these findings suggest that the Toba eruption precipitated population declines in northern populations, but that the demographic history of these three species was also strongly impacted by mid‐Pleistocene forest expansion during glacial periods. We propose local rather than regional effects of the Toba eruption, and emphasize the dynamic nature of diversification on the Sunda Shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We review morphology and systematics of Phoxophrys using new specimens of previously rare species. In addition to external characters, we relied heavily on skull morphology visualized using computed tomography data of all currently recognized species in this genus. Phylogenetic analysis of ND4, 12S, and 16S mDNA sequences reveal that Ph. tuberculata is sister to a clade containing Dendragama, Lophocalotes, and insular Pseudocalotes. Phoxophrys tuberculata is only distantly related to Bornean congeners. Phylogenetic analysis of 29 morphological characters scored for all the species of Phoxophrys and a diverse set of 22 outgroup taxa found four well-supported lineages: Ph. tuberculata, a clade of all Bornean congeners, Ph. nigrilabris, and a clade of the four large Bornean species. To resolve paraphyly of Phoxophrys, we revalidate Pelturagonia Mocquard for all Bornean species of this genus. As redefined, Phoxophrys contains a single species: Ph. tuberculata of Sumatra. We describe a new species of Pelturagonia from the Meratus Range of southeastern Kalimantan. The new species is the sister species of Pe. spiniceps. Like that species, it differs from congeners in having large, dorsally projecting scales between the dorsolateral caudal crests and a postorbital process of the frontal bone reaching the postciliary ornament. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five specimens of Lepidophyma radula were collected recently near San Pablo Villa de Mitla, Oaxaca. The species had not been collected since its description in 1942. A redescription of the holotype is presented, including new and important taxonomic characters proposed by other workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Greater Sunda region of South-east Asia supports a rich diversity of economically and ecologically important species. However, human pressures are reshaping contemporary biogeography across the region. Megafaunal distributional patterns have been particularly affected because of deforestation, poaching and human–wildlife conflict. Crocodilians are at the centre of these conflicts in Indonesia and yet remain poorly studied across much of the archipelago. We conducted population surveys of salt-water crocodiles Crocodylus porosus and false gharials Tomistoma schlegelii in Sumatra, and examined whether crocodile abundance and distribution are correlated with variations in human disturbance, fishing pressure, and habitat type. We then used these data to model remaining suitable habitat for T. schlegelii across South-east Asia. We found that abundance of T. schlegelii and C. porosus was correlated with distance from human settlements, and fish-trapping pressure. We recorded the presence of T. schlegelii in a river system in which it was previously unknown, thus expanding the known range of the species. We also found that the predicted remaining suitable habitat for T. schlegelii in Indonesia is largely limited to areas of low human activity. From these empirical and modelling approaches we propose several key conservation priorities: (1) eliminate the use of fish traps in remaining patches of T. schlegelii habitat, (2) prioritize crocodile population surveys in remaining suitable habitat, particularly in remote areas, (3) consider T. schlegelii to be potentially Endangered locally in Sumatra, and (4) expand existing reserves around the Lower Kampar River and Berbak National Park/Sembilang National Park areas of Sumatra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Highlights • Sumatran and Javan bent-toed geckos are most closely related to species from the Thai-Malay Peninsula. • Cyrtodactylus most likely dispersed to Sumatra three times during the late Oligocene and early Miocene. • Cyrtodactylus invaded west Java from the Sumatra once in the early Miocene. • Data support lowland connections over highland land bridges as dispersal pathways. Abstract Complex geological processes often drive biotic diversification on islands. The islands of Sumatra and Java have experienced dramatic historical changes, including isolation by marine incursions followed by periodic connectivity with the rest of Sundaland across highland connections. To determine how this geological history influenced island invasions, we investigated the colonization history and diversification of bent-toed geckos (genus Cyrtodactylus) on Sumatra and west Java. We used mitochondrial and nuclear sequence data to explore species boundaries, estimate phylogenetic relationships and divergence times, and to reconstruct ancestral range evolution. We found that Sumatran and Javan Cyrtodactylus were closely related to species from the Thai-Malay Peninsula, rather than from Borneo, and that Cyrtodactylus most likely dispersed to Sumatra three times during the late Oligocene and early Miocene. Similarly, Cyrtodactylus invaded west Java from Sumatra once in the early Miocene. Our results suggest that despite isolation by marine incursions during much of the Miocene, Cyrtodactylus dispersed to and from Sumatra and west Java likely via land bridges, and that in situ diversification occurred several times on Sumatra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of frog in the genus Microhyla is described from Sumatra, Indonesia based on molecular and morphological characters. This new species was previously confused with M. achatina, a Javan endemic. This new species is diagnosable from its congeners by possessing a medium size (SVL in adult males 18.20-21.32 mm, in adult females 20.37-25.51 mm), a stout body, a nostril-eyelid length being about half of the snout length, having a single outer palmar tubercle, a tibiotarsal articulation reaching the center of the eye (when the hindlimbs are stretched and adpressed to the body), having finger and toe tips dilated, having the dorsum with medial longitudinal grooves, and excibiting a very thin and short dark stripe on the temporal region above a wider cream stripe, extending from the postorbital area to insertion of forelimb. Additionally, the new species is characterized by possessing relatively little foot webbing. Uncorrected 16S rRNA sequence divergences between the new taxon and sequences for other congeneric species available ranged from 4.8 to 15.0%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tricarinate skink Scincus multifasciatus was described by Kuhl in 1820, without the subsequent designation of a type specimen or specific type locality. In 1930, Mertens assigned the type locality as Java, Indonesia, but still with no type specimen. Therefore, in order to stabilize the name with a recognized type specimen, we designate a neotype for Eutropis multifasciata from western Java, and we accept Merten's type locality assignment. We examined all the available synonym type voucher specimens of E. multifasciata and associated subspecies deposited in museum collections throughout Europe, Indonesia, and India. Examination of the types of E. m. balinensis and E. m. tjendikianensis show nearly identical to the forma typica. Hence, we synonymize both subspecies to E. multifasciata. We compared the holotypes of E. macrophthalma (type locality: Java) and E. grandis (type locality: Sulawesi). Interestingly, the two species are morphologically and genetically nearly identical, and there are no diagnostic characters for their separation. Thus, we synonymize E. grandis with E. macrophthalma. The two type specimens of E. macrophthalma reached Europe from Java, through commercial animal trade, hence their type locality "Java" is suspicious. Eutropis macrophthalma has never been recorded from Java and the two type specimens probably originated in Sulawesi, from which museum vouchered specimens with precise locality are known. We consider E. macrophthalma to be a Sulawesi endemic, and conclude that the recorded type locality, Java, is erroneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]