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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 present a taxonomic review and systematic revision of the Eyelash Palm-Pitviper Bothriechis schlegelii (Berthold, 1846) based on examination of 400 museum specimens, a phylogeographic analysis of 818 locality records, and 80 individuals sampled for molecular characters. We find morphological and phylogenetic support for five new species of Bothriechis Peters, 1859, which we describe here based on their unique combination of molecular, meristic, hemipenial, and color pattern characteristics. They are: B. klebbai sp. nov., B. rasikusumorum sp. nov., B. khwargi sp. nov., B. rahimi sp. nov., and B. hussaini sp. nov. Finally, we revalidate the names B. nigroadspersus (Steindachner, 1870), B. nitidus (Günther, 1859), and B. torvus (Posada Arango, 1889a), and provide a redescription of B. schlegelii. [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]

Evidence of fluctuations in transport have long been predicted in 3He. They are expected to contribute only within 100μK of Tc and play a vital role in the theoretical modeling of ordering; they encode details about the Fermi liquid parameters, pairing symmetry, and scattering phase shifts. It is expected that they will be of crucial importance for transport probes of the topologically nontrivial features of superfluid 3He under strong confinement. Here we characterize the temperature and pressure dependence of the fluctuation signature, by monitoring the quality factor of a quartz tuning fork oscillator. We have observed a fluctuation-driven reduction in the viscosity of bulk 3He, finding data collapse consistent with the predicted theoretical behavior. Early theoretical work predicted that fluctuations above the superfluid transition in liquid 3He should be observable in viscosity. Baten et al. document the reduction of the viscosity due to fluctuations, by monitoring the quality factor of a resonator immersed in 3He as a function of pressure and temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 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 [...]

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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]