Microhyla

<i>Microhyla</i>

Microhyla

Genus of amphibians


Microhyla, commonly known as the rice frogs or narrow-mouthed frogs, is a genus of frogs in the family Microhylidae. It consists of 42 species of diminutive frogs.[1] Members of this genus are widespread from Ryukyu Is. in Japan, and throughout South-east Asia, (China, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, India and Sri Lanka).[2]

Quick Facts Microhyla, Scientific classification ...

Taxonomy

In 2021, nine species of Microhyla were moved to Nanohyla on the basis of morphological and phylogenetic differences.[1] Microhyla pulverata was found to be a junior synonym of Nanohyla marmorata based on phylogenetic evidence.[3]

Diagnosis

According to Seshadri et al. (2016),[4] this genus can be diagnosed using the following set of criteria: Adult frogs are of small size; pupil circular; skin on dorsum smooth; lateral side of body with markings from back of eye to vent; supratympanic fold present in adults; paratoid glands are absent, fingers without webbing, finger tips may or may not be dilated; oval tongue, its margin is entire and free at the base; the diameter of eye is smaller than snout; a thin layer of skin hides the tympanum; tubercles on hand distinct; distinct oval shaped inner metatarsal tubercle and rounded outer metatarsal tubercle; webbing in feet, rudimentary.

Evolutionary relationships

The genus Microhyla is closely related to Glyphoglossus within the family Microhylidae.[2][5] Members of the genus Microhyla began diversifying from the most common ancestor around 45 million years ago and this resulted in forming Metaphrynella and Microhyla.[5] However, ascertaining the phylogenetic relationship of frogs within Microhyla has been difficult as many species are not monophyletic.[6]

A 2021 study on the relationship between Microhyla and Glyphoglossus found that nine species within Microhyla actually belong to a separate lineage. They have been subsequently moved to the new genus, Nanohyla.[1]

Species

The following species are recognised in the genus Microhyla:[2][4][7]

More information Binomial Name and Author, Common Name ...

In central Vietnam, several new species of Microhyla have been described in the 2000s:

Several new species of Microhyla have been described since 2018.

Phylogeny

The following phylogeny of the genus Microhyla is from Khatiwada, et al. (2017).[12] 27 species are listed, including various newly described species from South Asia. (Note: the chart below includes some species that have since been moved to Nanohyla including N. annectens and N. perparva.)

Microhyla 

References

  1. Gorin VA, Scherz MD, Korost DB, Poyarkov NA (2021-12-01). "Consequences of parallel miniaturisation in Microhylinae (Anura, Microhylidae), with the description of a new genus of diminutive South East Asian frogs". Zoosystematics and Evolution. 97 (1): 21–54. doi:10.3897/zse.97.57968. ISSN 1435-1935.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. 2016. Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0 (Date of access). Electronic Database accessible at http://research.amnh.org/herpetology/amphibia/index.doc. American Museum of Natural History, New York, USA.
  3. Roelants K, Gower DJ, Wilkinson M, Loader SP, Biju SD, Guillaume K, et al. (January 2007). "Global patterns of diversification in the history of modern amphibians". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 104 (3): 887–92. Bibcode:2007PNAS..104..887R. doi:10.1073/pnas.0608378104. PMC 1783409. PMID 17213318.
  4. Peloso PL, Frost DR, Richards SJ, Rodrigues MT, Donnellan S, Matsui M, et al. (2015). "The impact of anchored phylogenomics and taxon sampling on phylogenetic inference in narrow‐mouthed frogs (Anura, Microhylidae)". Cladistics. 32 (2): 1–28. doi:10.1111/cla.12118. S2CID 84925667.
  5. Poyarkov Jr NA, Vassilieva AB, Orlov NL, Galoyan EA, Dao TT, Le DT, et al. (2014). "Taxonomy and distribution of narrow-mouth frogs of the genus Microhyla Tschudi, 1838 (Anura: Microhylidae) from Vietnam with descriptions of five new species". Russian Journal of Herpetology. 21: 89–148.
  6. Perinchery A (2018-05-16). "Newest frog for India from Karnataka". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 2018-05-18.
  7. Wijayathilaka N, Garg S, Senevirathne G, Karunarathna N, Biju SD, Meegaskumbura M (January 2016). "A new species of Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Sri Lanka: an integrative taxonomic approach". Zootaxa. 4066 (3): 331–42. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4066.3.9. PMID 27395556.
  8. Matsui M, Hamidy A, Eto K (2013). "Description of a new species of Microhyla from Bali, Indonesia (Amphibia, Anura)". Zootaxa. 3670 (4): 579–90. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3670.4.9. PMID 26438961.
  9. Khatiwada JR, Shu GC, Wang SH, Thapa A, Wang B, Jiang J (April 2017). "A new species of the genus Microhyla (Anura: Microhylidae) from Eastern Nepal". Zootaxa. 4254 (2): 221–239. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.4254.2.4. PMID 28609972.

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