Among the world's smallest vertebrates: a new miniaturized flea-toad (Brachycephalidae) from the Atlantic rainforest.

ABSTRACT: The genus Brachycephalus includes miniaturized toadlets with two distinct morphotypes: brightly colored species with a bufoniform phenotype and smaller, cryptic species with a leptodactyliform phenotype. The diversity of leptodactyliform species is still underappreciated, and we generally lack fundamental information about their biology. Recent sampling efforts, including DNA analyses and recordings of advertisement calls, have improved our understanding of this group. In the present study, we describe a new species of Brachycephalus, one of the smallest vertebrates known. This new species is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological, bioacoustic, and genetic data. Despite being among the smallest frogs globally (the second smallest amphibian species)

SUBMITTER: Toledo LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11514764 | biostudies-literature | 2024

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature