High speciation in the cryptic <i>Pristimantis celator</i> clade (Anura: Strabomantidae) of the Mira river basin, Ecuador-Colombia.

ABSTRACT: Over the past decade, research in the montane forests of the Mira River basin, spanning Ecuador and Colombia, has identified it as crucial for the adaptive radiation of flora and fauna, shaped by its complex geological and climatic history. This study focuses on the phylogenetic and systematic revision of a frog clade initially labeled as Pristimantis verecundus, revealing significant cryptic diversity. Through detailed analyses of type material and expanded molecular sampling, we found that the original description actually included specimens representing two additional species, which are described herein. In this work, we discovered and formally described four new species within montane forests at elevations from 1,600 to 2,300 meters. Genetic distances of 3.34% to 14% and clear m

SUBMITTER: Yanez-Munoz MH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11786716 | biostudies-literature | 2025

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature