A phylogenetic analysis of Pseudopaludicola (Anura) providing evidence of progressive chromosome reduction

Abstract

Here, we present a molecular phylogenetic analysis of the Neotropical genus P seudopaludicola focusing on species relationships including 11 of the 17 known species of P seudopaludicola ; several samples of P seudopaludicola are not assigned to any species; and 34 terminal species as an outgroup. The study was based on the analysis of approximately 2.3 kb of the sequence of the mitochondrial 12S rRNA , tRNA val and 16S rRNA genes through maximum parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic reconstruction approaches. Our results showed that P seudopaludicola is a well‐supported monophyletic group organized into four major clades and confirmed that the assemblage of species that lack T‐shaped terminal phalanges is paraphyletic with respect to the P . pusilla Group. Chromosomal data mapped on the cladogram showed a direct correlation among the four clades and observed chromosome numbers (2 n = 22, 20, 18 and 16) with a progressive reduction in the chromosome number. Overall, our findings suggest that some taxonomic changes are necessary and reinforce the need for a revision of the genus P seudopaludicola .

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