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P. K. Prasadan - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

Rongquan Zheng - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Complete mitochondrial genomes of Nanorana taihangnica and N. yunnanensis (Anura: Dicroglossidae) with novel gene arrangements and phylogenetic relationship of Dicroglossidae.
    BMC evolutionary biology, 2018
    Co-Authors: Jia-yong Zhang, Le-ping Zhang, Kenneth B. Storey, Rongquan Zheng
    Abstract:

    Complete mitochondrial (mt) genomes have been used extensively to test hypotheses about microevolution and to study population structure, phylogeography, and phylogenetic relationships of Anura at various taxonomic levels. Large-scale mt genomic reorganizations have been observed among many fork-tongued frogs (family Dicroglossidae). The relationships among Dicroglossidae and validation of the genus Feirana are still problematic. Hence, we sequenced the complete mt genomes of Nanorana taihangnica (=F. taihangnica) and N. yunnanensis as well as partial mt genomes of six Quasipaa species (dicroglossid taxa), two Odorrana and two Amolops species (Ranidae), and one Rhacophorus species (Rhacophoridae) in order to identify unknown mt gene rearrangements, to investigate the validity of the genus Feirana, and to test the phylogenetic relationship of Dicroglossidae. In the mt genome of N. taihangnica two trnM genes, two trnP genes and two control regions were found. In addition, the trnA, trnN, trnC, and trnQ genes were translocated from their typical positions. In the mt genome of N. yunnanensis, three control regions were found and eight genes (ND6, trnP, trnQ, trnA, trnN, trnC, trnY and trnS genes) in the L-stand were translocated from their typical position and grouped together. We also found intraspecific rearrangement of the mitochondrial genomes in N. taihangnica and Quasipaa boulengeri. In phylogenetic trees, the genus Feirana nested deeply within the clade of genus Nanorana, indicating that the genus Feirana may be a synonym to Nanorana. Ranidae as a sister clade to Dicroglossidae and the clade of (Ranidae + Dicroglossidae) as a sister clade to (Mantellidae + Rhacophoridae) were well supported in BI analysis but low bootstrap in ML analysis. We found that the gene arrangements of N. taihangnica and N. yunnanensis differed from other published dicroglossid mt genomes. The gene arrangements in N. taihangnica and N. yunnanensis could be explained by the Tandem Duplication and Random Loss (TDRL) and the Dimer-Mitogenome and Non-Random Loss (DMNR) models, respectively. The invalidation of the genus Feirana is supported in this study.

  • The advertisement calls of Quasipaa shini (Ahl, 1930) (Anura: Dicroglossidae)
    Zootaxa, 2016
    Co-Authors: Shen Shen Kong, Rongquan Zheng, Qi Peng Zhang
    Abstract:

    The genus Quasipaa (Family Dicroglossidae) is currently composed of 11 species distributed in China and Southeast Asia: Quasipaa acanthophora (Dubois & Ohler 2009), Q. boulengeri (Gunther 1889), Q. courtoisi (Angel 1922), Q. delacouri (Angel 1928),  Q. exilispinosa (Liu & Hu, 1975), Q. fasciculispina (Inger 1970),  Q. jiulongensis (Huang & Liu, 1985),  Q. shini (Ahl 1930), Q. spinosa (David 1875), Q. verrucospinosa (Bourret 1937),  Q. yei (Chen, Qu & Jiang 2002) (Frost 2016). These species are morphologically similar, and their taxonomy is subject to controversy (Che et al. 2009). Analyses of nuclear and mitochondrial genes suggest the genus likely encompass additional cryptic species (Ye et al. 2013). Bioacoustics has contributed to studies on the taxonomy of the genus (Ye et al. 2013; Shen et al. 2015), however, to date, only the advertisement calls of Q. spinosa are known (Yu & Zheng 2009; Chen et al. 2012; Shen et al. 2015). Here, we describe the advertisement calls of Q. shini , which inhabits streams in the southern part of central China(Guizhou, Hunan, Guangxi and Jiangxi) and is characterized by the presence of keratinized skin spines on the lateral surfaces of the body.

  • The complete mitochondrial genome of Hoplobatrachus rugulosus (Anura: Dicroglossidae).
    Mitochondrial DNA, 2012
    Co-Authors: Jia-yong Zhang, Rongquan Zheng, Chen Shao
    Abstract:

    The mitochondrial genome of Hoplobatrachus rugulosus (Anura: Dicroglossidae) is a circular molecule of 20,309 bp in length, containing 39 genes (including the extra copy of ND5 and tRNAMet genes). The following four distinctive features are observed: the cluster of rearranged tRNA genes (TPF tRNA gene cluster), the translocation of tRNALeu(CUN) and ND5 genes, the tandem duplication of tRNAMet genes (Met1 and Met2), and the duplicated d-loop–ND5 regions.

Awadh M. Al-johany - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Amphibians distribution and habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia.
    Saudi journal of biological sciences, 2018
    Co-Authors: Abdulaziz R. Alqahtani, Awadh M. Al-johany
    Abstract:

    This study surveyed 205 wetland sites in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia. We found seven species of amphibians (Anura), which belong to four families: Bufonidae; which includes four species, Sclerophrys tihamica; S. Arabica, Duttaphrynus dhufarensis, and Bufotes viridis; Hylidae, represented by only one species, the tree frog Hyla savignyi; Ranidae, which represented by one species, Pelophylax ridibundus and finally the Dicroglossidae, represented by one species, Euphlyctis ehrenbergii. The reasonable amount of rain received in southwest Arabia, and habitat diversity contribute to the relative abundance of amphibians in the region. Five types of wetland habitats were found in the study area. Valley streams, irrigated farms, seasonal ponds, dam reservoir and lagoons of treated sewage water. The current study revealed the wide spread of amphibians in southwestern Saudi Arabia than what had been reported earlier and confirmed the presence of the Bufotes viridis at three new sites in Asir Heights. It also showed the wide spread of S. arabica in all types of habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Habitat degradation was evident in the region, which might lead to species loss.

  • Amphibians distribution and habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia
    Elsevier, 2018
    Co-Authors: Abdulaziz R. Al-qahtani, Awadh M. Al-johany
    Abstract:

    This study surveyed 205 wetland sites in the Southwestern Saudi Arabia. We found seven species of amphibians (Anura), which belong to four families: Bufonidae; which includes four species, Sclerophrys tihamica; S. Arabica, Duttaphrynus dhufarensis, and Bufotes viridis; Hylidae, represented by only one species, the tree frog Hyla savignyi; Ranidae, which represented by one species, Pelophylax ridibundus and finally the Dicroglossidae, represented by one species, Euphlyctis ehrenbergii. The reasonable amount of rain received in southwest Arabia, and habitat diversity contribute to the relative abundance of amphibians in the region. Five types of wetland habitats were found in the study area. Valley streams, irrigated farms, seasonal ponds, dam reservoir and lagoons of treated sewage water. The current study revealed the wide spread of amphibians in southwestern Saudi Arabia than what had been reported earlier and confirmed the presence of the Bufotes viridis at three new sites in Asir Heights. It also showed the wide spread of S. arabica in all types of habitats in the southwestern region of Saudi Arabia. Habitat degradation was evident in the region, which might lead to species loss. Keywords: Amphibians, Distribution, Habitat, Anura, Bufonidae, Hylidae, Ranidae, Dicroglossidae, Saudi Arabi

Jing Che - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • A new species of rain-pool frog (Dicroglossidae: Fejervarya) from western Thailand.
    Zoological research, 2017
    Co-Authors: Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Fang Yan, Ke Jiang, Zhiyong Yuan, Wei Gao, Jing Che
    Abstract:

    We describe a new species, Fejervarya muangkanensis sp. nov ., based on a series of specimens collected from Ban Tha Khanun, Thong Pha Phum District, Kanchanaburi Province, Thailand. The new species is easily distinguished from its congeners by morphological and molecular data, and can be diagnosed by the following characters: (1) small size (adult male snout-vent length (SVL) 33.5 mm; female SVL 40.0-40.9 mm); (2) tympanum small, discernible but unclear; (3) poorly developed toe webbing; (4) no lateral line system in adults; (5) characteristic "Fejervaryan" lines present in females; and (6) femoral glands absent. Molecular phylogenetic analysis of mitochondrial 16S rRNA further supports it as a distinct lineage and distinguishes it from its congeners for which sequences are available.

  • a new species of genus fejervarya anura Dicroglossidae from northern thailand
    Zoological Research, 2016
    Co-Authors: Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Fang Yan, Zhiyong Yuan, Nikolay A Poyarkov, Somboon Kamtaeja, Robert W Murphy, Jing Che
    Abstract:

    We describe a new species of frog in the dicroglossid genus Fejervarya from Ban Monjong, Omkoi District, Chiang Mai Province, northern Thailand. Analysis of DNA sequence data from the mitochondrial gene 16S, advertisement calls, and morphological distinctiveness support recognition of the new species. Matrilineal genealogy suggests that the new population from Chiang Mai is a sister taxon to the South Asian clade that includes F. syhadrensis, F. granosa, and F. pierrei. The new species, Fejervarya chiangmaiensis sp. nov ., differs morphologically from its congeners by its relatively small body size and proportions and the presence of dorsal warts and dermal ridges. Discovery of this new species indicates that the biodiversity of amphibians in this region remains underestimated.

  • The Australasian frog family Ceratobatrachidae in China, Myanmar and Thailand: discovery of a new Himalayan forest frog clade.
    Dong wu xue yan jiu = Zoological research, 2016
    Co-Authors: Fang Yan, Ke Jiang, Kai Wang, Jie-qiong Jin, Chatmongkon Suwannapoom, Jens V. Vindum, Rafe M. Brown, Jing Che
    Abstract:

    In an effort to study the systematic affinities and specieslevel phylogenetic relationships of the enigmatic anurans variably assigned to the genera Ingerana or Limnonectes (family Dicroglossidae), we collected new molecular sequence data for five species including four Himalayan taxa, Limnonectes xizangensis, Lim. medogensis, Lim. alpine, Ingerana borealis and one southeast Asian species, I. tasanae, and analyzed these together with data from previous studies involving other ostensibly related taxa. Our surprising results demonstrate unequivocally that Lim. xizangensis, Lim. medogensis and Lim. alpine form a strongly supported clade, the sister-group of the family Australasian forest frog family Ceratobatrachidae. This discovery requires an expansion of the definition of Ceratobatrachidae and represents the first record of this family in China. These three species are distinguished from the species of Ingerana and Limnonectes by the: (1) absence of interdigital webbing of the foot, (2) absence of terminal discs on fingers and toes, (3) absence of circumarginal grooves on the fingers and toes, and (4) absence of tarsal folds. Given their phylogenetic and morphological distinctiveness, we assign them to the oldest available generic name for this clade, Liurana Dubois 1987, and transfer Liurana from Dicroglossidae to the family Ceratobatrachidae. In contrast, Ingerana tasanae was found to be clustered with strong support with the recently described genus Alcalus (Ceratobatrachidae), a small clade of otherwise Sundaic species; this constitutes a new record of the family Ceratobatrachidae for Myanmar and Thailand. Finally, Ingerana borealis clustered with the "true" Ingerana (family Dicroglossidae), for which the type species is I. tenasserimensis.

  • Phylogeny of the Asian spiny frog tribe Paini (Family Dicroglossidae) sensu Dubois.
    Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 2008
    Co-Authors: Jing Che, Dingqi Rao, Robert W Murphy, Wei-wei Zhou, Theodore J. Papenfuss, Ming-yong Chen, Ya-ping Zhang
    Abstract:

    The anuran tribe Paini, family Dicroglossidae, is known in this group only from Asia. The phylogenetic relationships and often the taxonomic recognition of species are controversial. In order to stabilize the classification, we used approximately 2100 bp of nuclear (rhodopsin, tyrosinase) and mitochondrial (12S, 16S rRNA) DNA sequence data to infer the phylogenetic relationships of these frogs. Phylogenetic trees reconstructed using Bayesian inference and maximum parsimony methods supported a monophyletic tribe Paini. Two distinct groups (I, II) were recovered with the mtDNA alone and the total concatenated data (mtDNA + nuDNA). The recognition of two genera, Quasipaa and Nanorana, was supported. Group I, Quasipaa, is widespread east of the Hengduan Mountain Ranges and consists of taxa from relatively low elevations in southern China, Vietnam and Laos. Group II, Nanorana, contains a mix of species occurring from high to low elevation predominantly in the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau and Hengduan Mountain Ranges. The occurrence of frogs at high elevations appears to be a derived ecological condition. The composition of some major species groups based on morphological characteristics strongly conflicts with the molecular analysis. Some possible cryptic species are indicated by the molecular analyses. The incorporation of genetic data from type localities helped to resolve some of the taxonomic problems, although further combined analyses of morphological data from type specimens are required. The two nuDNA gene segments proved to be very informative for resolving higher phylogenetic relationships and more nuclear data should be explored to be more confident in the relationships.

  • Molecular phylogeny of the Chinese ranids inferred from nuclear and mitochondrial DNA sequences
    Biochemical Systematics and Ecology, 2007
    Co-Authors: Jing Che, Junfeng Pang, Hui Zhao, Er-mi Zhao, Ya-ping Zhang
    Abstract:

    The phylogeny of representative species of Chinese ranids was reconstructed using two nuclear (tyrosinase and rhodopsin) and two mitochondrial (12S rRNA, 16S rRNA) DNA fragments. Maximum parsimony, Bayesian, and maximum likelihood analyses were employed. In comparison with the results from nuclear and mitochondrial data, we used nuclear gene data as our preferred phylogenetic hypothesis. We proposed two families (Ranidae, Dicroglossidae) for Chinese ranids, with the exception of genus Ingerana. Within Dicroglossidae, four tribes were supported including Dicroglossini, Paini, Limnonectini, and Occidozygini. A broader sampling strategy and evidence from additional molecular markers are required to decisively evaluate the evolutionary history of Chinese ranids.

Guitang Wang - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.

  • Balantidium grimi n. sp. (Ciliophora, Litostomatea), a new species inhabiting the rectum of the frog Quasipaa spinosa from Lishui, China
    Parasite (Paris France), 2018
    Co-Authors: Zhao Weishan, Dong Zhang, Runqiu Wang, Yingzhen Zheng, Hong Zou, Guitang Wang
    Abstract:

    Balantidium grimi n. sp. is described from the rectum of the frog Quasipaa spinosa (Amphibia, Dicroglossidae) from Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China. The new species is described by both light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a molecular phylogenetic analysis is also presented. This species has unique morphological features in that the body shape is somewhat flattened and the vestibulum is “V”-shaped, occupying nearly 3/8 to 4/7 of the body length. Only one contractile vacuole, situated at the posterior body, was observed. The phylogenetic analysis based on SSU-rDNA indicates that B.  grimi groups together with B.  duodeni and B.  entozoon . In addition, the genus Balantidium is clearly polyphyletic.

  • n. sp. (Ciliophora, Litostomatea), a new species inhabiting the rectum of the frog
    EDP Sciences, 1
    Co-Authors: Weishan Zhao, Dong Zhang, Runqiu Wang, Yingzhen Zheng, Hong Zou, Guitang Wang
    Abstract:

    Balantidium grimi n. sp. is described from the rectum of the frog Quasipaa spinosa (Amphibia, Dicroglossidae) from Lishui, Zhejiang Province, China. The new species is described by both light microscopy (LM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and a molecular phylogenetic analysis is also presented. This species has unique morphological features in that the body shape is somewhat flattened and the vestibulum is “V”-shaped, occupying nearly 3/8 to 4/7 of the body length. Only one contractile vacuole, situated at the posterior body, was observed. The phylogenetic analysis based on SSU-rDNA indicates that B. grimi groups together with B. duodeni and B. entozoon. In addition, the genus Balantidium is clearly polyphyletic