Filogeografia, limites específicos e história evolutiva de duas espécies de anuros no domínio da Caatinga

Abstract

Unveil the patterns and processes of diversification of the Neotropical biota has been the challenge of biogeographers for decades. With the rise of molecular methods, phylogeography is a powerful method that combines genetic data and the biogeography of organisms. Among herpetofauna, aquatic dependence and low dispersive capacity are requirements attributed as a justification for amphibians not having a wide distribution. In this context, biologically distinct species, but with a similar distribution may respond differently to the same historical-demographic processes and environmental barriers. Thus, we used phylogeographic inferences to compare the evolutionary history of Corythomantis greeningi and Rhinella jimi in the Caatinga and adjacent areas. We collected tissue samples covering the entire distribution of both species and used a multilocus approach, sequencing

mitochondrial and nuclear genes (five for C. greeningi and four for R. jimi). We use genetic, historical- demographic reconstructions and ecological niche modeling for both species. We obtained 98

sequences for C. greeningi and 135 for R. jimi. Bayesian mitochondrial gene tree reconstruction recovered structure only for C. greeningi, associated with the Espinhaço Mountain Range. Population assignment recovered three populations for C. greeningi with sharing of haplotypes between two of them, while R. jimi recovered only a widely distributed population. We tested the populations of C. greeningi using coalescent delimitation methods (BPP) and found that the population associated with Espinhaço is a new species of Corythomantis. The same analysis attested to the taxonomic validity of R. jimi, but haplotypical reconstructions showed sharing of haplotypes between R. jimi and two phylogenetically close species: R. marina and R. diptycha. We tested six diversification scenarios with approximate Bayesian computation for Corythomantis and the best model indicates divergence of the new species at the beginning of the Pliocene, and population expansion and gene flow among C. greeningi populations. Historical-demographic inferences also showed population changes in R. jimi during the Pleistocene. Finally, we describe a new species of Corythomantis restricted to the Espinhaço Chain. The new species substantially differs from C. greeningi genetically, morphologically and acoustically.