Overseas dispersal of Hyperolius reed frogs from Central Africa to the oceanic islands of São Tomé and Príncipe. (20th September 2014)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Bell, Rayna C.; Drewes, Robert C.; Channing, Alan; Gvoždík, Václav; Kielgast, Jos; Lötters, Stefan; Stuart, Bryan L.; Zamudio, Kelly R.; Emerson, Brent
• Is Part Of: Journal of biogeography. Volume 42:Number 1(2015:Jan.)
• Page Start: 65
• Page End: 75
• Publication Date: 2014-09-20
• Subjects: Biogeography -- Periodicals; 578.09
• DOI: 10.1111/jbi.12412
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0305-0270

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jbi12412-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <sec id="jbi12412-sec-0001" sec-type="section"> <title>Aim</title> <p>To infer the colonization history of reed frog species endemic to the oceanic islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, <italic>Hyperolius molleri</italic> and <italic>H. thomensis</italic>, we quantified phylogeographical structure in the closely related <italic>H. cinnamomeoventris</italic> species complex, which is broadly distributed across continental Central Africa.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12412-sec-0002" sec-type="section"> <title>Location</title> <p>The Lower Guineo‐Congolian Forest and the Gulf of Guinea islands of São Tomé and Príncipe, Central Africa.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12412-sec-0003" sec-type="section"> <title>Methods</title> <p>We combined gene and species tree analyses to investigate diversity and divergence among <italic>H. cinnamomeoventris</italic> populations, to identify the most likely dispersal route to the islands, and to infer the order in which the islands were colonized. One of the endemics (<italic>H. molleri</italic>) is distributed on both islands and we quantified genetic divergence between populations.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12412-sec-0004" sec-type="section"> <title>Results</title> <p>We recovered three clades in <italic>H. cinnamomeoventris</italic> corresponding to West‐Central, North/East‐Central and South‐Central Africa. The island endemics form a monophyletic group most closely related to the West‐Central African <italic>H. cinnamomeoventris</italic> clade. Populations of <italic>H. molleri</italic> on São Tomé and Príncipe are reciprocally monophyletic at mitochondrial loci but nuclear gene trees do not support this divergence.</p> </sec> <sec id="jbi12412-sec-0005" sec-type="section"> <title>Main conclusions</title> <p>Genetic structure in the <italic>H. cinnamomeoventris</italic> species complex coincides with biogeographical barriers identified in previous studies of Central African rain forest taxa. Individual gene tree and species tree analyses support a single dispersal event from the Ogooué or Congo river basins (West‐Central Africa) to the island of São Tomé, with subsequent divergence within São Tomé and dispersal to Príncipe.</p> </sec> </abstract>