NEWS - Researchers from Anhui Normal University in Wuhu, Wuyishan National Nature Reserve in Shangrao, and a French national report a new species of newt, Hypselotriton huanggangensis, described based on nine specimens collected from the Huanggangshan Mountains, Yanshan County, Jiangxi, China.
Taxonomists have not reached a consensus on the species concept and method for species delimitation, despite more than a century of efforts. One proposal to solve this problem is the principle of "subdivision" to understand the natural history of species more effectively and consistent actions in taxonomy and conservation biology practices.
Zhihao Jiang and team calculated that the genetic distance based on the ND2 gene fragment between H. huanggangensis and its sister species H. fudingensis is not very large, but the morphological differences between the two are very obvious. The two species are also isolated by topographic barriers, including the Wuyishan and Jiufengshan Mountains. These barriers often isolate different amphibian species.
The new species is characterized by a combination of nine external characters, including distinct black spots with distinct borders throughout the body, golden brown dorsal body base color, bright orange ventral base color, rough skin, and weak spinal protrusions.
In addition, the fingers and toes overlap as the forelimbs and hindlimbs meet along the body, the postocular orange spot is absent, small white wart glands around the eyes, and two discontinuous longitudinal lines formed by white wart glands from the neck to the lateral parts of the tail.
The new species forms an independent clade with strong support in the phylogenetic tree based on the mitochondrial locus of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene fragment. The new species is clearly distinct with H. fudingensis due to differences in body size, spinal protrusions, black spots on the back, and black spots on the abdomen.
The genus Hypselotriton has been expanded to 11 species. Seven species were found in the hilly areas of southeastern China, H. huanggangensis, H. jiaoren, H. glaucus, H. maguae, H. orphicus, H. fudingensis, and H. orientalis. The other four are distributed in southwest China. The researchers propose a wider sampling of taxa and molecular data for reliable conclusions on the evolution and taxonomy of Hypselotriton.
Original research
Jiang Z, Huang S, Fan Q, Cheng L, Gong Y, Cui Z, Zhang T, Lan W, Zou Z, Huang X, Raffaëlli J, Chen J (2024). A new species of the newt genus Hypselotriton (Amphibia, Urodela, Salamandridae) from Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. ZooKeys 1208: 331-346. DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1208.126092
Taxonomists have not reached a consensus on the species concept and method for species delimitation, despite more than a century of efforts. One proposal to solve this problem is the principle of "subdivision" to understand the natural history of species more effectively and consistent actions in taxonomy and conservation biology practices.
Zhihao Jiang and team calculated that the genetic distance based on the ND2 gene fragment between H. huanggangensis and its sister species H. fudingensis is not very large, but the morphological differences between the two are very obvious. The two species are also isolated by topographic barriers, including the Wuyishan and Jiufengshan Mountains. These barriers often isolate different amphibian species.
The new species is characterized by a combination of nine external characters, including distinct black spots with distinct borders throughout the body, golden brown dorsal body base color, bright orange ventral base color, rough skin, and weak spinal protrusions.
In addition, the fingers and toes overlap as the forelimbs and hindlimbs meet along the body, the postocular orange spot is absent, small white wart glands around the eyes, and two discontinuous longitudinal lines formed by white wart glands from the neck to the lateral parts of the tail.
The new species forms an independent clade with strong support in the phylogenetic tree based on the mitochondrial locus of the NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 (ND2) gene fragment. The new species is clearly distinct with H. fudingensis due to differences in body size, spinal protrusions, black spots on the back, and black spots on the abdomen.
The genus Hypselotriton has been expanded to 11 species. Seven species were found in the hilly areas of southeastern China, H. huanggangensis, H. jiaoren, H. glaucus, H. maguae, H. orphicus, H. fudingensis, and H. orientalis. The other four are distributed in southwest China. The researchers propose a wider sampling of taxa and molecular data for reliable conclusions on the evolution and taxonomy of Hypselotriton.
Original research
Jiang Z, Huang S, Fan Q, Cheng L, Gong Y, Cui Z, Zhang T, Lan W, Zou Z, Huang X, Raffaëlli J, Chen J (2024). A new species of the newt genus Hypselotriton (Amphibia, Urodela, Salamandridae) from Jiangxi Province, southeastern China. ZooKeys 1208: 331-346. DOI:10.3897/zookeys.1208.126092