Date of Award
2025-08-01
Degree Name
Master of Science
Department
Biological Sciences
Advisor(s)
Eli Greenbaum
Abstract
Amietia is a pyxicephalid anuran genus that is prevalent throughout central, southern, and eastern portions of sub-Saharan Africa. Recent phylogenetic studies have been in conflict regarding the validity and composition of several Amietia species in the Albertine Rift region. The goals of this study are to: (1) generate an updated molecular phylogeny for Central African Amietia with new sampling; (2) clarify the relationship between the previously unsampled taxa A. amieti and A. chapini; (3) clarify the status of A. desaegeri; and (4) confirm the taxonomic status of potentially new species. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods were used to generate phylogenetic trees from three mitochondrial (12S, 16S, and cyt b) genes and one nuclear (RAG1) gene. Based on my findings, I synonymize A. amieti (Laurent, 1976) and A. sp. 6 (sensu Larson et al. 2016) with A. chapini (Noble, 1924), and A. desaegeri (Laurent, 1972) with A. nutti (Boulenger, 1896). I describe two new species that are endemic to the Albertine Rift, a region renowned for its amphibian endemicity.
Language
en
Provenance
Received from ProQuest
Copyright Date
2025-08
File Size
98 p.
File Format
application/pdf
Rights Holder
Jesus Manuel Reyes
Recommended Citation
Reyes, Jesus Manuel, "Systematics Of African River Frogs (anura: Pyxicephalidae: Amietia) In Central Africa, With The Description Of Two New Species" (2025). Open Access Theses & Dissertations. 4449.
https://scholarworks.utep.edu/open_etd/4449