Phylogenetic relationships among marsupial frog genera (Anura: Hylidae: Hemiphractinae) based on evidence from morphology and natural history

Abstract

We reassess the phylogenetic relationships of genera of hemiphractine hylid frogs (Marsupial Treefrogs) and discuss the evolution of several distinctive characters within this group using parsimony analysis. Fifty-one morphological and life-history characters were sampled from two species of Cryptobatrachus, three species of Flectonotus, 17 species of Gastrotheca, all five species of Hemiphractus, and one species of Stefania as the ingroup and three hyline, one phyllomedusine, and one pelodryadine species as outgroups. Our results support the monophyly of Flectonotus, Cryptobatrachus, and Hemiphractus. Gastrotheca is paraphyletic with respect to Hemiphractus; dorsal pouches were lost in the ancestor of Hemiphractus. Direct development is a synapomorphy for Hemiphractinae and tadpoles were regained independently several times. These results stand in stark contrast to the prevailing paradigm regarding marsupial frog relationships. © 2000 The Linnean Society of London.