Integrative Taxonomy of Neotropical Frogs
Summary
Integrative taxonomy combines multiple lines of evidence—morphological traits, molecular data, bioacoustic signals and ecological or geographical information—to delimit and describe species more robustly than traditional approaches. In the Neotropical region, where frog diversity is exceptionally high and morphological convergence is common, this approach has revealed extensive cryptic diversity. By correlating genetic lineages with diagnostic characters such as skin texture, advertisement calls and habitat preferences, researchers have uncovered numerous previously unrecognised species. Integrative frameworks also provide time-calibrated phylogenies to infer historical biogeography, allowing us to understand how events such as Andean uplift and climatic oscillations have driven speciation. The resulting taxonomic clarity is critical for conservation prioritisation, enabling the identification of endemic and threatened taxa and informing management of key habitats such as montane forests and lowland rainforests.
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Integrative Taxonomy of Neotropical Frogs publication trend
The graph below shows the total number of articles in integrative taxonomy of neotropical frogs across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).
Technical terms
Integrative taxonomy: An approach combining genetic, morphological, behavioural and ecological data to define species boundaries more accurately.
Cryptic species: Distinct species that are externally very similar and thus overlooked without genetic or acoustic analyses.
Molecular phylogenetics: The study of evolutionary relationships using DNA sequence data to reconstruct lineage divergence.
Bioacoustics: The analysis of sound production and reception, often used to distinguish frog species by their calls.
Ecological niche modelling: A computational method predicting species’ suitable habitats based on environmental variables and occurrence records.
References
- The integrative future of taxonomy. Frontiers in Zoology (2010).
- Insights from Integrative Systematics Reveal Cryptic Diversity in Pristimantis Frogs (Anura: Craugastoridae) from the Upper Amazon Basin. PLOS ONE (2015).
- Systematics of Huicundomantis, a new subgenus of Pristimantis (Anura, Strabomantidae) with extraordinary cryptic diversity and eleven new species. ZooKeys (2019).
- A time-calibrated phylogeny of the diversification of Holoadeninae frogs. Frontiers in Bioinformatics (2024).
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