Molecular phylogeny of the Australian frog genera Crinia, Geocrinia, and allied taxa (Anura : Myobatrachidae)

We present a mitochondrial gene tree for representative species of all the genera in the subfamily Myobatrachinae, with special emphasis on Crinia and Geocrinia. This group has been the subject of a number of long-standing ta xonomic and phylogenetic debates. Our phylogeny is based on data from appro ximately 780 bp of 12S rRNA and 676 bp of ND2, and resolves a number of the se problems. We confirm that the morphologically highly derived monotypic g enera Metacrinia, Myobatrachus, and Arenophryne are closely related, and th at Pseudophryne forms the sister group to these genera. Uperoleia and the r ecently described genus Spicospina are also part of this clade. Our data sh ow that Assa and Geocrinia are reciprocally monophyletic and together they form a well-supported clade. Geocrinia is monophyletic and the phylogenetic relationships with the genus are fully resolved with two major species gro ups identified: G. leai G. victoriana, and G. laevis; and G. rosea, G. alba , and G. vitellina (we were unable to sample G. lutea). We confirm that Tau dactylus forms the sister group to the other myobatrachine genera, but our data are equivocal on the phylogenetic position of Paracrinia. The phylogen etic relationships among Crinia species are well resolved with strong suppo rt for a number of distinct monophyletic clades, but more data are required to resolve relationships among these major Crinia clades. Crinia tasmanien sis and Bryobatrachus nimbus form the sister clade to the rest of Crinia. D ue to the lack of generic level synapomorphies for a Bryobatrachus that inc ludes C. tasmaniensis, we synonymize Bryobatrachus with Crinia. Crinia geor giana does not form a clade distinct from other Crinia species and so our d ata do not support recognition of the genus Ranidella for other Crinia spec ies. Crinia subinsignifera, C. pseudinsignifera, and C. insignifera are ext remely closely related despite differences in male advertisement call. A pr eliminary investigation of phylogeographic substructure within C. signifera revealed significant divergence between samples from across the range of t his species. (C) 2001 Academic Press.