Yellow sea mediated segregation between North East Asian Dryophytes species

• Published in: PloS one Vol. 15; no. 6; p. e0234299
• Main Authors: Borzée, Amaël, Messenger, Kevin R., Chae, Shinhyeok, Andersen, Desiree, Groffen, Jordy, Kim, Ye Inn, An, Junghwa, Othman, Siti N., Ri, Kyongsin, Nam, Tu Yong, Bae, Yoonhyuk, Ren, Jin-Long, Li, Jia-Tang, Chuang, Ming-Feng, Yi, Yoonjung, Shin, Yucheol, Kwon, Taejoon, Jang, Yikweon, Min, Mi-Sook
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: San Francisco Public Library of Science 24.06.2020; Public Library of Science (PLoS)
• Subjects: Biology; Biology and Life Sciences; Biomedical engineering; Computer and Information Sciences; Conservation; Divergence; Environmental aspects; Genetics; Life sciences; Lowlands; Medicine and Health Sciences; Morphology; Mountains; Natural history; New species; Niches; People and places; Phylogeny; Physical Sciences; Protection and preservation; Research and Analysis Methods; Sea level; Sea level changes; Tree frogs; Veterinary medicine; Wildlife conservation; South Korea; China; Eurasia; United States > US; East Asia; Virginia; Yellow Sea
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0234299

While comparatively few amphibian species have been described on the North East Asian mainland in the last decades, several species have been the subject of taxonomical debates in relation to the Yellow sea. Here, we sampled Dryophytes sp. treefrogs from the Republic of Korea, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and the People's Republic of China to clarify the status of this clade around the Yellow sea and determine the impact of sea level change on treefrogs' phylogenetic relationships. Based on genetics, call properties, adult morphology, tadpole morphology and niche modelling, we determined the segregated status species of D. suweonensis and D. immaculatus. We then proceeded to describe a new treefrog species, D. flaviventris sp. nov., from the central lowlands of the Republic of Korea. The new species is geographically segregated from D. suweonensis by the Chilgap mountain range and known to occur only in the area of Buyeo, Nonsan and Iksan in the Republic of Korea. While the Yellow sea is the principal element to the current isolation of the three clades, the paleorivers of the Yellow sea basin are likely to have been the major factor for the divergences within this clade. We recommend conducting rapid conservation assessments as these species are present on very narrow and declining ranges.