Total evidence and sensitivity phylogenetic analyses of egg-brooding frogs (Anura: Hemiphractidae).

We study the phylogenetic relationships of egg-brooding frogs, a group of 118 neotropical species, unique among anurans by having embryos with large bell-shaped gills and females carrying their eggs on the dorsum, exposed or inside a pouch. We assembled a total evidence dataset of published and newly generated data containing 51 phenotypic characters and DNA sequences of 20 loci for 143 hemiphractids and 127 outgroup terminals. We performed six analytical strategies combining different optimality criteria (parsimony and maximum likelihood), alignment methods (tree- and similarity-alignment), and three different indel coding schemes (fifth character state, unknown nucleotide, and presence/absence characters matrix).

Two new sympatric species of Stenocercus (Squamata: Iguania) from the inter-Andean valley of the Mantaro River, Peru.

We describe two new sympatric species of Stenocercus from the seasonally dry forest of the inter-Andean valley of the Mantaro River (Huancavelica department) in the Central Andes of central-southern Peru, at elevations of 1,693 to 2,920 m asl. Stenocercus diploauris sp. nov.

Tachiramantis lassoalcalai (Barrio-Amorós, Rojas-Runjaic amp; Barros, 2010) (Anura, Craugastoridae): a new combination revealed by molecular evidence, with a description of its advertisement call.

Pristimantis lassoalcalai Barrio-Amorós, Rojas-Runjaic Barros, 2010 is a poorly known terrarana, endemic to the eastern slope of Sierra de Perijá in Venezuela. Although a close relationship of this species with Tachiramantis has been suspected based on its overall morphological similarity, this relationship had not been tested so far. On the basis of molecular data (two fragments of the 12S and 16S mtDNA genes) obtained from the type series, we reconstruct its evolutionary relationships and establish its phylogenetic position as a member of Tachiramantis.

Phylogeny, diversity and biogeography of Neotropical sipo snakes (Serpentes: Colubrinae: Chironius).

Neotropical sipo snakes (Chironius) are large diurnal snakes with a long tail and big eyes that differ from other Neotropical snakes in having 10 or 12 dorsal scale rows at midbody. The 22 currently recognized species occur from Central America south to Uruguay and northeastern Argentina. Based on the largest geographical sampling to date including ∼90% of all species, we analyzed one nuclear and three mitochondrial genes using phylogenetic methods to (1) test the monophyly of Chironius and some of its widely distributed species; (2) identify lineages that could represent undescribed species; and (3) reconstruct ancestral distributions.

A new species of iguanid lizard, genus (Squamata, Iguania), from the Central Andes in Peru.

We describe a new species of Stenocercus from the montane forest of the right margin of the Marañón river in the northern portion of the Central Andes in northern Peru (Amazonas and La Libertad departments), at elevations ranging from 2300 to 3035 m. Stenocercus omari sp. nov.

A revision and key for the tribe Diaphorolepidini (Serpentes: Dipsadidae) and checklist for the genus Synophis.

The genus Synophis contains a number of enigmatic species, distributed primarily in the Andean highlands of northern South America. Their extreme crypsis and rarity has precluded detailed study of most species. A recent flurry of collection activity resulted in the accession of many new specimens, and the description of 4 new species in 2015, doubling the number of described taxa.

Phylogeny and biogeography of the most diverse clade of South American gymnophthalmid lizards (Squamata, Gymnophthalmidae, Cercosaurinae).

Nearly 50% of the diversity of the speciose Neotropical lizard clade Gymnophthalmidae is nested within the subclade Cercosaurinae. The taxonomy of Cercosaurinae lizards has been historically confusing because many diagnostic characters of those clades traditionally ranked as genera do not represent true diagnostic apomorphies. Even though molecular phylogenies of several 'genera' have been presented in the last few years, some of them remain poorly sampled (e.

Description and phylogeny of three new species of Synophis (Colubridae, Dipsadinae) from the tropical Andes in Ecuador and Peru.

The discovery of three new species of Synophis snakes from the eastern slopes of the tropical Andes in Ecuador and Peru is reported. All previous records of Synophis bicolor from eastern Ecuador correspond to Synophis bogerti sp. n.

A new species of spiny-tailed iguanid lizard (Iguania: Stenocercus) from northwestern Peru.

We describe a new species of Stenocercus from the interandean valley of Río Chotano on the Amazonian slope of the northern portion of the Cordillera Occidental of Peru (Cajamarca Region), at elevations of between 1997 and 2318 m. Stenocercus arndti sp. nov.