Exploring the evolutionary dynamics of myrmecophytism: Perspectives from the Southeast Asian Macaranga ant-plant symbiosis.

Myrmecophytic plants utilise defensive services offered by obligate ant partners nesting in their domatia in a novel means of survival in tropical habitats. Although much is known about the ecology of myrmecophytism, there aren't enough empirical examples to demonstrate whether it substantially influences evolutionary patterns in host plant lineages. In this study, we make use of the species-rich Macaranga (Euphorbiaceae) ant-plant symbiosis distributed in the Southeast Asian Sundaland to delve into the evolutionary dynamics of myrmecophytism in host plants.

Yet another small brown frog from high altitude on the Marojejy Massif, northeastern Madagascar (Anura: Mantellidae).

Madagascar hosts a high diversity of small brown frogs. In this paper, we add another one by describing Gephyromantis (Duboimantis) tohatra sp. nov.