Morphological and molecular data reveal one new species of the genus Xenophrys Günther, 1864 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Yunnan, China

Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve, located in the western part of China’s Yunnan Province adjoining northern Myanmar, harbors a striking diversity of species. Previous studies have indicated that herpetological diversity in this region remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys in 2024, five specimens of Xenophrys were collected from Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve. Subsequent morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstruction indicate the presence of a distinct and previously unknown lineage within the genus Xenophrys , which we herein describe as a new species, Xenophrys tongbiguanensis sp. nov. This discovery brings the total number of recognized species in the genus to 32, including 13 in China and five in Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve. The identification of this species further underscores the underestimated amphibian diversity of the reserve. Given its location along the China–Myanmar border, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in order to clarify the distribution of species within this transboundary region.

Authors

Institutions

Publication Details

Journal
Zoosystematics and Evolution
Published
2025-08-08
DOI
https://doi.org/10.3897/zse.101.158027
Primary Topic
Amphibian and Reptile Biology
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
Controls
|||
ALL TIME
JAN
FEB
MAR
APR
MAY
JUN
JUL
AUG
SEP
OCT
article

Morphological and molecular data reveal one new species of the genus Xenophrys Günther, 1864 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Yunnan, China

Zhong‐Bin Yu, An-Ru Zuo, Jing Che, Felista Kasyoka Kilunda et al.
Zoosystematics and Evolution
Amphibian and Reptile Biology
article

Morphological and molecular data reveal one new species of the genus Xenophrys Günther, 1864 (Anura, Megophryidae) from Yunnan, China

Zhong‐Bin Yu, An-Ru Zuo, Jing Che, Felista Kasyoka Kilunda, Shen-Pin Yang, Yun-He Wu, Zheng-Pan Duan, Ding-Can Zhang
article en

Abstract

Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve, located in the western part of China’s Yunnan Province adjoining northern Myanmar, harbors a striking diversity of species. Previous studies have indicated that herpetological diversity in this region remains underestimated. During herpetological surveys in 2024, five specimens of Xenophrys were collected from Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve. Subsequent morphological comparisons and phylogenetic reconstruction indicate the presence of a distinct and previously unknown lineage within the genus Xenophrys , which we herein describe as a new species, Xenophrys tongbiguanensis sp. nov. This discovery brings the total number of recognized species in the genus to 32, including 13 in China and five in Tongbiguan Provincial Nature Reserve. The identification of this species further underscores the underestimated amphibian diversity of the reserve. Given its location along the China–Myanmar border, it is necessary to strengthen international cooperation in order to clarify the distribution of species within this transboundary region.

Zoosystematics and EvolutionVol. 101(4)
Nanjing Normal University (CN), Kunming Institute of Zoology (CN), Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN), Fanjingshan National Nature Reserve (CN), University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (CN)
Openalex Percentile: Top 81%
Amphibian and Reptile Biology
AI Navigator

Ask Laika to Summarize, Analyze, and Connect papers live on the map.

Summarize Papers & Methodologies

Extract key findings, datasets, and comparative methods across publications.

Benchmark Rankings & Visual Analytics

Rank top research institutions, authors, funders, topics, and journals by Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) and paper volume with instant charts.

Connect Distant Disciplines

Bridge topological clusters on the map to find hidden collaborative intersections.