Cryptic lineages and Pleistocene population expansion in a Brazilian Cerrado frog

A study of the Brazilian Cerrado frog Hypsiboas albopunctatus reveals cryptic lineages with deep divergences, challenging the perception of the Cerrado as a barrier-free habitat. Phylogenetic analysis identified three distinct lineages: the Chapada dos Guimarães (CG) clade, which diverged in the late Miocene and likely represents a cryptic species; the southeast (SE) clade, associated with historical Atlantic forest distribution; and the Central Cerrado (CC) group, paraphyletic relative to the SE clade. Historical demography analyses suggest significant population expansion in the CC and SE populations, linked to Pleistocene climatic fluctuations and the formation of open habitats. The study highlights the complex diversification history of the Cerrado, a morphoclimatic domain under severe anthropogenic threat, and underscores the likelihood of underestimated biodiversity in this region.

PRADO, C. P. A., HADDAD, C. F. B., & ZAMUDIO, K. R. (2011). Cryptic lineages and Pleistocene population expansion in a Brazilian Cerrado frog. Molecular Ecology, 21(4), 921–941. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05409.x