Phylogeography and species boundaries of Leptopelis (Anura: Arthroleptidae) from the Albertine Rift

• We sample multiple populations of Leptopelis throughout the Albertine Rift.
• Multi-locus coalescent analyses reveal cryptic lineages.
• Results have taxonomic and conservation implications for under an under studied biodiversity hotspot.

The genus Leptopelis occurs in multiple habitats throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and it includes several species that have highly variable color patterns, which makes taxonomic studies challenging. In this study, we examined multiple populations of Leptopelis from the Albertine Rift (AR), a region known for its high levels of endemism and biodiversity. Currently, five species are recognized from the AR: L. anebos, L. fiziensis, L. karissimbensis, L. kivuensis, and L. mtoewaate, most of which are found in and around the Itombwe Plateau in Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). We sampled 90 individuals of Leptopelis from multiple localities in DRC, Uganda, Rwanda and Burundi. We employed concatenated gene-tree analyses, coalescent species-tree analyses, and divergence dating approaches to infer phylogenies and biogeographic patterns with a multi-locus data set consisting of two mitochondrial (16S and cyt b) and one nuclear gene (RAG1). All analyses revealed several cryptic lineages within the genus, suggesting that a revision of AR Leptopelis taxonomy is needed.

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