Late Miocene diversification and phylogenetic relationships of the huge toads in the Rhinella marina (Linnaeus, 1758) species group (Anura: Bufonidae)

We investigated the phylogeny and biogeography of the Rhinella marina group, using molecular, morphological, and skin-secretion data, contributing to an understanding of Neotropical faunal diversification. The maximum-parsimony and Bayesian analyzes of the combined data recovered a monophyletic R. marina group. Molecular dating based on Bayesian inferences and fossil calibration placed the earliest phylogenetic split within the R. marina group at ∼10.47 MYA, in the late Miocene. Two rapid major diversifications occurred from Central Brazil, first northward (∼8.08 MYA) in late Miocene and later southward (∼5.17 MYA) in early Pliocene. These results suggest that barriers and dispersal routes created by the uplift of Brazilian Central Shield and climatic changes explain the diversification and current species distributions of the R. marina group. Dispersal-vicariance analyzes (DIVA) indicated that the two major diversifications of the R. marina group were due to vicariance, although eleven dispersals subsequently occurred.

Research highlights► Molecular dating indicated that the R. marina group diversified at ∼10.47 MYA in the late Miocene. ► Two rapid major diversification from Central Brazil appear to have occurred. ► First northward (∼8.08 MYA) in late Miocene and later southward (∼5.17 MYA) in early Pliocene. ► DIVA indicated that the two major diversifications of the R. marina group were due to vicariance. ► Although eleven dispersals within these major clades had also occurred.