A New Species of the Amolops mantzorum Group (Anura: Ranidae: Amolops) from Northwestern Hunan Province, China

We described anew species of the Amolops mantzorum group(Anura:Ranidae) from northwestern Hunan Province,China based on morphological and molecular evidence.The new species differs from its congeners by a combination of the following characteristics:moderate body size of SVL 403-409 mm in adult males(N=3),and 52.6-57.7 mm in adult females(N=3);head length about equal to or larger than head width(HDL/HDW 1.01-1.03);skin on dorsum smooth;dorsolateral folds absent,but developed a series of elongated glands forming an incomplete line;dense small spiny tubercles on lower flanks,and sparse flat tubercles on upper flanks;skin on belly slightly granular,posterior half of ventral surface of thigh glandular;tympanum indistinct,small,covered by glandular skin;presence of dense spiny tubercles around the mouth corner;vomerine teeth present,attached on two oblique ridges;presence of supernumerary tubercles below the bases of fingers Ⅱ,Ⅲ and Ⅳ;several protruding tubercles around the cloacal region,with a pair of larger tubercles on sides of the anus;webs on each side of toe Ⅳ reaches the region between third subarticular tubercle and digit;and absence of vocal sacs and linea masculine in males.

Mutual mate choice in the Asiatic toad, Bufo gargarizans,exerts stabilizing selection on body size

Sexual selection is critical to both reproduction and evolution.The effects of male–male competition and female choice regarding body size have been examined in a large number of taxa,including toad species.Males and females have different optimal reproductive strategies,achieving breeding advantages in discrepant ways.Further,the relative contributions of intra-and inter-sexual size selection vary among species.Thus,to understand the mechanisms affecting mating success,it is important to consider both male–male and male–female interactions simultaneously and elucidate their interrelationship.In this study,we measured body sizes of all mated and unmated individuals in a population of Asiatic toad(Bufo gargarizans)and counted fertilized eggs of several clutches.Based on correlation and regression techniques,we tested for female choice and intra-sexual competition among males relative to body size gradients,and we compared the relative importance of these two processes for mating success.Our results reveal that male–male competition and female choice simultaneously contribute to sexual selection in toads.Furthermore,both interactions are most intense among smaller toads.The synergistic trends of male–male competition and female choice support the mutual mate choice hypothesis and works to stabilize body size in B.gargarizans.Normal distributions of breeding success relative to body size were detected for both sexes,suggesting that medium-sized individuals enjoy a reproductive advantage in the population studied.