Study On The Species Distribution, Morphology And Song Variation Of The Genus Mylophora In Guizho

The genus of Leptobrachella is widely distributed in southern China and Southeast Asia,inhabiting mountainous forests and living along streams.It has been more than 90 years since the discovery and naming of Leptobrachella.The research on Leptobrachella mainly focuses on two aspects: one is the taxonomy research based on molecular data;the other is biogeography.However,there are currently few reports on the morphology,acoustics,ecology,and other studies of the genus.In this study,species distribution model,morphological characteristics multivariate statistical analysis and advertisement call spectrum analysis were used to explore the interspecific morphological differentiation and bioacoustics variation of the species of the genus Leptobrachella distributed on the Guizhou Plateau,so as to provide support for further clarifying the phylogenetic relationship of the genus and provide reference for the protection.The main research results indicate that:(1)Species distribution model was used to predict the distribution areas of 7species of the genus Leptobrachella participating in the modeling.The results showed that the species of the genus Leptobrachella are widely distributed in Guizhou Province,but there are differences in their distribution ranges and high suitability areas.Through analysis of its suitable habitat,it was found that Leptobrachella bashaensis has the largest suitable habitat,while Leptobrachella chishuiensis has the smallest suitable habitat.The main environmental factors that affect the distribution of species in the Leptobrachella are temperature,precipitation,and vegetation factors.(2)There are differences in adult morphology among the 10 species of Leptobrachella distributed in the Guizhou Plateau,among which the Snout-vent length of the L.chishuiensis is the largest(29.11 ～ 35.94 mm)and the L.bashaensis is the smallest(21.78 ～ 27.86 mm).Ten traits,such as snout length/snout-vent length,eye diameter/snout-vent length,internasal distance/snout-vent length,distance between anterior corner of eyes/snout-vent length,distance between posterior corner of eyes/snout-vent length,foot length/snout-vent length,Toe I length/snout-vent length,Toe III length/snout-vent length,Toe IV length/snout-vent length,head width/snout-vent length,etc.,have a major contribution to the differentiation of Leptobrachella.Cluster analysis and discriminant analysis of morphological characteristics shows that there is a significant difference in the morphology between L.bashaensis and other species.(3)By analyzing the advertisement calls of 9 species of the Leptobrachella distributed in Guizhou,the results showed that except for the L.bashaensis,Leptobrachella dong,Leptobrachella ventripunctata,and the Leptobrachella wulingensis,all other species can produce 4 types of advertisement calls.By comparing their vocalizations,it was found that the L.bashaensis,L.dong,and L.ventripunctata can be well distinguished from the other six species of Leptobrachella,while the vocalizations of other species are more difficult to distinguish.In summary,this study has preliminarily revealed the geographical distribution status,morphological differences,and bioacoustics differences of the species of the Leptobrachella in the Guizhou Plateau.It provides a reference basis for understanding the population characteristics,phylogenetic studies,behavioral patterns,and species protection management of Leptobrachella,and also provides important scientific basis for decision-making by corresponding management departments.