A phylogenetic hypothesis for the Asian newts of the Tylototriton asperrimus group was generated using data from two mitochondrial fragments including COI and the ND1-ND2 regions. Four distinct clades （A, B, C, D） were resolved with high nodal support within this monophyletic group. Clade A included T. asperrimus, T. hainanensis, T. notialis, ＂T. vietnamensis＂, and two unnamed salamander populations from Vietnam. Clade A, constituted the sister group of clades B ＋ C. Newly identified clade C likely represents a new cryptic species. Clade C was the sister group of T. wenxianensis. The true 7： vietnamensis exclusively constituted clade D. Our results bring into question some previous taxonomic decisions, and a revision is required. This study illustrates the necessity to include samples from type localities in taxonomic studies, and highlights the importance of fine-grained geographical sampling.
In order to evaluate the phylogenetic position and validity of Rana altaica,we investigated the phylogeny of brown frogs in Eurasia by Bayesian Inference and Maximum Parsimony analyses of a fragment from the mitochondrial DNA gene Cytochrome b.Both analyses resolved R.altaica as nesting deeply within R.arvalis.Most samples of the nominal R.altaica from the Altai region and specimens from Central Siberia shared a haplotype with R.arvalis based on the network analysis.The matrilineal relationships suggested that R.altaica should be considered as a junior synonym of R.arvalis.Furthermore,our study suggested that the species group division of Chinese brown frogs should be re-evaluated within a phylogenetic context.
