''Brachycephalus mariaeterezae'' is a species of
frog
A frog is any member of a diverse and largely Carnivore, carnivorous group of short-bodied, tailless amphibians composing the order (biology), order Anura (ανοὐρά, literally ''without tail'' in Ancient Greek). The oldest fossil "proto-f ...
in the family
Brachycephalidae
The Brachycephalidae () are a family of frogs confined to eastern and southern Brazil and northern Argentina. The family is composed of two externally quite different genera: the tiny, often (but not always) colourful and plump saddleback toads ( ...
. It is very tiny and was one of seven new species described by LF Ribeiro and a team of scientists from the Mater Natura - Instituto de Estudos Ambientais in Brazil. Like all species in its genus, it is found in a very small strip of
Atlantic Forest
The Atlantic Forest ( pt, Mata Atlântica) is a South American forest that extends along the Atlantic coast of Brazil from Rio Grande do Norte state in the northeast to Rio Grande do Sul state in the south and inland as far as Paraguay and th ...
in the southeastern coast of the country, and has a vibrant colour pattern.
The
speciation
Speciation is the evolutionary process by which populations evolve to become distinct species. The biologist Orator F. Cook coined the term in 1906 for cladogenesis, the splitting of lineages, as opposed to anagenesis, phyletic evolution within ...
seen in this genus is thought to be a byproduct of the rift between the valley versus mountain terrain and its particular
microclimate
A microclimate (or micro-climate) is a local set of atmospheric conditions that differ from those in the surrounding areas, often with a slight difference but sometimes with a substantial one. The term may refer to areas as small as a few squ ...
s, to which they are adapted. It might be in population decline due to habitat loss.
Its name honours
Maria Tereza Jorge Pádua, a Brazilian environmentalist.
Description
It is distinguished from its cogenerate species by having a robust body,
bufoniform, its adult length measuring between , and a rough dorsum. It has a yellowish background colour, and possesses small brown spots, particularly on the sides of the body and belly and a prominent irregular light-blue stripe on the dorsum of the head and its body (all along the back); it also has small dark spots distributed irregularly throughout its arms and legs; the skin on its dorsum shows no dermal co-ossification.
Distribution
The species is known only from its type locality, specifically at the Reserva Particular do Patrimônio Natural Caetezal, located in the top of the Serra Queimada, State of
Santa Catarina.
References
Further reading
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External links
Photos from the 7 new species
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brachycephalus mariaeterezae
mariaeterezae
Amphibians of the Atlantic Forest
Endemic frogs of Brazil
Amphibians described in 2015