Taxonomic Studies In Taxonomic Studies In Indian Indian BatrachologyBatrachology: : Patterns, Processes, Causes & ConsequencesPatterns, Processes, Causes & Consequences

Gururaja KV, Ph.D.,

Research Scientist, IISc, Bangalore

gururajakv@gmail.com

Flow of the talkFlow of the talk Batrachology in India Patterns◦ Taxonomic descriptions

over time, space, authors, etc.

Processes◦ Processes behind such

description Causes◦ Reasons for the spurt in

discoveries Consequences◦ What next! ◦ Journey of an ecologist in

Taxonomy!

Whom do you call amphibians?Whom do you call amphibians?

Those vertebrates that live both in water as well as land

That means ...we too?

Photo credit:http://divebarbados.net/Current%20Photos/Pictures/Green%20Turtle%201.jpghttp://www.kidcyber.com.au/IMAGES/hippoaggro_s.jpghttp://homepage.mac.com/wildlifeweb/reptile/gharial/gharial03tfk.jpg

In fact, amphibians are ...In fact, amphibians are ... Dual lifers ...◦ Two stages in life – a tadpole stage and an adult

stage◦ From Greek, Amphi – dual, bian – life forms

What’s unique in them?What’s unique in them? Generally, aquatic and terrestrial

inhabitants, Some are arboreal, and some fussorial too

MetamorphosisMetamorphosis

They metamorphose from tadpole to adult

Life span: from 10 months to 55 years

EctothermsEctotherms

Body temperature externally maintained

Basking in Sun

Hiding away from Sun

Skin breathersSkin breathers

AnamniotesAnamniotes

Eggs Eggs of a birdof a bird Eggs Eggs of a of a frogfrog

EvolutionEvolution

About 360 million years ago, late Devonian period

Triadobatrachus

Early amphibian!!!

Beelzebufo ampinga

SystematicsSystematics• Globally: 6638 species3 orders – Apoda (183species)

Caudata (597) Anura (5858)

• India: 3 orders – Apoda (33)Caudata (1), Anura (274)

apoda

caudata

anura

BatrachologyBatrachology in Indiain India As of today 308 species, belonging to 14 families,

54 genera (4.64% of 6638 species in the world), 248 Species described from India (80.5%)

124 authors, single species description to as many as 43 species

Since 2000, 81 new species (33%) with 46 papers on Taxonomy and taxonomy related issues, 12 on ecology, 6 on reproduction, 10 on others

So Taxonomy ‘rules’ at present Indian Batrachology!!!

Research in Research in BatrachologyBatrachology

Viviparity in caecilians

Geneophis seshachari

Gower et al., 2008. J Evol Biol. 21(5):1220-6

Other issues…Other issues…

Frog skipping tadpole stage

Gururaja and Ramachandra, 2006. Curr. Sci. 90(3):450-454

Other issues…Other issues…

Biju and Bossyut, 2003. Nature. 425: 711–714

India’s smallest frogIndia’s smallest frog

Biju et al., 2007. Current Science 93(6): 854-858.

Skin extracts and Skin extracts and pesticidalpesticidalimpacts…impacts…

1. Giri et al., 2006. doi:10.1016/j.toxicon.2006.06.0112. Sai et al., 2001. doi:10.1074/jbc.M006615200 3. Gurushankara et al., 2007. doi:10.1007/s00244-006-0015-5

Conservation and ManagementConservation and Management

Das, A., Krishnaswamy, J., Bawa, K. S., Kiran, M. C., Srinivas, V., Kumar, N. S., et al. 2006. Prioritization of conservation areas in the Western Ghats, India. Biological Conservation, 133, 16−31.

Gururaja KV, Sameer Ali and Ramachandra TV. 2008. Influence of land-use changes in river basins on diversity and distribution of amphibians. In: Environment Education for Ecosystem Conservation

Patterns exhibitedPatterns exhibited

Temporally

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Patterns exhibited …Patterns exhibited …

Spatially

5353

141141

0 1 1 1 5 6 11

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53

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25

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75

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125

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New

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Patterns exhibitedPatterns exhibited

Spatially continued…

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Western Ghats

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North-east hills

Pattern exhibited …Pattern exhibited …

Family/Genera/Species

Family Genera SpeciesBufonidae 7 27Dicroglossidae 12 58Hylidae 1 1Megophryidae 4 16Micrixalidae 1 11Microhylidae 7 23Nasikabatrachidae 1 1Nyctibatrachidae 1 16Ranidae 6 28Ranixalidae 1 10Rhacophoridae 8 83Salamandridae 1 1Caeciliidae 2 12Ichthyophiidae 2 21

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1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

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Fejervarya

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Nyctibatrachus

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Philautus

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1850 1870 1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010

# sp

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sGegeneophis

Pseudophilautus

Gegeneophis

Nyctibatrachus

Fejervarya

Patterns exhibited …Patterns exhibited …

Authors per species

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1799 1809 1819 1829 1839 1849 1859 1869 1879 1889 1899 1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1999 2009

# A

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Patterns exhibitedPatterns exhibited

Species per author (~ 2.5 per author, 124 authors)

5.0

9.0

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17.0

17.0

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11.0

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26.0

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18.0

19.0

43.0

0.0 5.0 10.0 15.0 20.0 25.0 30.0 35.0 40.0 45.0 50.0

Blyth

Chanda

Scheinder

Stoliczka

Das

Anderson

Mathew

Sen

Pillai

Dubois

Annandale

Bossuyt

Biju

Jerdon

Rao

Gunther

Boulenger

Patterns exhibited …Patterns exhibited …

Specimen deposited

Collaborators/Institutes involved in description are on rise

Organization Specimens

ZSI 109

BNHS 39

NHM, London 63

Outside India 60

ProcessesProcesses

For temporal patterns◦ Historical perspective (pre-independence,

world war, post-independence)◦ Authors◦ Journals

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GüntherBoulenger

BijuBossuyt

AnnandaleRao

ProcessesProcesses For spatial patterns◦ War was the key!!◦ Biogeography!◦ Accessibility◦ Authors (work/origin): Biju, Rao, Pillai from

South India; Das, Chanda, Mathews from North East/Kolkata

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Western Ghats

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1799 1809 1819 1829 1839 1849 1859 1869 1879 1889 1899 1909 1919 1929 1939 1949 1959 1969 1979 1989 1999 2009

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North-east hills

ProcessesProcesses

For Authors patterns◦ Passion/inquisitiveness◦ Advance in technology◦ Collaboration◦ Permission issues

CausesCauses◦ Global amphibian decline◦ Paradigm shift from IAC◦ Revision◦ Mess◦ Mudslinging◦ Taxonomic nirvana◦ Technological advancement

ConsequencesConsequences◦ Newer perspective ◦ Better understanding◦ Dynamic nature of taxonomy◦ Network is the best way ahead

Journey of an ecologist in Taxonomy!

Meanwhile,Meanwhile,N.hussainiN.hussaini became an invalid namebecame an invalid name

What was the reason?What was the reason?

No proper typification No specimen deposition in a museum No knowledge of ICZN Codes to the

authors To certain extent...”EGO”

What we did...?What we did...?

Called up first author! ... Joined hands with ZSI people, who

happened collect one individual with permission from Kudremukh

They also contacted first author...No response

Took decision, after an year of communication with first author, to publish it with a new name....

So N. So N. karnatakaensiskarnatakaensis...replaced ...replaced N.hussainiN.hussaini

Uproar among the seniors ...Uproar among the seniors ...

Deniels wrote “Taxonomic Vandalism...” in current Science

But we responded in most polite way, though protested to the Editor of the Journal on using such words and in most scientific way lambasted “Vandalism”

To look furtherTo look further Do not lose original tree

for phylogentic tree Integrate phylogenetics,

acoustics, osteology, etc...to understand a species better

Make taxonomy a passion and not a profession...

Take it to simpler level ...Heisenberg’s Principle

After Odem (1971)

Eight steps to Enlightenment and Eight steps to Enlightenment and Taxonomic Nirvana Taxonomic Nirvana –– EvanhuisEvanhuis (2007)(2007) enjoyment of nature enjoyment of collecting enjoyment of sorting enjoyment of the discovery enjoyment of researching taxonomic

literature enjoyment of describing enjoyment of submitting your

manuscript for publication. enjoyment of educating others

There was a time, when There was a time, when taxonomist used to describe more taxonomist used to describe more than 5 species in a single paperthan 5 species in a single paper

Now we are in such a time, where Now we are in such a time, where 5 papers are written on a single 5 papers are written on a single speciesspecies

Do not get into the ‘RAT Do not get into the ‘RAT RACE’RACE’

AcknowledgementsAcknowledgements

www.wikipedia.org for photographs of Boulenger, Gunther, Jerdon and Annandale

Current Science for CRN Rao’sphotograph

Advance wishes for Advance wishes for SAVE THE FROG DAY

(APRIL 30TH 2010)

Thank you