@article{ajzr2023812,
author={{Sugawara, Hirotaka and Iwata, Takayuki and Naito, Jun-ichi and Yamada, Masaru and Onomura, Kazuto and Nagano, Masahiro},
title={Taxonomic Validity of <i>Hynobius </i><i>H</i><i>idamontanus </i>(Caudata: Hynobiidae): Descriptions of Four New Species from Western Honshu, Japan},
journal={American Journal of Zoological Research},
volume={8},
number={1},
pages={6--26},
year={2023},
url={http://pubs.sciepub.com/ajzr/8/1/2},
issn={2373-6771},
abstract={Four new species of <i>Hynobius</i> are described from the Chugoku Mountains, Japan. The complex of <i>Hynobius utsunomiyaorum</i>, including <i>Hynobius hidamontanus</i>, was divided into six groups based on morphological and molecular analyses. The Mt. Sanbe and Kitahiroshima, Mt. Mengame, northern central Okayama, and northeastern Okayama groups of <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> were described as <i>Hynobius pseudoutsunomiyaorum</i> sp. nov., <i>Hynobius mengamemontanus</i> sp. nov., <i>Hynobius sakuhokumontanus</i> sp. nov., and <i>Hynobius ushiromontanus</i> sp. nov., respectively. Molecular analyses of samples from across the entire distribution range of <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> revealed that <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> (including <i>H. hidamontanus</i>) has six genetic groups. Morphological analyses suggested that males of the four new species are morphologically different from <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> according to specific characters. The distribution of the new species, as well as those of <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> and <i>H. hidamontanus</i>, were determined and compared to indicate the isolation among the species. Although further sampling from the northern part of Okayama Prefecture is needed to determine the distribution ranges of <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> and <i>H. sakuhokumontanus</i> sp. nov., our results suggest that the distribution area of true <i>H. utsunomiyaorum</i> is mainly limited to the central area of the Chugoku Mountains.},
doi={10.12691/ajzr-8-1-2}
publisher={Science and Education Publishing}
}