樹蛙屬(Rhacophorus)目前有80種，分布區(qū)域廣泛,，主要分布于東亞包括中國和日本，南亞包括印度和斯里蘭卡以及東南亞包括越南、老撾,、柬埔寨、緬甸、泰國,、馬來西亞,、印度尼西亞和菲律賓。由于分布區(qū)域的廣泛性和該類群個體生活習(xí)性的特殊性（大部分物種生活于樹林中）,，該類群的物種一直缺乏系統(tǒng)深入的研究,，部分物種的地位備受爭議。
借用現(xiàn)代分子生物學(xué)手段,，基于生物大分子所攜帶的遺傳和物種進(jìn)化的信息,，中科院成都生物所李家堂博士在昆明動物所張亞平研究員的指導(dǎo)下完成了樹蛙屬內(nèi)大部分物種的分子系統(tǒng)學(xué)和進(jìn)化研究。該研究以物種為單位,，運用分子系統(tǒng)學(xué)和形態(tài)學(xué)的理論和方法,，探測了樹蛙屬內(nèi)物種的系統(tǒng)發(fā)育關(guān)系和相關(guān)的進(jìn)化問題，并在此基礎(chǔ)上解析了一些長期備受爭議的“同類型蛙體體色和體斑非單系性”的科學(xué)問題,。
該研究結(jié)果近期發(fā)表在國際主流期刊 Zoologica Scripta. （生物谷Bioon.com）
doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00557.x
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Phylogenetic resolution and systematics of the Asian tree frogs, Rhacophorus (Rhacophoridae, Amphibia)
Jia-tang Li, Yang Li, Robert W. Murphy, Ding-qi Rao & Ya-ping Zhang
The treefrog genusRhacophorus , a large genus with 80 species, has a wide range, occurring eastward from India to China, Japan, South-east Asia, the Greater Sunda Islands and the Philippines. The phylogenetic relationships and taxonomic recognition of many species are very controversial. To stabilize the taxonomy, the phylogenetic relationships among about 52 species are investigated from 96 samples using mtDNA sequence data. Matrilineal rela-tionships based on maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference methods resolve three well-supported lineages (A, B and C), although the phylogenetic relationships among three lineages remain ambiguous. Analyses support recognition of two previously assigned sub-genera, Leptomantis and Rhacophorus , and these correspond to lineages A and B, respec-tively. Given that we have three strongly supported lineages, that these lineages are morphologically distinct, and the constrained geographic distributions of these groups, we recognize each lineage as a taxon. Subgenus Leptomantis includes species mainly from Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines. SubgenusRhacophorus contains a mix of species occurring in India, Indochina and southern China. Lineage C accommodates species dis-tributed mostly in East Asia, including Japan and China. Based on genetic and morpholog-ical data from type localities, the taxonomic recognition of some species needs to be reconsidered. Rhacophorus pingbianensis and Polypedates spinusare considered as junior syn-onyms of Rhacophorus duboisi . Specimens of Rhacophorus rhodopus from Vietnam and Hainan, China likely represent an undescribed, cryptic species.
