A new species of Philoria (Anura: Limnodynastidae) from the uplands of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area of eastern Australia

Researchers have identified a new species of mountain frog, Philoria knowlesi, within the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area of eastern Australia. This discovery was made through comprehensive genetic sampling and analysis, including SNP data from the nuclear genome, which revealed distinct genetic lineages in the central and western McPherson Ranges. The study also clarified the distributions of two other species, P. loveridgei and P. kundagungan, while highlighting significant threats to these amphibians, including climate change and chytridiomycosis. All three taxa—Philoria knowlesi, P. loveridgei, and P. kundagungan (including its northern subpopulation)—are classified as Endangered (EN), with the southern subpopulation of P. kundagungan critically endangered (CR). The findings underscore the urgent need for conservation efforts to protect these highly threatened species.

MAHONY, M. J., HINES, H. B., BERTOZZI, T., MAHONY, S. V., NEWELL, D. A., CLARKE, J. M., & DONNELLAN, S. C. (2022). A new species of Philoria (Anura: Limnodynastidae) from the uplands of the Gondwana Rainforests World Heritage Area of eastern Australia. Zootaxa, 5104(2), 209–241. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5104.2.3