A new genus and species of frog from Bahia, Brazil (Amphibia: Anura: Leptodactylidae) with comments on the zoogeography of the Brazilian campos rupestres

A new genus and species of frog, Rupirana cardosoi, is described from the northern Espinhaco Range in the State of Bahia, Brazil. The new genus shares most character states with the genus Thoropa, but cladistic analysis of morphological data indicates that most of these shared features are primitive states. The cladistic analysis indicates that Rupirana and Thoropa do not have a close sister-group relationship with each other. Rupirana cardosoi is another addition to the many species endemic to the campos rupestres of the Espinhaco Range. The amphibians of the campos rupestres show a much stronger biogeographical affinity with the Atlantic Forest biota than other groups studied; these other groups show a much stronger affinity with the biota of the diagonal of open formations running from northeast Brazil (caatingas-cerrados) to Argentina and Paraguay (Gran Chaco).