Phenotypic and molecular approaches in the systematics of the Palearctic and Neotropic tree frogs, Hyla and Osteocephalus (Amphibia: Hylidae)

The systematics and taxonomy of tree frogs of the family Hylidae has undergone turbulent changes both at higher (subfamilies, genera) and lower (species) level during the last decades. The original approach used morphological characters to distinguish tree frogs. It has been completed by bioacoustics, since the advertisement calls of the males were in some cases found to represent an important behavioural reproductive barrier and therefore useful for systematic evaluations. However, a completely new impulse was given to systematics by the introduction of modern genetic methods. These methods have allowed to distinguish not only morphologically but even acoustically cryptic taxa. The most reliable method to distinguish tree frogs at present is a combination of data from the different disciplines. The present dissertation thesis aims to evaluate the systematics of tree frogs of the genus Hyla from Eastern Europe and the Middle East as well as the systematics of the Amazonian genus Osteocephalus using a combination of morphological, bioacoustic and molecular approaches. The thesis is composed of a general introduction, three published papers, two manuscripts under reviews and a conclusion chapter. The first three papers deal with the phenotypic (morphological plus bioacustic) approach in systematic..