The introduction of three cryptic tree frog species in the Dutch coastal dunes challenges conservation paradigms ...

Invasive species are considered one of the main drivers of the sixth mass extinction. Conservation solutions depend on whether a species is also indigenous to the country it invades (i.e., beyond its native range). In the case of invasive cryptic species, genetic tools are required to establish their identity. We illustrate these issues with the human-mediated colonization of the Dutch coastal dunes by Hyla tree frogs. Although previously assumed to concern the indigenous common tree frog H. arborea , European tree frogs comprise a complex of allopatric cryptic species, meaning the taxonomic i... Mehr ...