Andolalao Rakotoarison, PhD
Dr. Rakotoarison is a Malagasy researcher. She completed her master’s degree in biology in 2011 at the University of Antananarivo. She received her PhD in 2017 at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany, with a specialization in taxonomy revision of the microhylid cophyline frogs from Madagascar. In 2018, she became a lecturer at an affiliate institution of the University of Antananarivo at Soavinandriana, Itasy, Madagascar. The same year, she was appointed co-chair of the Amphibian Specialist Group Madagascar where she coordinates a network of national and international research specialists representing the Malagasy government, universities, and NGOs. For the past eight years, her research has focused on the resolution of the enormous taxonomy gap within the Malagasy cophyline subfamily by maximizing taxonomy revision. This revision will contribute to the establishment of a conservation strategy for each nominal species.
Courses Taught
Biodiversity and Natural Resource Management Seminar
Environmental Research Methods & Ethics
Selected Publications
Rakotoarison, A., Hasiniaina, A. F., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2024): A new miniaturized species of leaf chameleon, genus Brookesia, from a littoral forest fragment in eastern Madagascar. – Zootaxa 5506: 533-547. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5506.4.3
Gabriel, H., Rothe, L.-D., Köhler, J., Rakotomanga, S., Edmonds, D., Galán, P., Glaw, F., Lehtinen, R. M., Rakotoarison, A. & Vences, M. (2024): Unexpected diversity and co-occurrence of phytotelmic frogs (Guibemantis) around Andasibe, one of the most intensively surveyed amphibian hotspots of Madagascar, and descriptions of three new species. – Zootaxa 5397: 451-485. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5397.4.1
Rakotoarison, A., Scherz, M.D., Mullin, K.E. Crottini, A., Petzold, A., Ranjanaharisoa, F.A., Maheritafika, H.M.R., Rafanoharana, J.M., Raherinjatovo, H., Andreone, F., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2023): Gray versus yellow ventral coloration: Identity, distribution, color polymorphism and molecular relationships of the microhylid frog Platypelis mavomavo Andreone, Fenolio & Walvoord, 2003. – Zootaxa 2352: 221-234. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5352.2.4
Scherz, M.D., Schmidt, R., Brown, J.L., Glos, J., Lattenkamp, E.Z., Rakotomalala, Z., Rakotoarison, A., Rakotonindrina, R.T., Randriamalala, O., Raselimanana, A.P., Rasolonjatovo, S.M., Ratsoavina, F.M., Razafindraibe, J.H., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2023) Repeated divergence of amphibians and reptiles across an elevational gradient in northern Madagascar. Ecology and Evolution, 13(3):e9914. DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9914
Scherz, M.D., Crottini, A., Hutter, C.R., Hildenbrand, A., Andreone, F., Fulgence, T.R., Köhler, G., Ndraintsoa, S.H., Ohler, A., Preick, M., Rakotoarison, A., Rancilhac, L., Raselimanana, A.P., Riemann, J.C., Rödel, M.-O., Rosa, G.M., Streicher, J.W., Vieites, D.R., Köhler, J., Hofreiter, M., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2022) An inordinate fondness for inconspicuous brown frogs: integration of phylogenomics, archival DNA analysis, morphology, and bioacoustics yields 24 new taxa in the subgenus Brygoomantis (genus Mantidactylus) from Madagascar. Megataxa, 7(2):113–311. DOI: 10.11646/megataxa.7.2.1
Rakotoarison, A., Glaw, F., Rasolonjatovo, S.M., Razafindraibe, J.H., Vences, M. & Scherz, M.D. (2022) Discovery of frogs of the Stumpffia hara species group (Microhylidae, Cophylinae) on Montagne d’Ambre in northern Madagascar, with description of a new species. Evolutionary Systematics, 6(1):21–33. DOI: 10.3897/evolsyst.6.76382
Scherz, M.D., Schmidt, L., Crottini, A., Miralles, A., Rakotoarison, A., Raselimanana, A.P., Köhler, J., Glaw, F. & Vences, M. (2021) Into the Chamber of Horrors: A proposal for the resolution of nomenclatural chaos in the Scaphiophryne calcarata complex (Anura: Microhylidae), with a new species-level phylogenetic hypothesis for Scaphiophryninae. Zootaxa, 4938(1):392–420. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4938.4.2
Rakotoarison, A., Scherz, M.D., Köhler, J., Ratsoavina, F.M., Hawlitschek, O., Megson, S., Vences, M. & Glaw, F. (2020) Frogs of the genus Platypelis from the Sorata massif in northern Madagascar: description of a new species and reports of range extensions. Zoosystematics and Evolution, 96(1):263–274. DOI: 10.3897/zse.96.47088
Current Research Interests
Taxonomic revision of Madagascar’s amphibian and reptile using an integrative approach
Education
- PhD, Animal Biology, Technical University Braunschweig, Germany
- MSc, Animal Biology, University of Antananarivo, Madagascar
