Genetic Structure of the Hyrcanian Wood Frog, Rana pseudodalmatina (Amphibia: Ranidae) Using mtDNA Gene Sequences

• Published in: Russian journal of genetics 2018-10, Vol.54 (10), p.1221-1228
• Main Authors: Najibzadeh, M., Gharzi, A., Rastegar-Pouyani, N., Rastegar-Pouyani, E., Pesarakloo, A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal Genetics; Animal Genetics and Genomics; Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; Human Genetics; Microbial Genetics and Genomics
• ISSN: 1022-7954; 1608-3369
• DOI: 10.1134/S1022795418100095

Population structuring of a species provide basic information for biological conservation. We investigated the genetic structure of seven populations of Rana pseudodalmatina , an endemic species of the Ranidae inhabiting the Hyrcanian forests in northern Iran, based on the genetic variation of two partial mitochondrial DNA sequences (16S rRNA and cytochrome b genes). Molecular genetic analyses revealed remarkable variation among populations of R. pseudodalmatina . The phylogenetic trees clearly indicated two distinct haplogroups, which largely corresponded to their geographic locations. A strong population structure was found (Φ CT = 0.559, P = 0.027) with high haplotype diversity (Hd = 0.88) and low nucleotide diversity (π = 0.0041). Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that most of the observed genetic variation (55.92%) occurred between the two haplogroups. Also, Mantel tests revealed a significant correlation between geographic and genetic distances ( R 2 = 0.33, P = 0.005). Finally, the star-like topology of haplotype network and also neutrality tests provide strong evidence for population expansion in two haplogroups. All the findings of the present study, suggest a strong evidence for past expansion of isolated populations of R. pseudodalmatina , which their isolation could be largely attributed to rising level of the Caspian Sea during last glacial periods in the Pleistocene.