Molecular and Morphological Evidence for Rana kunyuensis as a Junior Synonym of Rana coreana (Anura: Ranidae)

We investigate the relationship between Rana coreana and Rana kunyuensis using morphological and molecular data. Morphological comparisons showed these two species to be identical in terms of body measurements and qualitative characteristics. Phylogenetic analyses found that R. kunyuensis and R. cor...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of herpetology 2015-06, Vol.49 (2), p.302-307
Main Authors: Zhou, Yu, Yang, Bao-Tian, Li, Pi-Peng, Min, Mi-Sook, Fong, Jonathan J, Dong, Bing-Jun, Zhou, Zheng-Yan, Lu, Yu-Yan
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Rana
Ranidae
SYSTEMATICS
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Summary:We investigate the relationship between Rana coreana and Rana kunyuensis using morphological and molecular data. Morphological comparisons showed these two species to be identical in terms of body measurements and qualitative characteristics. Phylogenetic analyses found that R. kunyuensis and R. coreana are nested within a single clade and exhibited low divergence across several mitochondrial and nuclear genes. All evidence indicates that R. kunyuensis and R. coreana are the same species, making R. kunyuensis a junior synonym of R. coreana. This study stresses the importance of comprehensive taxon sampling, especially in neighboring countries.
ISSN:0022-1511
1937-2418
DOI:10.1670/13-111