Limited gene flow and high genetic diversity in the threatened Betic midwife toad (Alytes dickhilleni): evolutionary and conservation implications

albert
noviembre 17, 2014

Habitat fragmentation may involve a loss of genetic diversity and increments the vulnerability to species persistence. It could be a particular issue when coupled with other negative factors as the predicted climatic changes and the emergence of infectious diseases. In Southern Iberian Peninsula several endemic amphibian species have confined and fragmented distributions, including the Betic midwife toad Alytes dickhilleni. Herein, we present the first range-wide assessment of genetic diversity and structure in this species, using mitochondrial and microsatellite data. A mitochondrial fragment of the ND4 gene was amplified for 65 individuals and a set of 20 microsatellite loci, specifically developed for this species, was genotyped for 490 individuals from several sampling sites distributed across the species entire range. Leer más.