Genetic Relationships and Reproductive-isolation Mechanisms among the Fejervarya limnocharis Complex from Indonesia (Java) and Other Asian Countries

Abstract

In order to elucidate the genetic relationships and reproductive-isolation mechanisms among the Fejervarya limnocharis complex from Indonesia and other Asian countries, allozyme analyses and crossing experiments were carried out using 208 individuals from 21 localities in eight Asian countries. The allozyme analyses revealed that 17 enzymes examined were controlled by genes at 27 loci, and that 7.9 phenotypes were produced by 5.2 alleles on average. The two species recognized in F. limnocharis sensu lato from Southeast Asia (i.e., F. limnocharis sensu stricto and F. iskandari) were found to occur sympatrically at three localities (Bogor, Cianjur and Malingping), all on Java, Indonesia. Fejervaya iskandari was dominant at each of these localities and showed substantial geographic genetic variation. Laboratory-produced hybrids between F. limnocharis and F. iskandari from Java became underdeveloped and died at the tadpole stage, suggesting that these species are completely isolated by hybrid inviability. Hybrids between topotypic F. limnocharis and the Malaysian and Japanese conspecific populations developed normally to metamorphosis. Likewise, hybrids between topotypic F. iskandari and the Thailand and Bangladesh conspecific populations also showed normal viability throughout larval development. The present allozyme analyses and crossing experiments strongly suggested the presence of two distinct forms, the large type and the small type, in the F. limnocharis complex from Asia, and further subdivision of the large type into the F. limnocharis assemblage and the F. iskandari assemblage. The small type was found in samples from India, Thailand, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, and included at least three different species. The sample from Pilok, Thailand, was considered to represent an undescribed species.

Genetic divergences of South and Southeast Asian frogs: a case study of several taxa based on 16S ribosomal RNA gene data with notes on the generic name Fejervarya

“…Several researchers (Kosuch et al, 2001;Kurabayashi et al, 2005;Frost et al, 2006;Sumida et al, 2007;Kotaki et al, 2010;Hasan et al, 2012a) have argued that members of the genus Fejervarya could be separated into 2 distinct groups-Southeast and South Asian-based on molecular data. This view was further supported by researchers who clearly showed complete hybrid inviability between these 2 groups by crossing experiments Djong et al, 2007;Islam et al, 2008b). In this study, we found that the divergence value of these 2 groups is considerably high (16S diversity = 11.8%), which is in keeping with the previous studies mentioned above.…”

Systematics of Andean gladiator frogs of the Hypsiboas pulchellus species group (Anura, Hylidae)

“…The diversity of evolutionary processes affecting character divergence, which may lead, for example, to striking cases of morphological crypsis or to situations where a single species may exhibit extraordinary levels of inter‐ or even intrapopulational polymorphism, call for the use of multiple lines of evidence to assess the status of species and to discover new ones (e.g. Djong et al. 2007; Brown & Twomey 2009; Vences et al.…”

Genetic Divergences and Phylogenetic Relationships Among the Fejervarya limnocharis Complex in Thailand and Neighboring Countries Revealed by Mitochondrial and Nuclear Genes

“…Consequently, there are now regarded to be 32 species for the genus Fejervarya . Thus, the F. limnocharis group to be identified should be called the Fejervarya limnocharis complex (Djong et al, 2007). Furthermore, there are few morphological differences and few morphological characteristics usable for classification throughout this genus, not only for the F. limnocharis complex, and so it is difficult to correctly identify species.…”

“…Genetic analyses using allozymes and mitochondrial DNA have been carried out for several populations of the F. limnocharis complex in Thailand (Sumida et al, 2007;Djong et al, 2007). Both allozyme and mtDNA analyses revealed that the Bangkok population differed greatly from those of F. limnocharis from the type locality, Java, Indonesia.…”