Phylogenetic relationships among four new complete mitogenome sequences of Pelophylax (Amphibia: Anura) from the Balkans and Cyprus

Abstract

We present the full-length mitogenome sequences of four European water frog species: Pelophylax cypriensis, P. epeiroticus, P. kurtmuelleri and P. shqipericus. The mtDNA size varied from 17,363 to 17,895 bp, and its organization with the LPTF tRNA gene cluster preceding the 12 S rRNA gene displayed the typical Neobatrachian arrangement. Maximum likelihood and Bayesian inference revealed a well-resolved mtDNA phylogeny of seven European Pelophylax species. The uncorrected p-distance for among Pelophylax mitogenomes was 9.6 (range 0.01–0.13). Most divergent was the P. shqipericus mitogenome, clustering with the “P. lessonae” group, in contrast to the other three new Pelophylax mitogenomes related to the “P. bedriagae/ridibundus” lineage. The new mitogenomes resolve ambiguities of the phylogenetic placement of P. cretensis and P. epeiroticus.

• mtDNA
• phylogeography
• water frogs

Acknowledgements

We are very grateful to G. Džukić and M.L. Kalezić for providing a specimen of P. shqipericus.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the paper.

The study was supported by a grant from the National Science Centre (2011/01/B/NZ2/00084) to S.H. and M.P. and was partially supported by a grant RFBR (15-04-05068) to S.N.L.