Mosaicism in somatic triploid specimens of the Bufo viridis complex in the Karakoram with examination of calls, morphology and taxonomic conclusions

Abstract

The discovery of triploidy in green toads from the Karakoram range and West Himalayas (Northern Pakistan) is reported. Somatic, mitotic metaphases comprising 33 conventionally and quinacrine mustard stained chromosomes are described. Meiotic metaphases and diakineses demonstrate the occurrence of different ploidy levels (diploid, triploid, tetraploid) in the male germ line of somatic triploid specimens. Flow cytometric data on DAPI stained blood samples from 54 specimens preliminarily seem to provide evidence for all‐triploid populations. The mean projection areas of 30 erythrocytes per specimen were measured. The analysis of 16 morphometric characters with univariate and multivariate methods and the comparison with published data exhibited differences of the present toads to both diploid and tetraploid toads from Middle Asia. Bioacoustic analyses revealed similarity of mating calls to those of tetraploid toads. A single specimen of Bufo (viridis) pseudoraddei Mertens 1971, was also found to be triploid. Present populations from Karakoram represent a separate subspecies B. pseudoraddei baturae n. ssp. which are morphologically different from B. p. pseudoraddei and B. latastii Boulenger, 1882. A lectotype of B. latastii was selected. B. siachinensis Khan, 1997, was found to be a synonym of B. latastii.

Key words:

• Bufo pseudoraddei baturae n. ssp.
• Bufo viridis complex
• Triploidy
• Mosaicism
• Morphometry
• Mating calls ‐Taxonomy
• Karakoram.

Notes

This publication is part of the planned dissertation thesis of the corresponding author Matthias Stock.