Identification of leopard frogs (Anura: Ranidae: Lithobates) distributed in some localities of the Southern Mexican Plateau using mitochondrial DNA sequences

Abstract

Species of the genus Lithobates are difficult to identify, especially on the ‘Rana pipiens’ complex, because the morphological differences among the species are often subtle. In this study, we used 12S ribosomal RNA gene partial sequences to identify specimens of leopard frogs from some new localities (not sampled on previous studies) of the Southern Mexican Plateau, to carry out a phylogenetic analysis, and also a morphometric analysis of some morphological features were analyzed to evaluate their morphological variation. A phylogenetic analysis using partial sequences of 12S rDNA mitochondrial gene for 31 samples was carried out using Bayesian Inference, Maximum Parsimony, and Maximum Likelihood. In addition, 20 morphological lineal measurements from 97 specimens were analyzed by principal component analysis (PCA) to evaluate if the frogs studied are conspecific. Partial sequences of the 12S rDNA obtained from frogs distributed in the Southern Mexican Plateau show two haplotypes with a divergence of 0.4%. Phylogenetic hypothesis shows an exclusive group with a previous sequence of Lithobates montezumae. The PCA indicates that variables are not linearly correlated and specimens belong to a single group. Evidence found, let us consider that specimens studied belong to one species of the Lithobates montezumae subgroup, distributed principally in the Southern Mexican Plateau.

Keywords:

• 12S ribosomal RNA
• Lithobates montezumae
• PCA
• phylogenetic analysis

Correction Statement

This article has been republished with minor changes. These changes do not impact the academic content of the article.

Acknowledgments

Alejandra Sandoval, Carlos Vázquez, Cristina Raudales, Edgar Ramírez, Fernando Álvarez, Juan Pérez, Magda Bravo, Manuel Ocampo, Mauricio Berumen, Miguel Salas, Patricia López, and Rodolfo Zacarías helped in field. E. A. Martínez-Salazar was partially supported by Conacyt FOMIX-ZAC-2011-01-C01-170798 and PRODEP-SEP through the program ‘Apoyo a la Incorporación de Nuevos PTC’ (UAZ-PTC-169). R. Rosas-Valdez thanks support of PRODEP-SEP, through the program ‘Apoyo a la Incorporación de Nuevos PTC’ (UAZ-PTC-194). These results are part of the projects UAZ-2016-37096 by E. A. Martínez-Salazar and UAZ-2016-37097 by R. Rosas-Valdez. The authors are grateful to the reviewer's valuable comments that improved the manuscript.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.