Distribution and evolution of the western European water frogs (genus Pelophylax) from Catalonia, northeastern Spain.

IF 2.4 3区 生物学 Q2 MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES
PeerJ Pub Date : 2025-09-22 eCollection Date: 2025-01-01 DOI:10.7717/peerj.19895
Bernat Burriel-Carranza, Carolina Molina-Duran, Karin Tamar, Laia Pérez-Sorribes, Jhulyana López-Caro, Mar Cirac, Daniel Fernandez-Guiberteau, Salvador Carranza
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

European water frogs from the genus Pelophylax are particular among amphibians as they can produce hybrids (named kleptons) reproducing by hybridogenesis. Four klepton species have been described in Europe: Pelophylax kl. esculentus, P. kl. hispanicus, P. kl. grafi, and the putative klepton PK. While most of these kleptons originated naturally in areas where the parental species occur in sympatry, human-mediated translocations of water frogs across Europe have altered this dynamic. As a result, several Pelophylax species and kleptons are now found outside their natural ranges, posing a threat to autochthonous water frogs. Additionally, the subtle morphological differences between Pelophylax species make hybrid identification and, thus, conservation difficult. In the present study, we analyzed 423 specimens from 54 populations sampled across Catalonia and implemented a two-step molecular method to identify all species of water frogs present in Catalonia. We also examined the mitochondrial genome of the hybrid Pelophylax kl. grafi to obtain new insights into their reproductive system and spatial structure. Despite the large number of samples analyzed, only the native P. perezi and its klepton P. kl. grafi were found, with the proportion of the latter being unexpectedly high. Results showed a high misidentification rate based on morphology compared to molecular methods, indicating that identification of P. kl. grafi through morphological characters is unreliable. Furthermore, the mitochondrial DNA of hybrid specimens entirely belonged to P. perezi and showed high intra-specific variability. This suggests either a single hybridization event involving a male P. ridibundus or P. kl. esculentus and a female P. perezi, or that P. ridibundus mitochondrial DNA has been eliminated from the P. kl. grafi germline by adaptive or non-adaptive processes. This study offers new insights into the distribution and composition of the North Iberian Pelophylax hybridogenetic complex, providing comprehensive sampling across one of the main entry points of the complex into the Iberian Peninsula.

西班牙东北部加泰隆尼亚西欧水蛙(水蛙属)的分布和进化。
欧洲水蛙属的水蛙在两栖动物中是特别的,因为它们可以通过杂交繁殖产生杂交种(称为klepton)。在欧洲已经发现了四种窃食蛙:Pelophylax kl. esculentus、p.k l. hispanicus、p.k l. grafi和假定的窃食蛙PK。虽然这些窃食蛙大多数自然地起源于亲本物种在同系中发生的地区,但人类媒介的欧洲各地水蛙的易位改变了这种动态。因此,现在在它们的自然范围之外发现了一些pelophylos和klepton物种,对本地的水蛙构成了威胁。此外,佩狐属物种之间细微的形态差异使得杂交鉴定和保护变得困难。在本研究中,我们分析了来自加泰罗尼亚54个种群的423个标本,并实施了两步分子方法来鉴定加泰罗尼亚存在的所有种类的水蛙。我们还研究了杂交Pelophylax kl. grafi的线粒体基因组,以获得对其生殖系统和空间结构的新见解。尽管分析了大量的样本,但只发现了原生的P. perezi和它的盗窃分子P. kl. grafi,后者的比例出乎意料地高。结果表明,与分子鉴定方法相比,形态学鉴定方法的误认率较高,表明形态学鉴定方法不可靠。此外,杂交标本的线粒体DNA完全属于P. perezi,具有较高的种内变异性。这表明单个杂交事件涉及男性p . ridibundus或p kl. esculentus和一个女p . perezi或者p ridibundus线粒体DNA已消灭了p kl. grafi生殖系由自适应或非自适应的过程。这项研究为北伊比利亚Pelophylax杂生复合体的分布和组成提供了新的见解,为该复合体进入伊比利亚半岛的一个主要入口点提供了全面的采样。
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来源期刊
PeerJ
PeerJ MULTIDISCIPLINARY SCIENCES-
CiteScore
4.70
自引率
3.70%
发文量
1665
审稿时长
10 weeks
期刊介绍: PeerJ is an open access peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research in the biological and medical sciences. At PeerJ, authors take out a lifetime publication plan (for as little as $99) which allows them to publish articles in the journal for free, forever. PeerJ has 5 Nobel Prize Winners on the Board; they have won several industry and media awards; and they are widely recognized as being one of the most interesting recent developments in academic publishing.
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