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Identifier

000407879

Title

Φυλογένεση και φυλογεωγραφία των βατράχων του γένους Rana στον Ελληνικό χώρο

Alternative Title

Phylogeny and phylogeography of frogs of the genus Rana in the region of Greece - a first assessment

Author

Γκόντας, Ιωάννης Ν.

Thesis advisor

Πουλακάκης, Νικόλαος

Reviewer

Μυλωνάς, Μωυσής
Λαδουκάκης, Εμμανουήλ

Abstract

The frogs of the genus Rana (Linnaeus, 1758) are widely used as a model organism in studies of physiology, development, behavior, ecology, genetics and evolution. They constitute a key group for phylogeographic studies by revealing and verifying paleogeographic events, because of their weakness – like the most of amphibians - to disperse through sea barriers. Rana constitute a numerous taxon with more than 250 different species distributed almost all over the planet. Three species of the genus are distributed in continental Greece and the surrounding area of south Balkan Peninsula which are also studied here: Rana graeca is distributed only in this region, as well as R. dalmatina and R. temporaria has a broader distribution in European continent. In this study, 88 specimens were used, covering a big part of the Greek distribution of these three species. Two mitochondrial genes (16S and COI) and one nuclear (BDNF) gene were used as markers in order to examine in a first level the phylogenetic relationships between the different populations of the genus in the region of study. After the analysis, three monophyletic groups appeared, corresponding to the three species of genus. Furthermore, results of chronophylogenetic tree analysis indicate that the three lineages split during the Messinian, and intraspecific differentiation started during upper Pleistocene. Although the results can give a first assessment of the relationships inside the genus in this region, more samples as well as more genetic locus are necessary for a more co.mplete overview

Language

Greek

Subject

16S rRNA

Amphibians

BDNF

Balkan Peninsula

COI

Rana dalmatina

Rana graeca

Rana temporaria

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