Ventral and lateral spot patterns differentiation between three smooth newt species (Amphibia: Salamandridae: Lissotriton)
-
Published:2022-08-12
Issue:3
Volume:68
Page:261-276
-
ISSN:2064-2474
-
Container-title:Acta Zoologica Academiae Scientiarum Hungaricae
-
language:
-
Short-container-title:Acta Zool. Acad. Sci. Hung.
Author:
Skorinov Dmitriy V.ORCID, Bozkurt EminORCID, Olgun KurtuluşORCID, Litvinchuk Spartak N.ORCID
Abstract
The location, shape and area of dark spots on the belly, throat and sides of the body of three closely related species of smooth newts (Lissotriton kosswigi, L. schmidtleri and L. vulgaris) were analysed. Differences were found between species and sexes in the location and shape of dark spots on the belly, throat and lateral surfaces of the body. Discriminant analysis of these spot characteristics allows to identificate of males of all three species with a high degree of confidence (85–91%). In females, only L. vulgaris was correctly distinguished from the other two species (accuracy 81–94%). Anatolian and Thracian populations of L. schmidtleri have very similar patterns of dark spots, which confirm their conspecificity. The differences in the location and size of dark spots make possible successful identification of the species during field research and study of museum specimens. The developed method could be useful for comparative studies of other animal species which have spotted camouflage or aposematic colouration.
Publisher
Acta Zoologica Hungarica
Subject
Animal Science and Zoology
Reference40 articles.
1. Arntzen, J. W., McAtear, J., Recuero, E., Ziermann, J. M., Ohler, A., van Alphen, J. & 2. Martínez-Solano, I. (2013): Morphological and genetic differentiation of Bufo toads: two cryptic species in Western Europe (Anura, Bufonidae). – Contributions to Zoology 82: 147–169. https://doi.org/10.1163/18759866-08204001 3. Babik, W., Branicki, W., Crnobrnja-Isailović, J., Cogălniceanu, D., Sas, I., Olgun, K., Poyarkov, N. A., Garcia-París, M. & Arntzen, J. W. (2005): Phylogeography of two European newt species—discordance between mtDNA and morphology. – Molecular Ecology 14: 2475–2491. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-294X.2005.02605.x 4. Bickford, D., Lohman, D. J., Sodhi, N. S., Ng, P. K. L., Meier, R., Winker, K., Ingram K. K. & Das, I. (2007): Cryptic species as a window on diversity and conservation. – Trends in Ecology & Evolution 22: 148–55. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2006.11.004 5. Borkin, L. J., Litvinchuk, S. N., Rosanov, Yu. M. & Skorinov, D. V. (2004): On cryptic species (an example of amphibians). – Entomological Review 84(Suppl. 1): 75–98.
|
|