Abstract

The evolutionary potential of a species mainly depends on the level of genetic variation in their populations. Maintenance of gene variation enables populations to adapt more quickly to environmental changes. The geographical gaps also influence the distribution and evolutionary history of many mountain frogs in the world. Hence, a sound knowledge in population genetic structure of a species will help understand its population dynamics and develop conservation strategies. In the context of facing threats to the amphibian fauna of Western Ghats due to habitat loss, we used both mitochondrial and nuclear DNA markers to investigate the genetic structure of an endemic frog species of the Western Ghats (Indirana semipalmata) with restricted distribution. The present study showed the importance of mountain gaps in shaping the species’ structuring in the Western Ghats. Though a high genetic diversity was observed for the species when considering a single unit in the southern Western Ghats, the restricted gene flow on/between either side of the Shencottah gap with genetic clustering of the sampled populations may warrant a unique management plan for the species. The habitat fragmentation of the Western Ghats through anthropogenic activities may result in severe setbacks to the survival of the species in the future.

摘要

一个物种的进化潜力主要取决于其种群中遗传变异的水平。维持基因变异可使种群更快地适应环境变化。地理上的差距也影响着世界上许多山蛙的分布和进化史。因此，对物种种群遗传结构的全面了解将有助于了解其种群动态并制定保护策略。在因栖息地丧失而对西高止山脉的两栖动物群构成威胁的背景下，我们同时使用了线粒体和核DNA标记物来研究西高止山脉（Indirana semipalmata）的一种特有青蛙物种的遗传结构。），且分布受限。本研究表明，在西高止山脉中，山间间隙对塑造该物种结构的重要性。尽管考虑到西高止山脉南部的单个单元时，该物种具有很高的遗传多样性，但在Shencottah缺口的任一侧/之间的受限基因流与抽样种群的遗传聚类可能需要对该物种进行独特的管理计划。西高止山脉通过人为活动造成的栖息地破碎可能会给该物种的未来生存带来严重的挫折。