Phylogenetic Relationships of a Chinese Frog, Rana zhengi Zhao, 1999 Inferred from Mitochondrial Cytochrome b Gene Sequences (Amphibia, Ranidae)

Abstract

In order to assess phylogenetic relationships of a Chinese frog, Rana zhengi Zhao, 1999, the sequences of 587 base pairs of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene are compared with six species of Japanese (R. pirica, R. ornativentris, R. japonica, R. okinavana, R. tagoi, and R. tsushimensis), one species of Taiwanese (R. sauteri), one species of Russian (R. amurensis), and two species of European brown frogs (R. temporaria and R. dalmatina). The resultant phylogenetic tree suggests monophyly of R. zhengi and these brown frogs, and the earliest divergence of R. zhengi among all the ingroup species examined. Monophyly of R. zhengi and R. sauteri was rejected. For this reason, placement of R. zhengi within the brown frogs of the R. temporaria group requires further study, and separation of R. zhengi and R. sauteri as a distinct genus or subgenus Pseudorana is not supported.