Local population differentiation in Hynobius retardatus from Hokkaido : an electrophoretic analysis (Caudata : Hynobiidae)

Abstract

Allozyme data are used to examine the genetic relationships among two samples of Hynobius retardatus from Obihiro, and a geographically discrete sample from Chitose. The two samples from Obihiro are morphologically distinct from each other, but are found to be electrophoretically closely related, together forming a group distinct from the Chitose sample. The degree of genetic differentiation as measured by the F statistics is also low between the two Obihiro samples. The morphological differentiation seen between these two samples does not seem to be attributable directly to their genetic differentiation, but to the ecological divergence that is yet to be surveyed.