BIBLIOGRAFIA |
| COSTANTINI V., CANESTRELLI D., ZANGARI F., NASCETTI G. |
| 2004 |
| Phylogeography and conservation genetics of the Apennine Yellow-Bellied toad Bombina variegata pachypus (Anura: Bombinatoridae). |
| Società Italiana di Ecologia - XIV Congresso Nazionale in collaborazione con la European Section of the society for Conservation Biology, Siena 4-6 Ottobre 2004. |
| P74, Pag.88 |
| The Apennine Yellow-Bellied toad is a typical prolonged pond breeder endemic to mid-altitude areas of peninsular Italy. It is protected by both international and regional laws, and several authors have recently argued about the marked decline and fragmentation of its populations. In order to evaluate the levels of genetic diversity of Bombina variegata pachypus and the relative role of historical vs. recent (i.e. anthropogenic) factors involved in shaping it, allozyme electrophoresis (28 loci) and sequencing of partial mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (598 bp) were performed on 15 populations sampled from Northern Apennines to the tip of Calabria. The southernmost populations and particularly those from Calabria showed the highest values of genetic diversity, both with nuclear and mitochondrial markers, besides showing a highly significant geographic substructure at mitochondrial level. In contrast, populations from northern and central Italy substantially lack genetic variability and substructure. The comparison of our results with those from other species clearly indicates Calabria south of Crati-Sibari plain as an important reservoir of genetic diversity, thus strongly suggesting this area as worthy of the strongest conservation efforts. Factors determining the observed differences of genetic diversity along the species range in peninsular Italy will be also discussed. |
