Molecular analysis of Salamander family: the new alpine salamander Salamandra atra aurorae

Abstract

-A portion of the mitochondrial DNA from the 3' terminal of gene 12S rRNA to the 5' extremity of 16S rRNA gene has been amplified by PCR from Salamandra atra aurorae genomic DNA in order to define the taxonomic position of S. atra aurorae within the Salamandra species. Analysis of the molecular data indicated that S. a. aurorae is quite different from S. salamandra, whereas S. a. aurorae and S. a. atra are more similar, although their mitochondrial DNA present several mutations. Our analysis suggested therefore that S. a. aurorae could really represent a new subspecies of alpine salamander. Finally, on the basis of the rate of sequence divergence, we could suggest that S. a. atra and S. a. aurorae diverged about three million years ago.

Movements, distribution pattern and density in a population of Salamandra atra aurorae (Caudata: Salamandridae)

“…Salamandra a. aurorae is also interesting in the context of evolutionary biology and historical biogeography: molecular evidence suggests that this salamander represents an ancestral lineage with respect to S. a. atra (Steinfartz et al, 2000;Pederzoli et al, 2001;Riberon et al, 2001), but a more complex phylogeographic pattern is emerging in the southern Alps (Bonato and Grossenbacher, 2000).…”