Studies in Australian amphibia III. The limnodynastes dorslis complex (Anura : Leptodactylidae)

Abstract

The L. dorsalis complex is distributed extensively through coastal Australia, the Dividing Range, and parts of the western slopes and plains. Six subspecies have been described in the complex. Four of these are raised to species status and two additional subspecies are described. The complex thus comprises eight taxa in all: L. dorsalis, L. dumerili dumerili, L. d. insularis, L. d. grayi, L. d. variegatus, L, d. fryi, L. interioris, and L. terraereginae. The taxa were compared using two main criteria: adult male morphology and mating-call structure. Topotypic or near-topotypic samples of each form were obtained to ensure that comparisons were valid. L. dorsalis is restricted to Western Australia and is disjunctly allopatric to all the other forms in the complex. The eastern taxa have mainly parapatric distributions with several areas of contact between them. Where the range of L. d. dumerili comes into contact with those of L. d. insularis and L. d. variegatus, broad hybrid zones (up to 240 km wide) are formed. L. d. dumerili and L. d, grayi also appear to hybridize extensively. Where the range of L. d. dumerili contacts that of L. interioris a narrower hybrid zone (25-32km wide) is formed. Both L. d, dumerili and L. interioris have achieved sympatry with L, termereginae without any evidence of hybridization. The types of contact interactions can be related to the levels of divergence, particularly in mating-call structure, between the forms. Thus the calls of L, d. dumerili, L. d. insularis, L. d, grayi, and L. d. variegatus are all very similar. The call of L. interioris is quantitatively different to that of L. d. dumerili, with a lower dominant frequency,

A Molecular Phylogeny for the Frog Genus Limnodynastes (Anura: Myobatrachidae)

“…Hybridization is known to occur between several of these subspecies and between at least one population of L. d. dumerilli and L. interioris (Martin, 1972). However, the validity and taxonomic status of the L. dumerilii subspecies has only recently begun to be investigated with molecular techniques (E. Hoxley, M. Adams, and S. Donnellan, unpublished;Roberts and Maxson, 1986).…”

“…1) and the range of L. convexiusculus extends from northern and eastern Australia onto the south coast of Papua New Guinea. Life history traits, morphology, and reproductive behavior exhibit considerable geographic variation, both between species and within them (e.g., Littlejohn and Roberts, 1975;Martin, 1972). Fossil and molecular evidence suggest that much of the divergence within Limnodynastes may have occurred in the last 26 million years (Hutchinson and Maxson, 1987;Tyler, 1990Tyler, , 1994Tyler et al, 1998).…”

Genetic Structure of the Frogs Geocrinia lutea and Geocrinia rosea Reflects Extreme Population Divergence and Range Changes, Not Dispersal Barriers

“…Range changes commonly influence the genetic structure of species. Examples include patterns of chromosomal arrangements in a wingless grasshopper (Hewitt and Barton 1980); mitochondrial DNA haplotype variation in cicadas (Martin and Simon 1990), mountain sheep (Ramey 1995), kiwis (Baker et al 1995), and rainforest birds (Joseph et al 1995); morphological variants in frogs (Martin 1972); and allozyme divergence in kiwis (Baker et al 1995), salamanders (Highton and Webster 1976), and frogs (Highton and Hedges 1995;Green et al 1996). Support for a model of range change is provided by the very low levels of heterozygosity in the Gardner and Shannon populations of G. rosea and in the Lower Frankland populations of G. lutea.…”

The Terrestrial Vertebrate Fauna of the Dartmouth Dam Inundation Area

“…The nomenclature used follows that used by Brooks (1975), Littlejohn (1971), Littlejohn and Martin (1974) and Martin (1972).…”