Genetic Structure And Phylogeography Of Amolops Wuyiensis Based On Mitochondrial DNA Cytb Gene

Amolops wuyiensis, which belongs to Amolops of Ranidae, occurs in Anhui, Zhejiang, Jiangxi and Fujian provinces of southeastern China. In this study, mitochondrial DNA fragment was used as a molecular mark to evaluate the population genetic structure and the evolutionary history of this species.We successfully determined the sequences of mtDNA Cytb gene of 213 individuals collected from 13 different geographical populations, and defined 81 haplotypes. The haplotype diversity of Cytb was 0.918, while nucleotide diversity was 0.03616. The phylogenetic reconstructions of haplotypes using maximum likelihood(ML) and Bayesian inference(BI) methods were similar except for a few poorly supported tip nodes. We identified four genetically distinct lineages. The haplotypes of WYS population were clustered into two lineages, which may come from different ancestral populations and have secondary contact. Analysis of molecular variance(AMOVA) indicated that most of the genetic variation mainly occurred among groups(92.92%), but not among populations(6.24%). The molecular clock analysis indicated the estimated divergence times among lineages were from Late Pliocene to Early Pleistocene. The earliest split within A. wuyiensis was estimated at 3.30 Mya. Drainage evolution have been revealed as an important driving force for shaping current geographic patterns of A. wuyiensis. In the neutrality test, both values of Tajima’s D and Fu’s Fs were significantly negative. These statistical parameters indicated that the lineages A and B had undergone a sudden demographic expansion. By Bayesian skyline plot analysis, we estimated the demographic expansion time of lineages A, B to have occurred c. 0.25 and 0.094 Ma, respectively.