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  Salamandrina perspicillata

Biology, ecology, and genetic structure of Amphibians

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M.Mattoccia, V.Sbordoni, S.Marta, M.Ciambotta, A.Ventura

Amphibians are well known to be declining dramatically on a global scale. They, in general, are poor dispersers and highly philopatric with strict habitat specificity and physiological requirements. Therefore, Amphibians are proving to be a suitable model for studies of conservation genetics and phylogeography.

Genetic structure of populations and Systematics
Genetic markers can be use successfully in order to resolve intra and interspecific relationships, assess genetic variability, examine the processes of speciation and population diversification. The combined use of mtDNA and nuclear markers indicated the existence of two genetically distinct cryptic species of the Italian spectacled salamanders, Salamandrina perspicillata and S.terdigitata and revealed a hybrid zone between the two lineages. Phylogeographic and historical demographic analyses enabled us to infer the recent evolutionary histories of the two species, and locate their putative refugia in the last glacial period. Microsatellite markers allowed to recognize hybrid individuals, define the extent of the introgression area, and deduce the processes that caused and maintain the hybrid zone.

Conservation and monitoring of endangered species
Information on the genetic structure of amphibians could help to design conservation guidelines for the species most endangered. For Bombina pachypus, a long-term study is being carried out to monitor reproduction in natural populations from the Lepini Mountains. We combine demographic and genetic data to assess genetic variability, dispersal patterns, inbreeding rates and metapopulation structures of the temporary ponds. GIS methods are used to integrate the results and landscape configuration data in order to correlate spatial genetic structure with environmental features.