Diversification in North-west African water frogs: Molecular and morphological evidence

Abstract

We have assessed the consistency of allozyme and morphometric data sets in discriminating water frogs at inter-and intraspecific level. Twenty allozyme loci and 14 morphometric characters were used in a study on Iberian and North African water frogs. The results from the morphometric analysis, using PCA, confirmed the interspecific differences between Rana perezi from the Iberian Peninsula and Rana saharica from North-west Africa previously detected by allozyme analysis. Allozyme and morphometric data were also consistent in discerning between Algerian and Moroccan populations of R. saharica, pointing to the presence of at least two subspecies in the Maghreb: R. saharica saharica from Algeria and R. saharica riodeoroi from Morocco. A possible paleobiogeographical scenario of the divergence between the two groups is discussed.