Intraspecific variation of the Korean Rana nigromaculata (Amphibia: Ranidae) based on morphometric and sequence comparison

The aim of this study was to clarify the intraspecific variation of Korean R. nigromaculata based on a morphometric and sequence comparison. Each population was collected from geographically separated areas and examined using an independent samples test and ANOVA after being separated according to whether they were a normal or abnormal type. In addition, a 518bp DNA fragment of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene was analyzed by PCR amplification. The two R. nigromaculeta types were identical because all Rho-values of the characteristics were larger than a significance value, with the exception of HL/SVL. Furthermore, despite the morphological difference, the genetic distance of the populations was quite close (D=0002). Therefore, it is believed that the abnormal type is an ecophenotype as a result of geological, altitude isolation because these frogs are identical to the normal type.