New Distribution Record of Rana culaiensis in Jiangsu and Its Phylogeographic Analysis
In this study,seven specimens of the genus Rana were collected around a still water pond(118°27′ 30.35 ″E,32°45′14.17″N,altitude:106 m)in the Tieshan Temple National Forest Park(Xuyi County,Jiangsu Province,China)during a herpetological survey conducted from August 2023 to March 2024.Based on morphological identification and phylogenetic analysis,all the collected Rana specimens were found to be R.culaiensis,which is a new amphibian record of Jiangsu Province and extends the eastern boundary of the current distribution range of this species.Phylogeographic analysis indicated that R.culaiensis originated from the mountains at the junction of Guizhou and Hunan provinces,and dispersed northward across the Yangtze River and Huai River successively,and ultimately arrived Mountain Culai in Bohai Rim Region.The Jiang-Huai Hills and the Middle and Lower Huai River System played a crucial role as a bridge in the dis-persal of this frog species from the Dabie to Taishan Mountains.Therefore,this study expands the known distribution range of R.culaiensis and outlines a basic framework for understanding the dispersal pattern of this species.Furthermore,we clarified the distribution range of two closely related species of R.culaiensis and provided fundamental data for further re-search on the evolutionary history of this frog.
万方数据
维普
