MORPHOLOGICAL DIFFERENTIATION OF EASTERN SPADEFOOT TOAD (PELOBATES SYRIACUS) POPULATIONS
ISMAIL HAKKi UGURTAS A1, KATARINA LJUBISAVLJEVIC A2, VESNA SIDOROVSKA A3, MILOS L. KALEZIC A4, GEORG DZUKICb A5
A1 Department of Biology, Science and Art Faculty, Uludag University, 16059 Bursa, Turkey A2 Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", 29. Novembra 142, 11000 Beograd, Yugoslavia A3 Macedonian Museum of Natural History, Boulevard Ilinden 86, 91000 Skopje 55, Macedonia A4 Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Studentski trg 16, 11000 Beograd, Yugoslavia A5 Institute for Biological Research "Sinisa Stankovic", 29. Novembra 142, 11000 Beograd, Yugoslavia
Abstract: We studied morphological differentiation of the eastern spadefoot toad (Pelobates syriacus) in fourteen population samples from Serbia, Macedonia, Bulgaria, and Turkey. Nineteen morphometric and six qualitative characters were analyzed using univariate and multivariate statistical analyses. On the basis of morphology, the samples can be divided into three groups: Serbian, Bulgarian + Macedonian, and Turkish (Asia Minor). Populations from Turkish Thrace (Edirne) appeared to be closer to the Bulgaria + Macedonia group than to populations from Asia Minor. As a result of our work, the range of P.s. balcanicus has been redefined and a separate taxon for Serbian populations has been suggested.
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