Spatiotemporal Diversification of the True Frogs (Genus Rana): A Historical Framework for a Widely Studied Group of Model Organisms.

True frogs of the genus Rana are widely used as model organisms in studies of development, genetics, physiology, ecology, behavior, and evolution. Comparative studies among the more than 100 species of Rana rely on an understanding of the evolutionary history and patterns of diversification of the group. We estimate a well-resolved, time-calibrated phylogeny from sequences of six nuclear and three mitochondrial loci sampled from most species of Rana, and use that phylogeny to clarify the group's diversification and global biogeography.

Phylogeography of the fanged dicroglossine frog, Limnonectes fujianensis (Anura, Ranidae), in Taiwan.

A phylogenetic analysis of Taiwanese fanged dicroglossine frog, Limnonectes fujianensis (Anura, Ranidae), was conducted to examine its genetic diversification using sequence data from a portion of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b sequences. We collected genetic data from 200 individuals at 23 localities in Taiwan and three localities in China. A neighbor-joining tree of 39 haplotypes revealed two clades in Taiwan and a clade in China, each showing restricted geographical distribution.

Phylogeography of Sylvirana latouchii (Anura, Ranidae) in Taiwan.

Biogeographic studies are important for understanding the natural history of faunas. To comprehend the geographical patterns of genetic variation in anurans in Taiwan, we investigated the genetic structure of Sylvirana latouchii (Anura, Ranidae) from 31 populations by using mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) cytochrome b sequences. A neighbor-joining tree of 38 haplotypes revealed three major divergences in Taiwanese S.

Description of male Takydromus sylvaticus (Squamata: Lacertidae) from China, with notes on sexual dimorphism and a revision of the morphological diagnosis of the species.

The Chungan ground lizard, Takydromus sylvaticus, long known only from five females collected in Fujian Province of China, was recently found in Anhui Province of the country. The newly collected specimens included the first male specimens (n=7), in which the tail bases were stouter than in conspecific females. Ventral scales in these males were invariably keeled, whereas in females those forming the four median rows were smooth.

Genetic and ecological correlates of intraspecific variation in pitviper venom composition detected using matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) and isoelectric focusing.

The ability to detect biochemical diversity in animal venoms has wide-ranging implications for a diverse array of scientific disciplines. Matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (and, for comparative purposes, isoelectric focusing) were used to characterize venoms from a geographically diverse sample of Trimeresurus stejnegeri ( n < 229) from Taiwan. Previously unrealized levels of heterogeneity were detected in venom phospholipase A(2) isoforms (PLA(2)) and in whole venom profiles.

Offshore insular variation in the diet of the Taiwanese bamboo viper Trimeresurus stejnegeri (Schmidt).

Dietary data were ascertained for 229 T. stejnegeri (snout vent length >300mm) from 36 localities throughout the main island of Taiwan and the outlying Orchid (Lanyu) and Green (Ludau) Islands. Twenty nine percent of the snakes were devoid of any prey, and of the snakes containing prey, 43% of the cases were unidentifiable.