Patterns of Genetic Differentiation Among Populations of Smilisca fodiens

Abstract The Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt and surrounding areas contain substantial biological diversity. The mountains that make up the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt are a hypothesized biogeographic barrier for the terrestrial fauna found in the region. Several phylogeographic studies have provided genetic evidence in support of this historical narrative; however, the species examined represent a small percentage of the diversity found in this part of Mexico. Thus, additional studies are needed to identify concordant phylogeographic patterns and infer the historic species composition of particular ecoregions. In this study we investigated genetic variation in the Lowland Burrowing Treefrog, Smilisca fodiens, a species that occurs on both sides of the Trans-Mexican Volcanic Belt. We used mitochondrial (12S and 16S ribosomal subunits; 1039 base pairs [bp]) and nuclear (tyrosinase precursor; 513 bp) DNA to perform phylogenetic analyses on frogs from several localities in Mexico. Mitochondrial DNA supported two...