Genetic and Morphometric Variation of the Genus Nyctixalus in Indonesia Based on mtDNA 16S rRNA Gene
Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: The genus Nyctixalus was first described by Boulenger in 1882. Previous systematic studies of this group primarily focused on its relationships with other rhacophorid frogs and did not explore inter- and intraspecific variation in detail. This study aimed to determine the position of Indonesian species within their genus. We used DNA barcoding of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene and conducted a morphological analysis. Mitochondrial genealogies were constructed based on NJ, ML, and BI analyses, while uncorrected p-distance was also calculated. The Mann-Whitney U-test and PCA were used to analyse variations among species for each character component. Dissimilarity may contribute to measurable group structure. DNA barcoding revealed that Nyctixalus forms a monophyletic group. The PCA analysis revealed that N. margaritifer population from Java formed a group, while N. pictus could not be separated on the scatter plot. DNA barcoding revealed that Nyctixalus forms a monophyletic group. The genetic distance within the population of N. margaritifer (0–1.52 %) and N. spinosus (0–0.2 %) showed a variation of intraspecific genetic distance. However, in the two allopatric populations of N. pictus Kalimantan and Sumatra (p-distance = 4.3–4.6 %), there are high variations (6.9–9 %) between populations from Sumatra and Malaysia. These findings suggest that N. anodon van Kampen, 1907, from Kayu Tanam, Sumatra Barat, Indonesia, represents a distinct species from N. pictus Peters, 1871, originally described from Sarawak, Malaysia.
DOI: 10.22146/jtbb.13642
Language: English
Subfield: Global and Planetary Change
Field: Environmental Science
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: gold
Estimated APC paid: $150
Funder: Badan Riset dan Inovasi Nasional
OpenAlex ID: W4412094962