The Caucasian Toad, Bufo verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) in the Levant: Evidence from mitochondrial DNA

Abstract

We present the first molecular analysis of the Bufo bufo (Linnaeus, 1758) complex population in the Levant. This complex contains four species distributed through the Western Palearctic. Based on the analysis of the widely used mitochondrial marker 16S rRNA, populations from the Levant belong to B. verrucosissimus (Pallas, 1814) and have a close affiliation to populations from the TransÂcaucasian region rather than southern Turkey. Such identified relationships may imply past rapid colonisation from north to south and support the need for further research. ©Daniel Jablonski,Riyad A. Sadek.