NEGAR Amiri - Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University
REYHANE Saberi Pirooz - Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University
Gholi Kami Haji - Department of Biology, Faculty of Sciences, Golestan University.
Faraham Ahmadzadeh - Department of Biodiversity and Ecosystem Management, Environmental Sciences Research Institute, Shahid Beheshti University

Amphibians are very important taxa which their populations have sharply declined in recent years .Therefore, they deserve more detailed studies and special conservational attentions. Iranian long-legged wood frog (Rana pesudodalmatina) is one of the endemic species of the country which belongs to the order of Anura. Its distribution is limited to the southern Caspian Sea in Hyrcanian Forests. The aim of the current study is to investigate phylogeography and genetic diversity of the species. Therefore, some samples were collected from its distribution range in the northern provinces including Golestan, Mazandaran, and Gilan. The collected individuals are studied using two mitochondrial genes ۱۶S ribosomal RNA and cytochrome b. The results revealed that the individuals of the species form two main eastern and western clades. The Intraspecific genetic diversity was low between sequences. Haplotype diversity based on ۱۶S gene and cytochrome b gene was ۰.۶ and ۰.۷, respectively. The parsimony statistical network for the cytochrome b showed one haplogroup for Rana pesudodalmatina and indicated that ancestral haplotype was located in the western region of the distribution. It seems that due to Pleistocene climate fluctuations, Rana pesudodalmatina was took refuge in the south of the Caspian Sea, and was then expanded its distribution range to surrounding regions during Holocene. It is suggested that this species and its habitat (Hyrcanian Forests) should be protected because it is an endemic species with low genetic diversity and unique habitat.

Iranian Long-legged Wood Frog, Endemic, Phylogeny, Cytochrome b, ۱۶S ribosomal RNA