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Vol. 36 No. 3, 1997
Geographical Variations of Rana sauteri (Anura: Ranidae) in Taiwan
Wen-Hao Chou1,2,* and Jun-Yi Lin2
1Zoology
Division, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan 404,
R.O.C. Tel: 886-4-3226940 ext. 506. Fax:
886-4-3230787 E-mail: whchou@nmns1.nmns.edu.tw
2Department of Biology, Tunghai University, Taichung, Taiwan 407, R.O.C
Wen-Hao Chou and Jun-Yi Lin (1997) Geographical variations of Rana sauteri (Anura: Ranidae) in Taiwan. Zoological Studies 36(3): 201-221. Rana sauteri
is widely distributed in hills and mountains of Taiwan from 100 to 3000
m in elevation, a range including subtropical to cool temperate
climatic zones. Both the gastro myzophorous tadpoles and adults have
distinct geographical variations in morphology. Clinal variation in the
shape of the upper jaw sheath and the number of labial tooth rows
occurs from the foothills of western Taiwan eastward through the
Central Mountain Range to the eastern slopes of the Central Mountain
Range This geographical pattern is supported and validated by
multivariate analyses of adult morphology. Ac cording to the dispersal
hypothesis, this geographical pattern may suggest that the dispersal
center (= initial range of the ancestral group) was located in the
western foothills, and it may indicate that the population expanded
radially through the clinally variable transition zone to areas
adjacent to the ridge of the Central Mountain Range (= range of the
derived group). However, the establishment of the geographical pattern
of R. sauteri seems to be better explained by the vicariance hypothesis
which supports the occurrence of isolation-based dichotomous divergence
within this grossly defined taxon.
Key words: Rana sauteri, Biogeography, Clinal variation, Tadpole, Taiwan.
*Correspondence:
Zoology Division, National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan
404, R.O.C. Tel: 886-4-3226940 ext. 506. Fax:
886-4-3230787 E-mail: whchou@nmns1.nmns.edu.tw
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