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Vol. 45 No. 2, 2006
Morphometrics of the Yellow-bellied Toad (Bombina variegata) in the Central
Balkans: Implications for Taxonomy and Zoogeography
Tanja
D. Vukov1,*, Georg Džukić1,
Suvad Lelo2, Leo J. Borkin3, Spartak N. Litvinchuk3,4,
and Milo L. Kalezić1,5
1Institute
for Biological Research“Sini a Stankovi ”, Bulevar Despota Stefana 142,
Belgrade 11060, Serbia and Montenegro
2Faculty of Science, Zmaja od Bosne, Sarajevo 71 000,
Bosnia and Herzegovina
3Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Universitetskaya nab. 1, St. Petersburg 199034, Russia
4Institute of Citology, Russian Academy of Sciences,
Tikhoretsky pr., 4, St. Petersburg 194064, Russia
5Institute of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, University
of Belgrade, Studentski trg 16, Belgrade 11000, Serbia and Montenegro
Tanja D.
Vukov, Georg Džukić, Suvad Lelo, Leo J. Borkin, Spartak N. Litvinchuk,
and Milo L. Kalezić (2006) A comprehensive survey of the
Central Balkan yellow-bellied toad (Bombina
variegata) populations was undertaken to describe morphometric
differentiation between 4 geographic groups previously demarcated by
molecular studies. Our analyses confirmed pronounced geographic
structuring at the population level, as well as a clear transition over
a relatively short distance separating the localized B. v. scabra, endemic to the
Balkans, and the widely distributed B.
v. variegata. We present the inferred range boundaries of these
geographic groups in the Central Balkans, and discuss their historical
zoogeography and taxonomy. Our study provides evidence that the
Northern Balkans, a secondary transition zone of postglacial origin,
constitutes an important European suture area for amphibians.
Key words: Bombina
variegata, Bombina variegata
scabra, Morphometric
differentiation, Taxonomy, Zoogeography.
*Correspondence: Tel: 381-11-2078380. Fax: 381-11-2761433.
E-mail: tvukov@ibiss.bg.ac.yu
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