Skip to Main Content
-
Newly discovered populations of salamanders from Siskiyou County California represent a species distinct from Plethodon Stormi.
Author(s): Louise S. Mead; David R. Clayton; Richard S. Nauman; Deanna H. Olson; Michael E. Pfrender
Date: 2005
Source: Herpetologica. 61(2): 158-177
Publication Series: Scientific Journal (JRNL)
PDF: Download Publication (1.6 MB)Description
Plethodon stormi and Plethodon elongatus are two closely related species of plethodontid salamanders that are restricted to the Klamath Province of northwestern California and southwestern Oregon. Discovery of three localities south of the Klamath River, in the Scott River drainage, not assignable to either P. elongatus or P. stormi, motivated closer examination of this complex. We describe molecular (mitochondrial DNA) and morphological variation among specimens collected from the three newly discovered populations and compare these to populations of P. elongatus and P. stormi from Siskiyou County, California and Jackson and Josephine Counties, Oregon. Analyses of mitochondrial sequence data from the ATPase 6 and cytochrome b genes recovered clades corresponding to P. elongatus, P. stonni and the Scott River populations. Multivariate analyses indicate that Scott River drainage animals are morphologically distinct from P. elongatus and P. stormi. Because both genetic and morphological data indicate that the Scott River populations are distinctive, we provide a description of a new species, Plethodon asupak, to reflect the evolutionary history of this group and facilitate species management.Publication Notes
- Visit PNW's Publication Request Page to request a hard copy of this publication.
- We recommend that you also print this page and attach it to the printout of the article, to retain the full citation information.
- This article was written and prepared by U.S. Government employees on official time, and is therefore in the public domain.
Citation
Mead, Louise S.; Clayton, David R.; Nauman, Richard S.; Olson, Deanna H.; Pfrender, Michael E. 2005. Newly discovered populations of salamanders from Siskiyou County California represent a species distinct from Plethodon Stormi. Herpetologica. 61(2): 158-177Keywords
California, mitochondrial DNA, morphological variation, new species, Plethodontidae, Plethodon asupak, Plethodon elongatus, Plethodon stormi, Siskiyou CountyRelated Search
- Using multiple metrics to assess the effects of forest succession on population status: a comparative study of two terrestrial salamanders in the US Pacific Northwest
- Strategies for modeling habitat relationships of uncommon species: An example using the Siskiyou Mountains salamander (Plethodon stormi).
- Diet of the Del Norte Salamander (Plethodon elongatus): Differences by age, gender, and season.
XML: View XML
Show More
Show Fewer
https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/24886