LBNL-58663 A Molecular Assessment of Phylogenetic Relationships and Lineage Diversification Within the Family Salamandridae (Amphibia, Caudata) A Molecular Assessment of Phylogenetic Relationships and Lineage Diversification Within the Family Salamandrida

Abstract

Abstract Phylogenetic relationships among species of the salamander family Salamandridae are investigated using nearly 3000 nucleotide bases of newly reported mitochondrial DNA sequence data from the mtDNA genic region spanning the genes tRNA Leu -COI. This study uses nearly comprehensive species-level sampling to provide the first complete phylogeny for the Salamandridae. Deep phylogenetic relationships among the three most divergent lineages in the family -Salamandrina terdigitata, a clade comprising the "True" salamanders, and a clade comprising all newts except S. terdigitata -are difficult to resolve