Natural interspecific hybridization in Odontophrynus (Anura: Cycloramphidae)

MARTÍN O. PEREYRA, DARDO A. MARTI, JULIÁN N. LESCANO, SERGIO D. ROSSET, AND DIEGO BALDO

AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA

Societas Europaea Herpetologica

Lugar: Calci (Pisa), Italy; Año: 2009 vol. 30 p. 571 - 575

0173-5373

The frog genus Odontophrynus is a composite of diploid and tetraploid populations and species that are widelydistributed in South America. Some of the several genetic studies on this group report the production of artificial hybrids but only a single case of natural hybridization has been documented, in southern Brazil. In this study we report the finding of an interspecific natural hybrid specimen in central Argentina. We present morphological and cytogenetical evidence that the diploid taxa Odontophrynus cordobae and O. occidentalis are the parental species. The hybrid genome exhibited problematic pairing and segregation of homeologue chromosomes during meiosis, and the production of non-reduced gametes.