Abstract:
The mitotic karyotypes of 33 species of anuran amphibians collected from
the natural population in Thailand were cytologically investigated after in vivo
colchicine treatment using the conventional method and chromosome banding
techniques. These species were classified into 5 groups: 1) 4 species of megophryid
frogs; 2) 4 species of bufonid frogs; 3) 15 species of ranid frogs; 4) 2 species of
rhacophorid frogs; and 5) 8 species of microhylid frogs. There were 4 diploid
chromosome number (2n) groups: 22, 24, 26 and 28. Detailed study of karyotypes of
33 anuran species exhibited variation in size, shape of chromosomes and the position
of chromosome markers. Chromosome Nos. 1-5 of all anuran species investigated
were mostly large in size and appeared to be highly conserved. The remaining mitotic
chromosomes were relatively small and variable in size. Species-specific chromosome
markers were determined and included secondary constriction or special structures,
such as satellite or knob-like projections, on both large and small chromosomes.
Karyotypes of all species investigated differed in the localization of the step between
the large and the small chromosome groups in each karyotype, except that most ranid
frogs displayed 5+8 karyotype and bufonid frogs exhibited 6+5 karyotype. Sex
chromosomes could not be identified in anuran amphibians studied. Most anuran
species examined had only one pair of the nucleolar organizer regions in their
chromosomes. Most of the chromosomes of the species studied showed clear
telomeric and interstitial c-bands apart from the centromeric heterochromatin. The
strong contraction of metaphase chromosomes prevents the differential demonstration
of G-bands in the euchromatic regions. The genetic structure of anuran amphibians at
the chromosome level was found to be highly conserved, especially in bufonid and
ranid frogs. Moreover, intraspecific variation in chromosome structure and the
position of secondary constriction was observed in some anuran species. The
combined morphological and cytogenetic data were used to generate a phylogenetic
tree depicting genome evolution in the amphibians of Thailand.