DIVERGENT LINEAGES WITHIN THE BUFO-MARGARITIFERA COMPLEX (AMPHIBIA, ANURA, BUFONIDAE) REVEALED BY ALBUMIN IMMUNOLOGY

The toads belonging to the Bufo margaritifera complex (Amphibia: Anura ; Bufonidae) are widely distributed in the Neotropics. A molecular ana lysis, using the quantitative immunological technique of micro-complem ent fixation, assessed the degree of divergence in a plasma protein, s erum albumin, among representative Central and South American toads cu rrently placed in this complex. This analysis revealed a surprisingly large amount of genetic diversity. Comparisons of estimates of albumin sequence evolution in representatives of the Bufo margaritifera compl ex from 32 localities in one central and seven South American countrie s indicate that this complex includes more than three lineages that ar e very distinct genetically but show relatively little morphological v ariation. The degree of albumin divergence implies that some of these lineages have been isolated for at least 30 million years. This study also suggests that the amount of genetic diversity within other Amazon ian species or species groups could be substantial.