PHYLOGENETIC-RELATIONSHIPS OF BROWN FROGS WITH 24 CHROMOSOMES FROM FAR-EAST RUSSIA AND HOKKAIDO ASSESSED BY MITOCHONDRIAL CYTOCHROME-B GENE-SEQUENCES (RANA, RANIDAE)

Comparisons of nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene revealed that the brown frog from Sakhalin has genetically little dif ferentiated from Rana pirica from Hokkaido. Although they show some di fferences in adult morphology, they are considered to be conspecific. These frogs have sequences substantially different from R. dybowskii f rom the Maritime territory of Russia, and the current taxonomic idea t o specifically separate them is genetically supported. On the other ha nd, R. dybowskii from the Maritime territory is genetically well diffe rentiated from a conspecific population from Tsushima.