Electrophoretic variation in the Green and Golden Bell Frog <i>Litoria aurea</i>

Abstract

Protein electrophoresis was used to investigate the genetic structure of populations of the Green and Golden Bell Frog Litoria aurea in the Sydney area. The investigation provided the following answers to three main questions. 1. Has habitat reduction and fragmentation reduced genetic variability in the Sydney area? Possibly yes, but not drastically to date. 2. Is population differentiation in the area due to the loss of genetic variability following from restrictions on gene flow? Not solely, as there exist differences in the frequency of the G6PD A allozyme in samples from the east of Sydney and in samples from the west. 3. Do mere exist variants in Sydney samples which, not being found elsewhere in the species' range, emphasize the importance of efforts to conserve populations in the area? There are large numbers of alleles restricted to a single sample in this study (including eight in the Sydney area) which suggest that variability in L. aurea should be understood in terms of regional differentiation.