Another article on Red spotted newts

E

edward

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Hi All,
From a recent issue of Herpetologica,
Genetic Variation amoung populations of Eaastern Newts, Notopthalmus viridescens: a preliminary analysis based on allozymes. (Gabor and Nice, 2004, Herpetologica 60(3):373-386)

The interesting point is summed up here in the abstract "We analyzed 18 allozyme loci to examine the evolutionary relationship amoung the four subspecies of eastern newts: N. v. viridescens, N. v. dorsalis, N. v. louisianensis and N. v. piaropicola. Despite moderate amounts of genetic variation, phylogenetic and phenetic analyses of the relationship amoung 12 sites resulted in trees that were inconsistant with the current subspecific classiification. Cluster and phylognetic analyses of allele frequency variation confirmed this, indicating an abscence of significan differentiation between the subspecies. Instead populations of N. viridescens appear to cluster into groups representing geogrtaphic units that do not directly correspond to the currently recognized subspecies. The morphological and life history differences amoung the subspecies are not clearly associated with differentiation at allozyme level. Recent divergence, gene flow, or phenotype plasticity may explain the lack of correlation between genetic and morphological differentiation."

I was slightly dissapointed that they did not include any maps of the analysis compared to the current recognized subspecies. Well it was listed as a prelimiany result so I guess I shouldn't have been too dissapointed.

Ed
 
I agree that a new map comparing current subspecies and the groupings based on their results would have been useful. You can kind of make your own with Figure 1 by drawing in some dividing lines but its not all that good...

Do you know why there is a gap in the range map in central Illinois, north-central Indiana, and north-west Ohio? All the range maps I have seen for Notophthalmus have this gap... Are there really no newts in those areas or have they not been surveyed, or maybe the range maps just have not been updated?
 
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  • Katia Del Rio-Tsonis:
    Dear All, I would appreciate some help identifying P. waltl disease and treatment. We received newts from Europe early November and a few maybe 3/70 had what it looked like lesions under the legs- at that time we thought maybe it was the stress of travel- now we think they probably had "red leg syndrome" (see picture). However a few weeks later other newts started to develop skin lesions (picture enclosed). The sender recommended to use sulfamerazine and we have treated them 2x and we are not sure they are all recovering. Does anyone have any experience with P. waltl diseases and could give some input on this? Any input would be greatly appreciated! Thank you.
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  • Katia Del Rio-Tsonis:
    sorry I am having a hard time trying to upload the pictures- I have them saved on my hard drive... any suggestions-the prompts here are not allowing for downloads that way as far as I can tell. Thanks
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    Katia Del Rio-Tsonis: sorry I am having a hard time trying to upload the pictures- I have them saved on my hard... +1
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