Trends in nuclear DNA content among amphibians and reptiles

• Published in: Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part B: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Vol. 113; no. 3; pp. 601 - 605
• Main Authors: MacCulloch, Ross D., Upton, Darlene E., Murphy, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 1996
• Subjects: amphibians; crypsis; DNA content; flow cytometry; intraspecific variation; nuclear DNA; ploidy; reptiles; nuclear DNA; reptiles; intraspecific variation; crypsis; flow cytometry; DNA content; amphibians; ploidy
• ISSN: 1096-4959; 1879-1107
• DOI: 10.1016/0305-0491(95)02033-0

Diploid nuclear DNA content of 72 species of amphibians and reptiles was measured using flow cytometry, with propidium iodide as the stain. Amphibian DNA content was generally greater than that of reptiles, but the greatest intraspecific variation occurred in reptiles. Several cryptic species were detected among morphologically similar specimens. Other studies using Feulgen microspectrophotometry typically yielded values greater than those obtained in this study for the same species. Results indicate that two or more populations should be sampled to ensure a more accurate estimate of intraspecific variation.