Genetic and Biochemical Studies on Systematics and Biogeography of Japanese Tailed Amphibians

利用电泳方法对日本尾两栖动物代表小蝾螈（Hynobiid small salamander）、日本大鲵（Japanese giant salamander）和蝾螈（newts）的遗传变异进行了研究，得到以下结果：1)确定了Salam andrella的独特属地位，而为retardatus而竖立的Satobius属则归为Hynobius的同义名；(2)萨多ensis被降级为H. nigrescens的同义种；3)北海道Obihiro的两个形态上可区分的迟滞蛛种群在遗传上没有明显的差异；4)一个种群具有遗传同质性；(5)冲绳的安德氏虎种群与奄美大岛和德野岛的种群存在遗传分化；6)独眼龙的东北种族与安托种族在基因上存在差异；7)来自香港的Parames otriton在遗传上接近Cynops，而Echinotriton属与Tylototriton同义。这些结果表明，日本尾两栖动物的遗传分化模式在不同的世系之间存在差异，并且并不总是与形态分化平行。然而，大多数日本尾成员在当地种群中基因相当不同，这表明它们的历史悠久，并且迫切需要保护每个物种的每个种群。

Through the use of the electrophoretic method, genetic variation in represent atives of the Japanese tailed amphibians, including Hynobiid small salamanders, the Japanese giant salamander, and newts, was investigated, and the following results were obtained : 1) Distinct generic status of Salam andrella is ascertained, whereas the genus Satobius erected for retardatus is relegated to the syn onymy of Hynobius ; 2) Hynobius sadoensis is relegated to the synonymy of H. nigrescens ; 3) Two morphologically distinguishable poulations of H. retardatus form Obihiro, Hokkaido are genetically not markedly divergent ; 4) A population of Andrias japonicus is genetically homogeneous ; 5) Population from Tylototriton andersoni from Okinawa is genetically differentiated from those from Amami Oshima and Tokunoshima ; 6) The Tohoku-race of Cynops Pyrrhogaster is genetically divergent from the anto-race ; 7) Parames otriton from Hongkong is genetically close to Cynops, and the genus Echinotriton is synonymous with Tylototriton. These results indicate that the pattern of genetic differentiation differs among the various lineages of the Japanese tailed amphibians and is not always in parallel with the differentiation in morphology. However, majority of the Japanese tailed members are genetically fairly divergent among local populations, suggesting their long history, and conservation of each population of each species is strongly required.