Genetic diversity of the Pegu Rice Frog, (Anura: Microhylidae) based on mitochondrial DNA.

The Pegu Rice Frog, is distributed across ten Asian countries. However, the DNA barcoding information (COI gene) is restricted to only Southeast Asian countries. Here, we sampled a specimen of in Mizoram state, northeast India to allow the genetic diversity of the species across its range. We generated both COI and 16S ribosomal RNA sequences of the studied species to check the population genetic diversity. The Bayesian analyses clearly discriminate from its sister species . The present datasets of also revealed 11 and 19 haplotypes with high uncorrected pairwise genetic distances in COI (3.8-11.8%) and 16S rRNA (0-4.6%) gene, respectively. Owing to the high intra-species genetic distances and different haplotypes with sufficient mutational steps in both mitochondrial genes, this study affirms the existence of species complex or cryptic diversity within its range distribution in South and Southeast Asia.