MSc Candidate, Lougheed Lab Mapping the Contact Zone of Two Chorus Frog Mitochondrial Lineages in Southern Ontario Contact zones facilitate the study of diverging evolutionary lineages in primary (evolved in situ) or secondary (evolved in allopatry) contact; outcomes of contact zone dynamics have implications for species range limits, can clarify questions regarding species delineation and speciation itself, and may be relevant for conservation. Chorus frog populations within Ontario and Quebec (currently collectively classified as Pseudacris triseriata) possess distinct mitochondrial haplotypes representing Boreal (P. maculata) and Western Chorus Frogs (P. triseriata). These diverging mitochondrial lineages are in secondary contact in Southern Ontario, yet the exact location of contact is uncertain, lying somewhere between Toronto and southern Georgian Bay (a linear span of ~150km). I used environmental DNA (eDNA) from water sampled at ~50 chorus frog breeding ponds to better delineate the chorus frog contact zone. Environmental DNA facilitates extensive geographic sampling, allows for the identification of single wetlands with co-occurring populations, and is less invasive than tissue sampling (e.g. toe clipping, buccal swabbing, lethal sampling). I used droplet digital PCR with custom primer-probe mitochondrial cytochrome b sets that target each lineage (one primer-probe set for each lineage). My data refine the location of the contact zone and identify at least three ponds with both lineages present. My findings set the stage for future work in hybridization and speciation, and have implications for conservation and designations by the Committee on the Status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada (COSEWIC). My research also showcases the effectiveness of eDNA in mapping the distributions of cryptic or secretive species or evolutionary lineages.
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