Why is the southern California population considered a Distinct Vertebrate Population Segment?
Research indicates there are two major clades’ (a group of organisms sharing a common ancestor) of mountain yellow-legged frog, divided into four subgroups – northern Sierra Nevada, central Sierra Nevada, southern Sierra Nevada, and southern California. The northern clade’ includes mountain yellow-legged frogs in the Northern and Central Sierra Nevada Mountains; the southern clade’ includes frogs from the southern Sierra Nevada and southern California mountains. Genetic analyses indicate that mountain yellow-legged frogs in southern California are significantly different from those inhabiting the Sierra Nevada, including those from the southern Sierra Nevada. Mountain yellow-legged frogs in southern California currently inhabit portions of the San Gabriel, San Bernardino, and San Jacinto Mountains in Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. Three elements are used to determine if a vertebrate population may be considered a distinct population segment: 1) discreteness of the
