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Onychodactylus koreanus, a hynobiid salamander species endemic to the Korean Peninsula, can be regarded as a strict ecological specialist, probably vulnerable to anthropogenic environmental modifications and climate change. We used mitochondrial cytochrome b gene to analyze the genetic diversity and phylogenetic structure of O. koreanus from 19 populations collected in an attempt to cover its major distribution within South Korea. A total of 76 haplotypes of O. koreanus obtained in our analyses could be subdivided into three phylogenetic clades, KR, NE and SE. Clade KR haplotypes occur in most of the regions throughout the Korean Peninsula with four distinct subclades (KR I-IV). Clade NE and SE haplotypes were only observed in two populations YY and YS, respectively. Haplotype sharing was scarce even among populations in geographical proximity, and most of the populations were represented by a single clade or subclade, indicating the low level of gene flow among populations. O. koreanus likely originated from the historical southward dispersal of its ancestral lineages following divergence from Chinese O. zhaoermii that was recovered as the sister of O. koreanus in our phylogenetic analysis. Our results have critical implications for the taxonomic status of O. koreanus and its long-term management plan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Siberian chipmunks, Tamias sibiricus, are one of several popular companion animals found in the pet shops of South Korea. At present, however, there have been no studies done in South Korea examining their origin even though they could be potential carriers of zoonotic diseases, and are a species of concern for efficient conservation and management strategies. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp) were determined to investigate the origin of Siberian chipmunks sold in four South Korean pet shops through comparison with sequence data from animals of known locality. Nine Siberian chipmunks were collected from pet shops in South Korea, which resulted in nine haplotypes. One (AR) of these coincided with the haplotype previously described. Phylogenetic and network analyses using 53 haplotypes including 45 haplotypes from GenBank showed three phylogenetic groups in South Korea, almost concordant to locality, designated as northern, central, and southern parts as described in a previous study. Of the nine individuals examined from the pet shops, eight were clustered into the northern phylogroup but one (cgrb9153) was grouped with the southern phylogroup, implying that at least the Siberian chipmunks examined in this study did not originate from other countries. It is likely that most individuals sold in the pet shops of Seoul were caught in the wild in Gyeonggi-do and Gangwon-do, or are maternal descendants of captive-bred individuals originating from the northern part of South Korea. It is recommended that conservation and management units of Korean chipmunks should be examined in further detail. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]