Morphological differentiation of the alpine newt (Triturus alpestris) in the Balkans, taxonomic implications

Abstract

A comprehensive survey of the Balkan alpine newt was undertaken to describe morphological differentiation between populations, and to test the validity of previously described subspecies. Thirty population samples derived from the major part of the Balkans, excluding Bulgaria and Albania, were studied for patterns of both morphometric and qualitative trait variability. On the basis of morphology, separate taxonomic status cannot be allocated to any of the currently recognized Balkan subspecies, with the exception of the southernmost (T. a. veluchiensis). Paedogenesis affected morphological variability significantly. Variability among paedotypic populations was found to be lower than intrapopulation variability of metamorphosed individuals.