Genetic diversity and differentiation of natural populations of

Andrias davidianus

in Sichuan

Guizhou

Hubei

Shanxi and Henan was comprehensively determined using AFLP markers. Sixty individuals from five natural populations were used in AFLP analyses. Nine primer pairs in AFLP analyses produced 507 scorable bands

of which 354 were polymorphic. Three genetic diversity parameters: the percentage of polymorphic loci (69.82%)

the Shannons information index (0.362 9) and the Gene diversity (0.241 4) all indicated that

A. davidianus

was with substantial variation. High level of genetic diversity of

A. davidianus

agreed with its life history traits and geographical distribution. Most of genetic diversity resided within populations (97.94%) in AMOVA analyses. A low genetic differentiation was characterized by Фst (Фst = 0.021

P

<

0.001). In the UPGMA dendrogram based on the genetic distance

A. davidianus

populations were separated into two major clusters.

A. davidianus

was supposed to disperse southward from north with the salamander fossil proof.