The evolutionary consequence of major genomic changes in Amphibia

Abstract

It seems appropriate to begin this discussion by examining the kinds of major genomic changes that have happened in the course of amphibian evolution, and to segregate those that may have been expected to contribute to the divergence and isolation of species from those that are more likely to have followed on after primary speciation events. In the present context, a genomic change is considered to be “major” if its consequences are clearly detectable at the cytological level and are likely to constitute insurmountable reproductive barriers between species or groups.