Megophryidae

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Megophryidae
Temporal range: Early Eocene to Recent, 50.3–0  Ma
Leptob hasselt M 080208-4534 clobk.jpg
Java spadefoot toad ( Leptobrachium hasseltii )
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Superfamily: Pelobatoidea
Family: Megophryidae
Bonaparte, 1850
Genera

See text

MEGOPHRYIDAE range.png
Global range (black)

Megophryidae, commonly known as goose frogs, is a large family of frogs native to the warm southeast of Asia, from the Himalayan foothills eastwards, south to Indonesia and the Greater Sunda Islands in Maritime Southeast Asia, and extending to the Philippines. [1] Fossil remains are also known from North America. [2] As of 2014 it encompasses 246 species of frogs divided between five genera. [3] For lack of a better vernacular name, they are commonly called megophryids.

Contents

Morphology

The megophryids are notable for their camouflage, especially those that live in forests, which often look like dead leaves. The camouflage is accurate to the point of some having skin folds that look like leaf veins, and at least one species, the long-nosed horned frog (Megophrys montana) has sharp projections extending past the eye and nose, which disguise the frog shape. [1]

Megophryids range in size from 2 to 12.5 cm (0.79 to 4.92 in) in length. The adults' tongues are noticeably paddle-shaped. Their tadpoles can be found in a variety of waters, but especially ponds and streams. The tadpoles are extremely diverse in form because of the variety of habitats they inhabit.

Genera

The following genera are recognised in the family Megophryidae; Amphibian Species of the World and AmphibiaWeb differ on the number of species per genera, leading to the variability in numbers: [4] [5]

Evolution

The origin of this group of frogs was largely unknown, due to the lack of members of this family in the fossil record. While the family was originally considered to have originated in the early-mid Cretaceous (100-126 mya) via fossils of related frog groups, a study in early 2017 revealed that this was likely an overestimation. Using DNA sequencing, the study indicated the group more likely originated much later during the Cretaceous period, around 77 mya. The study also indicated that there are likely many more new species in the family that are currently unknown to science. [8]

While the family is currently restricted to Asia, fossils indicate that it once had a much wider distribution extending to North America. The earliest known fossils of this family are from the Eocene of Wyoming in the United States. [2]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tadpole</span> Larval stage in the life cycle of an amphibian

A tadpole is the larval stage in the biological life cycle of an amphibian. Most tadpoles are fully aquatic, though some species of amphibians have tadpoles that are terrestrial. Tadpoles have some fish-like features that may not be found in adult amphibians such as a lateral line, gills and swimming tails. As they undergo metamorphosis, they start to develop functional lungs for breathing air, and the diet of tadpoles changes drastically.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">True frog</span> Family of frogs

True frogs is the common name for the frog family Ranidae. They have the widest distribution of any frog family. They are abundant throughout most of the world, occurring on all continents except Antarctica. The true frogs are present in North America, northern South America, Europe, Africa, and Asia. The Asian range extends across the East Indies to New Guinea and a single species, the Australian wood frog, has spread into the far north of Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bombinatoridae</span> Family of amphibians

Bombinatoridae is a family of toads found in Eurasia. Species of the family have flattened bodies and some are highly toxic.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alytidae</span> Family of amphibians

The Alytidae are a family of primitive frogs. Their common name is painted frogs or midwife toads. Most are endemic to Europe, but three species occur in northwest Africa, and a species formerly thought to be extinct is found in Israel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leptodactylidae</span> Family of amphibians

The southern frogs form the Leptodactylidae, a name that comes from Greek meaning a bird or other animal having slender toes. They are a diverse family of frogs that most likely diverged from other hyloids during the Cretaceous. The family has undergone major taxonomic revisions in recent years, including the reclassification of the former subfamily Eleutherodactylinae into its own family the Eleutherodactylidae; the Leptodactylidae now number 206 species in 13 genera distributed throughout Mexico, the Caribbean, and Central and South America. The family includes terrestrial, burrowing, aquatic, and arboreal members, inhabiting a wide range of habitats.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">European spadefoot toad</span> Family of amphibians

The European spadefoot toads are a family of frogs, the Pelobatidae, with only one extant genus Pelobates, containing six species. They are native to Europe, the Mediterranean, northwestern Africa, and western Asia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Parsley frog</span> Family of amphibians

The parsley frogs or Pelodytidae are a family of order Anura. The family consists of a single genus, Pelodytes, which contains five species. These frogs can be found in south-western Europe and the Caucasus. The common name of "parsley frogs" comes from the common parsley frog which, because of its colouring, appears to be garnished with parsley.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelodytidae</span> Family of amphibians

Pelodytidae, also known as the parsley frogs, or rarely, mud divers, is a family of frogs. It contains a single extant genus, Pelodytes, and two genera only known from fossils. The extant species are found in southwestern Europe and the Caucasus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brachycephalidae</span> Family of amphibians

The Brachycephalidae are a family of frogs confined to eastern and southern Brazil and northern Argentina. The family is composed of two externally quite different genera: the tiny, often colourful and plump saddleback toads (Brachycephalus) from Brazil, and the larger, slimmer and more drab genus Ischnocnema from both Brazil and Argentina. The family is mainly defined by molecular characteristics, and are linked by few anatomical features. It was erected from two genera of the previously large family Eleutherodactylidae, which is now split into four families.

Atympanophrys is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. They range from central China south to northern Vietnam. They are commonly known as hidden-tympanum horned toads.

<i>Leptobrachella</i> Genus of amphibians

Leptobrachella is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. Members of Leptobrachella are found throughout Asia including on Borneo and the Natuna Islands. They are sometimes referred to as Borneo frogs, slender-armed frogs, or dwarf litter frogs. The genus contains over 82 species with 25 found in China alone.

Dring's horned toad, or Dring's horned frog, is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae found in Mount Mulu in Sarawak, Borneo (Malaysia). It is the only species in the genus Sarawakiphrys. Its natural habitats are tropical moist montane forests and rivers.

The Omei horned toad, also known as the Mount Omei spadefoot toad, is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is found in Sichuan and Tibet in China, including the type locality, Mount Emei and possibly in Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests, subtropical or tropical moist montane forests, and rivers. It is threatened by habitat loss.

The rough-skinned horned toad or Tonkin spadefoot toad is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It is found in southern China, northern Vietnam, and northern Laos.

<i>Philautus kempii</i> Species of frog

Philautus kempii is a species of frog in the family Rhacophoridae. It is known with certainty from its type locality, Upper Rotung in Arunachal Pradesh, Northeast India, in the area also claimed by China. It is also reported from Arunachal Pradesh in general as well as from extreme eastern Tibet; these might represent another species. Very little is known about this species, and even its taxonomic validity remains uncertain.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pelobatoidea</span> Superfamily of amphibians

The Pelobatoidea are a superfamily of frogs. They typically combine a toad-like body shape with a frog-like, pointed face. Phylogenetically they stand between primitive frogs on the one side and higher frogs on the other and are therefore – among other things by characteristics of bone construction – in the suborder Mesobatrachia.

Leptobrachella lateralis is a species of frog in the family Megophryidae. It was first described by John Anderson (1871), who originally named it Ixalus lateralis. The holotype is lost and its exact origins are uncertain, but it was likely collected "from some portion of the surrounding region [of Bhamò]", Myanmar. It is only known with confidence from the region of its type locality and from Nagaland in Northeast India. Its range might extend into Yunnan, China. It is sometimes called Nagaland Asian toad or Nagaland leaf litter toad.

<i>Pelobatrachus</i> Genus of amphibians

Pelobatrachus is a genus of frogs in the family Megophryidae. It was formerly synonymized with Megophrys until 2021, when it was revived as a distinct genus. They inhabit Southeast Asia, namely the Malay Peninsula, Sumatra, Borneo and the Philippines. Their common name is clay horned toads.

Megophrys selatanensis, the South-Sumatran horned-frog, is a species of frog from the genus Megophrys native to Indonesia. The species was scientifically described in 2021.

Megophrys lancip, the pointed horned frog, is a species of frog from the Megophrys genus. It is endemic to Indonesia. The species was scientifically described in 2018.

References

  1. 1 2 Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians. Harold G. Cogger, Richard George Zweifel, David Kirshner (2nd ed.). San Diego, CA. 1998. p. 88. ISBN   0-12-178560-2. OCLC   39559811.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link) CS1 maint: others (link)
  2. 1 2 "Fossilworks: Megophryidae". fossilworks.org. Retrieved 17 December 2021.
  3. Frost, Darrel R. "Megophryidae Bonaparte, 1850". Amphibian Species of the World, an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History, New York. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
  4. "Megophryidae Bonaparte, 1850 | Amphibian Species of the World". amphibiansoftheworld.amnh.org. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  5. "AmphibiaWeb - Megophryidae". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2022-09-03.
  6. "AmphibiaWeb -- Search Results". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  7. "AmphibiaWeb -- Search Results". amphibiaweb.org. Retrieved 2021-03-25.
  8. "Timetree dating in the absence of a fossil record in Asian Horned Frogs". sciencedaily.com. Retrieved 2017-02-26.

Further reading