Chondrocranium and cranial muscles morphology in Lysapsus and Pseudis tadpoles (Anura: Hylidae: Pseudinae).

ALCALDE, L. & M. BARG

Acta Zoologica (Stockolm)

The Royal Swediss Academy of Sciences

Lugar: Estocolmo; Año: 2006 vol. 87 p. 91 - 100

1463-6395

The chondrocranium and cranial muscles of Lysapsus limellum, Pseudis cardosoi, P. minuta, and four subspecies of P. paradoxa (caribensis, occidentalis, paradoxa and platensis) are described. Lysapsus and Pseudis are related to Hylidae by: 1) vertical processus anterolateralis of the larval crista parotica, and 2) presence of mm. mandibulolabialis inferior and superior (the later reversed in Pseudis cardosoi). We confirm some larval synapomorphies previously proposed for the pseudids, except the m. subarcualis obliquus II having one head and the absence of copula anterior. We add 3 new features for the pseudids: 1) the distal end of ceratobranchiales III and IV projects towards either the capsula auditiva (Lysapsus) or the processus basicapsularis - new term - (Pseudis), 2) arcus subocularis twice as wide at level of processus ascendens as it is just posterior to processus muscularis quadrati, and 3) the lateral corner of the processus articularis quadrati largely projects laterally. We diagnose Lysapsus larvae (Pseudis’ states in parentheses) as follows: 1) short processus pseudopterygoideus (long), 2) absence of lateral development of larval crista parotica (presence), 3) absence of commissura proximalis II (presence), 4) presence of processus lateralis hyalis - new term - (absence), 5) absence of processus basicapsularis (presence), 6) processus ascendens slightly curved along its entire extent (curved at the union with the basi cranii only), and 7) absence of m. tympanopharyngeus (presence).absence of copula anterior. We add 3 new features for the pseudids: 1) the distal end of ceratobranchiales III and IV projects towards either the capsula auditiva (Lysapsus) or the processus basicapsularis - new term - (Pseudis), 2) arcus subocularis twice as wide at level of processus ascendens as it is just posterior to processus muscularis quadrati, and 3) the lateral corner of the processus articularis quadrati largely projects laterally. We diagnose Lysapsus larvae (Pseudis’ states in parentheses) as follows: 1) short processus pseudopterygoideus (long), 2) absence of lateral development of larval crista parotica (presence), 3) absence of commissura proximalis II (presence), 4) presence of processus lateralis hyalis - new term - (absence), 5) absence of processus basicapsularis (presence), 6) processus ascendens slightly curved along its entire extent (curved at the union with the basi cranii only), and 7) absence of m. tympanopharyngeus (presence).