New morphological synapomorphies for the new world direct-developing frogs (Amphibia: Anura: Terrarana).

TABOADA, C.; GRANT, T.; LYNCH, J.D; FAIVOVICH, J.

HERPETOLOGICA

HERPETOLOGISTS LEAGUE

Lugar: Lawrence; Año: 2013 vol. 69 p. 342 - 357

0018-0831

The New World direct-developing frogs (Terrarana) comprise more than 970 speciesdistributed from the southern United States to northern Argentina. Although the composition of this cladehas been remarkably stable for many decades, evidence for its monophyly is derived mostly from DNAsequences with putative phenotypic synapomorphies limited to the occurrence of direct development, anembryonic egg tooth (known in few species), and T-shaped terminal phalanges. Based on a survey of theurogenital and vascular systems and the submandibular musculature of hyloid frogs, we report 16 charactersthat provide putative synapomorphies at a variety of hierarchic levels. Most significantly, they include sevenputative synapomorphies for Terrarana that can be observed through simple dissections, including (1) fusionof the Wolffian ducts, resulting in a single, common cloacal opening; (2) Wolffian duct fusion locatedanteriorly with a single, common duct along the posterior, . 1/3 of the distance between caudal edge ofkidneys and cloacal wall; (3) presence of the posterior dorsolumbar vein; (4) absence of the medialdorsolumbar vein; (5) origin of the posterior caval vein in the anterior 1/3 of the kidneys; (6) posterior originof dorsolumbar arteries; and (7) presence of the pelvic lymphatic septum.