Overview
Brief Summary
Introduction
Microhylids are called Narrow-Mouthed Frogs, althought not all of the species have the very narrow mouths and pointed heads seen in the New World species. This family has the largest number of genera, with more than 60. They are found principally in tropical regions of the world: South America, Africa, Madagascar, SE Asia, Indonesia, New Guinea, Australia (NE only). They also are found in the more temperate regions of North America and Africa. The two genera in the United States are Gastrophryne and Hypopachus.
In size they range from tiny forms (10 mm) to moderately large animals (100 mm). In many the body form is tear-drop-shaped, with a narrow, pointed snout and rather rounded body. However, some are more treefrog like, with expanded digital tips, such as Kaloula.
Breviceps, the Rain Frogs of Africa, have a very short face; during amplexus the male becomes attached to the female by sticky skin secretions. Many microhylids are burrowers, emerging only after heavy rains. Most are dull, but are few such as Dyscophus may be brightly colored. As a group they tend to be ant and termite-specialists. Some exhibit a commensal relationship with burrowing spiders (Crocroft and Hambler, 1989). Phrynomerus, the Rubber Frogs, have intercalary elements in the digits and have often been placed in a separate family Phrynomeridae.
The most informative reference remains (Parker, 1934).
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Comprehensive Description
Addtional Photographs
Gastrophryne olivacea, Texas; photo © 1995 David Cannatella
Pseudohemisus pustulosa; photo © 1995 David Cannatella
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Evolution and Systematics
Evolution
Discussion of Phylogenetic Relationships
- Microhylidae
- Scaphiophryninae*
- Pseudohemisus
- Scaphiophryne
- Scoptanura
- Asterophryinae
- Asterophrys
- Barygenys
- Hylophorbus
- Pherohapsis
- Phrynomantis
- Xenobatrachus
- Xenorhina
- Cophylinae
- Anodonthyla
- Cophyla
- Madecassophryne
- Mantipus
- Paracophyla
- Platypelis
- Plethodontohyla
- Rhombophryne
- Stumpffia
- Dyscophinae
- Calluela
- Dyscophus
- Genyophryninae
- Choerophryne
- Cophixalus
- Copiula
- Genyophryne
- Oreophryne
- Sphenophryne
- Melanobatrachinae
- Holophryne
- Melanobatrachus
- Parhoplophryne
- Microhylinae
- Arcovomer
- Chaperina
- Chiasmocleis
- Ctenophryne
- Dasypops
- Dermatonotus
- Elachistocleis
- Gastrophryne
- Gastrophrynoides
- Glossostoma
- Glyphoglossus
- Hamptophryne
- Hypopachus
- Hyophryne
- Kalophrynus
- Kaloula
- Metaphrynella
- Microhyla
- Myersiella
- Otophryne
- Phrynella
- Ramanella
- Relictivomer
- Stereocyclops
- Synapturanus
- Syncope
- Uperodon
- Phrynomerus
- Asterophryinae
- Scaphiophryninae*
One persistent issue of the taxonomy of Microhylidae has been the inclusion of scaphiophrynines (Scaphiophryne and Pseudohemisus); the group has been alternatively included in Ranidae or Microhylidae (see review in Wassersug, 1984). The ambiguity was based on the description of tadpoles of two Malagasy species by Angel (1931), which were referred to Pseudohemisus verrucosus and P. longimanus; these tadpoles had beaks and denticles. However, these larvae were shown to belong to ranid species (Blommers-Schlösser, personal communication in Wassersug [1984]). Otherwise, the monophyly of Microhylidae has not been questioned.
The Type 2 larva of Orton (1953, 1957) was generally considered diagnostic of Microhylidae, but larvae of scaphiophrynines, as for many microhylids, remained unknown. However, the description of the tadpole of Pseudohemisus granulosum (Blommers-Schlösser, 1975; Wassersug, 1984, 1989) provided an intermediate suite of characters between the Type 2 and Type 4 tadpoles, and drew attention to the inadequacy of Orton's tadpole groups. Duellman and Trueb (1986) continued to use the Type 2 larva (their character O2) as a synapomorphy of Microhylidae, and discussed the intermediate morphological status of the scaphiophrynine tadpole. The concern over the definition of the Type 2 tadpole has diverted attention from the more important issue, that of relationships. In fact, analysis of the characters of the Pseudohemisus tadpole (Wassersug, 1984) provides simultaneously a suite of derived features uniting scaphiophrynines with the other microhylids, and a suite of derived features allying those microhylids (here called Scoptanura) to the exclusion of scaphiophrynines (as represented by Pseudohemisus.)
Ford and Cannatella (1993) defined Scoptanura to be the most recent common ancestor of dyscophines, cophylines, brevicipitines, asterophryines, genyophryines, melanobatrachines, Phrynomerus, and microhylines, as listed in Duellman and Trueb (1986), and all its descendants. Scoptanura was used by Starrett (1968, 1973) as a name for the group associated with the Type 2 tadpole. This name is used because it minimizes the creation of new names, not to encourage the use of Orton's tadpole groups. The name Scoptanura occupies a hierarchical position between the (family) Microhylidae and the included groups (subfamilies), but it has no rank. Therefore, it is not necessary to modify the endings of names such as Cophylinae, etc. Microhylidae was defined to be the most recent common ancestor of scaphiophrynines and Scoptanura, and all its descendants; this is the currently used concept of the name. Scaphiophryninae* is a metataxon.
Synapomorphies of Microhylidae include the following larval features: absence of cornified denticles, ventral velum divided medially, glottis fully exposed on buccal floor, nares not perforated, secretory ridges of branchial food traps with only a single row of secretory cell apices (Wassersug, 1984), and two or three palatal folds in adults (Parker, 1934).
Synapomorphies of Scoptanura include these larval characters: median spiracle, gill filaments poorly developed or absent, modifications of buccal pumping mechanism (short lever arm on ceratohyal, small buccal floor area), absence of the suspensoriohyoideus muscle, and the lack of separation of the quadrato-, hyo-, and suspensorioangularis muscles.
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Molecular Biology and Genetics
Barcode
Locations of barcode samples
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Statistics of barcoding coverage
| Specimen Records: | 519 |
| Specimens with Sequences: | 479 |
| Specimens with Barcodes: | 433 |
| Public Records: | 64 |
| Species: | 109 |
| Species With Barcodes: | 106 |
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Barcode data
© Barcode of Life Data Systems
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Wikipedia
Microhylidae
Microhylidae is a geographically widespread family of frogs. There are 495 species in 68 genera and nine subfamilies, which is the largest number of genera of any frog family.[2]
Contents |
Description
As suggested by their name, microhylids are mostly small frogs. Many species are below 1.5 centimetres (0.59 in) in length, although some species are as large as 9 centimetres (3.5 in).[1] They can be arboreal or terrestrial, and some will even habit close to water. The ground dwellers are often found under leaf litter within forests, occasionally venturing out at night to hunt. There are two main shapes for the microhylids, one with wide bodies and narrow mouths, and the other with normal frog proportions. Those with narrow mouths generally eat termites and ants, and the others have diets typical of most frogs. The species of the genus Breviceps are burrowing frogs found in the arid regions of Africa. Some of their species will even lay their eggs under ground.
Reproduction
The microhylids of New Guinea and Australia completely bypass the tadpole stage, with direct development from egg to frog. The arboreal species can therefore lay the eggs within the trees, and never need venture to the ground. Where species do have tadpoles, these almost always lack the teeth or horny beak typical of the tadpoles of other families.[1]
Anatomy
The skull has paired palatines and frontoparietals. Facial nerve passes through anterior acoustic foramen in auditory capsule; trigeminal and facial nerve ganglia are fused to form a prootic ganglion. There are eight (or seven) presacral holochordal vertebrae and they are all precoelous except for a biconcave surface on last presacral. Pectoral girdle is firmisternal and some show reduced clavicle and procoracoids Terminal phalanges blunt, pointed or t-shaped. Tadpoles lack keratinized mouth parts and have a large spiracular chamber emptied by a caudomedial spiracle.[3]
Range
Frogs from Microhylidae occur throughout the tropical and warm temperate regions of North America, South America, Africa, eastern India, Sri Lanka, south-east Asia, through New Guinea and Australia. Although most are found in tropical or sub-tropical regions, a few species can be found in arid or non-tropical areas. They are the majority frog species in New Guinea and Madagascar.
References
- ^ a b c Zweifel, Robert G. (1998). Cogger, H.G. & Zweifel, R.G.. ed. Encyclopedia of Reptiles and Amphibians. San Diego: Academic Press. pp. 102–103. ISBN 0-12-178560-2.
- ^ Blackburn, D.C.; Wake, D.B. (2011). "Class Amphibia Gray, 1825. In: Zhang, Z.-Q. (Ed.) Animal biodiversity: An outline of higher-level classification and survey of taxonomic richness". Zootaxa 3148: 39–55. http://mapress.com/zootaxa/2011/f/zt03148p055.pdf.
- ^ Caldwell, George R. Zug; Laurie J. Vitt; Janalee P. (2001). Herpetology : an introductory biology of amphibians and reptiles (2. ed. ed.). San Diego [u.a.]: Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-782622-X.
- Cogger, H.G.; R.G. Zweifel, and D. Kirschner (2004). Encyclopedia of Reptiles & Amphibians Second Edition. Fog City Press. ISBN 1-877019-69-0.
- Zug, George R.; Laurie J. Vitt and J.P. Caldwell (2001). Herpetology:An Introductory Biology of Amphibians and Reptiles 2nd Edition. Academic Press. ISBN 0-12-782622-X.
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