The taxonomic placement of the Miocene Patagonian frog <i>Wawelia gerholdi</i> (Amphibia: Anura)

Abstract

Nicoli, L. Muzzopappa, P. &amp; Faivovich, J., July 2016 The taxonomic placement of the Miocene frog <i>Wawelia gerholdi</i> (Amphibia: Anura). <i>Alcheringa 40</i>, xxx–xxx. ISSN 0311-5518. The Miocene frog <i>Wawelia gerholdi</i>, from northern Patagonia, was previously attributed to Ceratophryidae, the clade of extant South American horned frogs, making it one of the oldest records known for this group. However, the only known specimen has juvenile traits and is strongly similar to the australobatrachian <i>Calyptocephalella</i>. We re-examined the morphology of <i>W. gerholdi</i> and provide additional anatomical information and comparisons with juvenile individuals of Ceratophryidae and <i>Calyptocephalella gayi</i>, the only extant species of <i>Calyptocephalella</i>. We reject a close relationship between <i>W. gerholdi</i> and Ceratophryidae. Furthermore, the holotype is indistinguishable from juveniles of <i>C. gayi</i> and shares with all the species of this genus a character state combination that seems unique among anurans. Therefore, we consider <i>Wawelia</i> to be a junior synonym of <i>Calyptocephalella</i>. The problematic taxonomic status of numerous fossil species of <i>Calyptocephalella</i>, together with its untested monophyly, also prompts us to provisionally consider the extinct species as a <i>species inquirenda</i> included in this genus, pending a comprehensive revision of all available remains. <i>Laura Nicoli [</i>lnicoli@macn.gov.ar<i>] and Julián Faivovich [</i>julian@macn.gov.ar<i>], División Herpetología, and Paula Muzzopappa [</i>pmuzzopappa@macn.gov.ar<i>], Sección Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’-CONICET, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina.</i>