data matrix

data matrix in Nexus forma

First fossil record of the South American frog genus <i>Odontophrynus</i> Reinhardt and Lütken, 1862 (Anura, Neobatrachia)

<p>The frog genus <i>Odontophrynus</i> comprises 10 species arranged in three species groups that inhabit southeastern South America. In Argentina, it is represented by the <i>O. americanus</i> and <i>O. occidentalis</i> species groups and, despite being a fairly common taxon of the extant herpetofauna, it has no known fossil record. Here we report on the first fossil record of the genus, based on an almost complete right ilium from the lower levels of the Buenos Aires Formation (OIS 11, Bonaerian age, middle Pleistocene) in the Bonaerian Pampas of Argentina. The taxonomic allocation is derived from a thorough survey of anuran ilia and is grounded in a set of distinct ilial characters that, in combination, do not occur in any other anuran. These include: ilium not fused to ischium; well-developed dorsal acetabular expansion; broad preacetabular zone with a shallow preacetabular fossa; straight ilial shaft lacking dorsal ridge; and spike-like dorsal prominence bearing a distinct dorsal protuberance. Additionally, after comparing with a large sample of specimens representing most species of <i>Odontophrynus</i>, we propose two main characters (high spike-like dorsal prominence, absence of a lateral knob on the dorsal prominence) that allow referral to <i>Odontophrynus</i> aff. <i>O. americanus</i> or <i>O. cordobae</i>.</p> <p>SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/UJVP" target="_blank">www.tandfonline.com/UJVP</a></p> <p>Citation for this article: Turazzini, G. F., M. L. Taglioretti, and R. O. Gómez. 2016. First fossil record of the South American frog genus <i>Odontophrynus</i> Reinhardt and Lütken, <a href="#cit0031" target="_blank">1862</a> (Anura, Neobatrachia). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1228657.</p

A new species of the Pleistocene furnariid <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> (Aves, Passeriformes)

<p><i>Pseudoseisuropsis wintu</i> sp. nov. is described from cranial material that had formerly been designated as a paratype of the extinct <i>Pseudoseisuropsis nehuen</i>. Thorough comparisons were made between the cranial specimens ascribed to <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> and many extant furnariid species. This new species is lower Pleistocene in age and increases the known diversity of <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> to three species. Cladistic analyses were performed using 43 cranial characters and a backbone constraint based on a well-supported phylogeny from a recent molecular analysis. In the most parsimonious tree, <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> was retrieved as a sister group of woodcreepers (Dendrocolaptinae) with low support. However, slightly suboptimal hypotheses, which could not be completely ruled out, suggest that this genus may be more closely related to other clades of Furnariidae. Hence, we agree with previous authors in regarding <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> as Furnariidae Incertae sedis. In addition, two fragmentary fossils ascribed to <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> were included in taxonomic comparisons: <i>P. cuelloi</i>, in order to assess the possibility that <i>P. wintu</i> sp. nov. belongs to that species, and another paratype of <i>P. nehuen</i>, to reassess its taxonomic identity.</p> <p>http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D26FF563-B9DB-48BD-BA9F-8C54CD13F03E</p> <p>SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/UJVP" target="_blank">www.tandfonline.com/UJVP</a></p> <p>Citation for this article: Stefanini, M. I., R. O. Gómez, and C. P. Tambussi. 2016. A new species of the Pleistocene furnariid <i>Pseudoseisuropsis</i> (Aves, Passeriformes). Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. DOI: 10.1080–02724634.2016.1100630.</p

Intraspecific morphological variation and its implications in the taxonomic status of ‘<i>Bufo pisanoi</i>,’ a Pliocene anuran from eastern Argentina

<div><p>ABSTRACT</p><p>The true toad family Bufonidae is one of the most speciose and widespread clades of neobatrachian anurans. Despite being well represented in South America at present, bufonids have a poor fossil record on this continent. ‘<i>Bufo pisanoi</i>’ from Pliocene outcrops of coastal Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, is the only extinct South American bufonid taxon recognized to date. In this study, we investigated the validity of the putative diagnostic characters of this extinct species to confirm its taxonomic status based on revision of the holotype and referred material. Comparisons with several extant bufonid species led us to include the taxon represented by this fossil material within the <i>Rhinella marina</i> clade, close to <i>R. arenarum</i>. Further comparisons and a geometric morphometric analysis based on a relatively large sample of the latter species demonstrated that the morphology of ‘<i>B. pisanoi</i>’ falls within the variation range of <i>R. arenarum</i>. Therefore, we consider that the names ‘<i>B. pisanoi</i>’ and <i>R. arenarum</i> represent the same taxon, with the latter having priority. This work emphasizes the importance of considering intraspecific variation whenever possible, because this leads to a more rigorous approach to the identification of fossil specimens and tests the taxonomic value of different osteological characters.</p><p>SUPPLEMENTAL DATA—Supplemental materials are available for this article for free at <a href="http://www.tandfonline.com/UJVP" target="_blank">www.tandfonline.com/UJVP</a></p></div