Palaeobatrachus (meaning "ancient frog" in Greek) is an extinct genus of frogs from Europe that existed from the middle Eocene to the middle Pleistocene (Ionian Stage) (621-568,000 years ago), spanning almost 50 million years. They were obligately aquatic, and would have not spent much time on dry land.[1] They are one of two genera and by far the largest genus in the family Palaeobatrachidae, which are considered to be members of Pipimorpha, related to the South American-African family Pipidae, which includes the African clawed frog and Surinam toad.[2]
Palaeobatrachus had a relatively broad skull the shape of a Gothic arch. Its body was relatively large, ranging from 8 to 10 centimetres (3.1 to 3.9 in) in length, and the female was usually larger than the male (sexual dimorphism).
Taxonomyedit
Palaeobatrachus was the first fossil frog to be described,[1] with the first species being P. diluvianus named by Goldfuss in 1831, originally as Rana diluviana from remains found in uppermost Oligocene strata near Bonn in Germany. It was later recognised as distinct and placed in the new separate genus Palaeobatrachus by Tschudi in 1839.[3]
The Eocene genus Albionbatrachus was considered a synonym of Palaeobatrachus by Wuttke et al. (2012), but Roček et al. (2015) retained it as a separate taxon.[4][5][6]
The nominal species Palaeobatrachus occidentalis was described from material found in the Late Cretaceous-Early Paleocene of western North America,[7] but Roček (2013) questioned its generic attribution.[8]
Habitat and paleoecologyedit
Its skeletal remains are plentiful in freshwater sediments in western Bohemia, in Geiseltal (west Germany) and in east Germany. They are sometimes preserved very well indeed, with impressions of internal organs, muscles, nerves, blood vessels and epidermis, and with traces of coloring. Tadpoles and eggs have also been found.
These frogs lived permanently in water.[1] Their bag-shaped lungs, on the dorsal side of their body, enabled them to remain submerged for long periods. They inhabited through-drainage basins or swamps where brown coal deposits were formed. Like the African clawed toad, they probably lived on small crustaceans, insect larvae and small fish and themselves provided sustenance for many other animals.
The climatic change at the beginning of the Pliocene was a real catastrophe for Palaeobatrachus, which required warmth, and, being specialized, was unable to adapt itself to the altered conditions. Water-rich and warm environments that existed in the area of the Netherlands, acting as a refugium for Palaeobatrachus, made it possible for one species (P. eurydices) to survive in western europe as recently as the early Pleistocene.[9] In addition a species persisted in southern Russia until the mid Pleistocene.[4]
Referencesedit
^ abcZbyněk Roček; Jean-Claude Rage; Márton Venczel (2021). Fossil frogs of the genus Palaeobatrachus (Amphibia: Anura). ISBN978-3-510-61420-2. OCLC 1256439823.
^Báez, Ana M.; Muzzopappa, Paula; Moura, Geraldo J. Barbosa de (May 2021). "The earliest records of pipimorph frogs from South America (Aptian, Crato Formaton, Brazil): A critical evaluation". Cretaceous Research. 121: 104728. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2020.104728. S2CID 230581615.
^Wuttke, Michael; Přikryl, Tomáš; Ratnikov, Viacheslav Yu.; Dvořák, Zdeněk; Roček, Zbyněk (2012-02-14). "Generic diversity and distributional dynamics of the Palaeobatrachidae (Amphibia: Anura)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 92 (3): 367–395. doi:10.1007/s12549-012-0071-y. ISSN 1867-1594. S2CID 130080167.
^ abWuttke, M; Přikryl, T; Ratnikov, VY; Dvořák, Z; Roček, Z (September 2012). "Generic diversity and distributional dynamics of the Palaeobatrachidae (Amphibia: Anura)". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 92 (3): 367–395. doi:10.1007/s12549-012-0071-y. ISSN 1867-1594. S2CID 130080167.
^Venczel, M; Codrea, V; Fărcaş, C (2013). "A new palaeobatrachid frog from the early Oligocene of Suceag, Romania". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 11 (2): 179–189. doi:10.1080/14772019.2012.671790. S2CID 129158241.
^Roček, Z., Boistel, R., Lenoir, N., Mazurier, A., Pierce, S.E., Rage, J.-C., Smirnov, S.V., Schwermann, A.H., Valentin, X., Venczel, M., Wuttke, M., and Zikmund, T. 2015. Frontoparietal bone in extinct Palaeobatrachidae (Anura): its variation and taxonomic value. The Anatomical Record, 298:1848-1863. https://doi.org/10.1002/ar.23203
^Estes, R. and Sanchíz, B. 1982. New discoglossid and palaeobatrachid frogs from the Late Cretaceous of Wyoming and Montana, and a review of other frogs from the Lance and Hell Creek Formations. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology2:9-20.
^Andrea Villa; Zbyněk Roček; Emanuel Tschopp; Lars W. Van Den Hoek Ostende; Massimo Delfino (2016). "Palaeobatrachus eurydices, sp. nov. (Amphibia, Anura), the last western European palaeobatrachid". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 36 (6): e1211664. doi:10.1080/02724634.2016.1211664. S2CID 88641302.
Further readingedit
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palaeobatrachus.
Benes, Josef (1979). Prehistoric Animals and Plants. Prague: Artia. p. 178.[ISBN missing]
April 14, 2024
palaeobatrachus, confused, with, pelobatrachus, meaning, ancient, frog, greek, extinct, genus, frogs, from, europe, that, existed, from, middle, eocene, middle, pleistocene, ionian, stage, years, spanning, almost, million, years, they, were, obligately, aquati. Not to be confused with Pelobatrachus Palaeobatrachus meaning ancient frog in Greek is an extinct genus of frogs from Europe that existed from the middle Eocene to the middle Pleistocene Ionian Stage 621 568 000 years ago spanning almost 50 million years They were obligately aquatic and would have not spent much time on dry land 1 They are one of two genera and by far the largest genus in the family Palaeobatrachidae which are considered to be members of Pipimorpha related to the South American African family Pipidae which includes the African clawed frog and Surinam toad 2 PalaeobatrachusTemporal range Eocene Middle Pleistocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg NFossil of Palaeobatrachus grandipesScientific classificationDomain EukaryotaKingdom AnimaliaPhylum ChordataClass AmphibiaOrder AnuraFamily PalaeobatrachidaeGenus PalaeobatrachusTschudi 1839SpeciesP diluvianus Goldfuss 1831 type P gigas Meyer 1859 P eurydices Villa et al 2016 P robustus Hossini amp Rage 2000SynonymsPliobatrachus Contents 1 Description 2 Taxonomy 3 Habitat and paleoecology 4 References 5 Further readingDescription edit nbsp Restoration nbsp Cast of Palaeobatrachus fossil at University of AlbertaPalaeobatrachus had a relatively broad skull the shape of a Gothic arch Its body was relatively large ranging from 8 to 10 centimetres 3 1 to 3 9 in in length and the female was usually larger than the male sexual dimorphism Taxonomy editPalaeobatrachus was the first fossil frog to be described 1 with the first species being P diluvianus named by Goldfuss in 1831 originally as Rana diluviana from remains found in uppermost Oligocene strata near Bonn in Germany It was later recognised as distinct and placed in the new separate genus Palaeobatrachus by Tschudi in 1839 3 The Eocene genus Albionbatrachus was considered a synonym of Palaeobatrachus by Wuttke et al 2012 but Rocek et al 2015 retained it as a separate taxon 4 5 6 The nominal species Palaeobatrachus occidentalis was described from material found in the Late Cretaceous Early Paleocene of western North America 7 but Rocek 2013 questioned its generic attribution 8 Habitat and paleoecology editIts skeletal remains are plentiful in freshwater sediments in western Bohemia in Geiseltal west Germany and in east Germany They are sometimes preserved very well indeed with impressions of internal organs muscles nerves blood vessels and epidermis and with traces of coloring Tadpoles and eggs have also been found These frogs lived permanently in water 1 Their bag shaped lungs on the dorsal side of their body enabled them to remain submerged for long periods They inhabited through drainage basins or swamps where brown coal deposits were formed Like the African clawed toad they probably lived on small crustaceans insect larvae and small fish and themselves provided sustenance for many other animals The climatic change at the beginning of the Pliocene was a real catastrophe for Palaeobatrachus which required warmth and being specialized was unable to adapt itself to the altered conditions Water rich and warm environments that existed in the area of the Netherlands acting as a refugium for Palaeobatrachus made it possible for one species P eurydices to survive in western europe as recently as the early Pleistocene 9 In addition a species persisted in southern Russia until the mid Pleistocene 4 References edit a b c Zbynek Rocek Jean Claude Rage Marton Venczel 2021 Fossil frogs of the genus Palaeobatrachus Amphibia Anura ISBN 978 3 510 61420 2 OCLC 1256439823 Baez Ana M Muzzopappa Paula Moura Geraldo J Barbosa de May 2021 The earliest records of pipimorph frogs from South America Aptian Crato Formaton Brazil A critical evaluation Cretaceous Research 121 104728 doi 10 1016 j cretres 2020 104728 S2CID 230581615 Wuttke Michael Prikryl Tomas Ratnikov Viacheslav Yu Dvorak Zdenek Rocek Zbynek 2012 02 14 Generic diversity and distributional dynamics of the Palaeobatrachidae Amphibia Anura Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 92 3 367 395 doi 10 1007 s12549 012 0071 y ISSN 1867 1594 S2CID 130080167 a b Wuttke M Prikryl T Ratnikov VY Dvorak Z Rocek Z September 2012 Generic diversity and distributional dynamics of the Palaeobatrachidae Amphibia Anura Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 92 3 367 395 doi 10 1007 s12549 012 0071 y ISSN 1867 1594 S2CID 130080167 Venczel M Codrea V Fărcas C 2013 A new palaeobatrachid frog from the early Oligocene of Suceag Romania Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 11 2 179 189 doi 10 1080 14772019 2012 671790 S2CID 129158241 Rocek Z Boistel R Lenoir N Mazurier A Pierce S E Rage J C Smirnov S V Schwermann A H Valentin X Venczel M Wuttke M and Zikmund T 2015 Frontoparietal bone in extinct Palaeobatrachidae Anura its variation and taxonomic value The Anatomical Record 298 1848 1863 https doi org 10 1002 ar 23203 Estes R and Sanchiz B 1982 New discoglossid and palaeobatrachid frogs from the Late Cretaceous of Wyoming and Montana and a review of other frogs from the Lance and Hell Creek Formations Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 2 9 20 Rocek Z 2013 Mesozoic and Tertiary Anura of Laurasia Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments 93 397 439 https doi org 10 1007 s12549 013 0131 y Andrea Villa Zbynek Rocek Emanuel Tschopp Lars W Van Den Hoek Ostende Massimo Delfino 2016 Palaeobatrachus eurydices sp nov Amphibia Anura the last western European palaeobatrachid Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 36 6 e1211664 doi 10 1080 02724634 2016 1211664 S2CID 88641302 Further reading edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Palaeobatrachus Benes Josef 1979 Prehistoric Animals and Plants Prague Artia p 178 ISBN missing Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Palaeobatrachus amp oldid 1213442065, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
