Pelophylax, Fitzinger, 1843

Venczel, Márton & Stiuc, Emanoil, 2008, Late middle Miocene amphibians and squamate reptiles from Taut ,, Romania, Geodiversitas 30 (4), pp. 731-763 : 750

Pelophylax sp. ( Fig. 11 D-G)

MATERIAL EXAMINED. —Two premaxillae( ISER Tt-0420/1 and 2), one presacral vertebra ( ISER Tt-0421/1), one sacral vertebra ( ISER Tt-0421/2), three humeri ( ISER Tt-0422/1-3), seven ilia ( ISER Tt-0423/1-7).

DESCRIPTION

Premaxilla

The anterior surface is smooth and flat with a welldefined lateral crest. The tip of the alary process in both specimens is broken off. The lamina horizontalis is well developed, but the pars palatina is broken off. The number of preserved tooth positions is 11 and 12 respectively.

Presacral vertebra

The centrum is procoelous and relatively short with the condyle flattened dorsoventrally. The neural arch is of non-imbricate type and provided with a low but distinct neural crest. The only preserved transverse process is straight and tends to widen distally ( Fig. 11D ). Based on the latter character it is assumed that the specimen represents the third presacral vertebra.

Sacral vertebra

The centrum is procoelous and displays two posterior condyles for the articulation with the urostyle. The neural arch is extremely short and provided with a low keel extending laterally to the dorsal

surfaces of the transverse processes. Distally the latter structures are broken off but were presumably rather slender.

Humerus

Only distal parts of humeri are preserved. The distal humeral ball is round and there is a well-developed ventral cubital fossa ( Fig. 11E ). In ISER Tt-0422/1 the epicondylus medialis as well as the crista medialis is distinctly larger than in ISER Tt-0422/2.The latter two attributes may be related to sexual dimorphism.

Ilium

Based on the morphology of ISER Tt-0423/1, the supraacetabular and the preacetabular regions are roughly of equal height. The acetabulum is nearly circular with the acetabular rim projecting above the preacetabular region and the preacetabular fossa is absent or extremely shallow ( Fig. 11F, G ). The tuber superior is high and positioned anterodorsally to the acetabulum. In ISER Tt-0423/2 the tuber superior is damaged but its ventral margin is produced in a distinct overhang delimiting dorsally the fossula tuberis superioris. The iliac crest is thin and it was presumably high, but in all the available specimens its dorsal margin is lacking.

REMARKS All the above remains show a close morphological resemblance with those of the genus Pelophylax (Frost et al. 2006) . The variation observed in the shape and thickness of the ventral margin of the tuber superior is also reminiscent of specimens described from the late middle Miocene (MN 7) of Mátraszőlős, Hungary under the name Rana esculenta synklepton ( Venczel 2004).

Class REPTILIA McCartney, 1802 Order SQUAMATA Merrem, 1820 Suborder LACERTILIA Owen, 1842

Figures

FIG. 11. — A-C, Hyla cf.arborea; A, ilium (ISER Tt-0411/1);B, same (ISER Tt-0411/2); C, prearticular (ISER Tt-0410);D-G, Pelophylax sp.; D, presacral vertebra (ISER Tt-0421/1); E, humerus (ISER Tt- 0422/1); F, ilium (ISER Tt-0423/1); G, same (ISER Tt-0423/2);A, B, G, left lateral views; C, D, dorsal views; E, ventral view; F, right lateral view. Scale bar: 2 mm.