ANURA, Fischer von Waldheim, 1813

Lapparent, France de, Bailon, Salvador, Augé, Marc Louis & Rage, Jean-Claude, 2020, Amphibians and reptiles from the Neogene of Afghanistan, Geodiversitas 42 (22), pp. 409-426 : 412

ANURA indet. sp. C ( Figs 1E ; 2F )

LOCALITY AND AGE. — Hadji Rona, Sarobi basin, Afghanistan, late early Pliocene, late Ruscinian, MN15.

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — One fragment of maxilla (AFG 1679), 1 incomplete sacral vertebra (AFG 1680).

DESCRIPTION AND COMMENTS

The fragment of maxilla bears teeth typical of most of the anurans (thus, among the current Asian anurans, Bufonidae members are edentulous), but it does not provide precise information. The sacral vertebra shows two posterior condyles ( Figs 1E ; 2F ). The anterior face of the centrum is concave therefore this vertebra cannot be referred to the Alytidae or “ Ranidae ”. Its sacral expansions are broken off, but their bases demonstrate that they were not widely extended anteroposteriorly. It is not possible to determine whether they were cylindrical or moderately extended. Therefore, an assignment at a family level cannot be suggested. Similarly, it is not possible to state whether this vertebra belongs to the Anura indeterminata A from Sherullah 9 that is represented by procoelous sacral vertebrae.

Figures

FIG. 1. — Anura. Sherullah, late Miocene, photos, A-D: A,? Discoglossinae (? Alytidae), right humerus AFG 1650, ventral view; B-D, “Ranidae”, B, right humerus AFG 1653, ventral view; C, right coracoid AFG 1652, inner face; D, right ilium AFG 1655, lateral view; Hadji Rona, early Pliocene; E, Anura indet. sp. C, sacral vertebra AFG 1680, dorsal view. Scale bars: 2 mm.

FIG. 2. — Anura. Sherullah, late Miocene, drawings, A-F: A, B,? Discoglossinae (? Alytidae); A, right humerus AFG 1650, ventral view; B, presacral vertebra AFG 1651, dorsal (B1) and ventral (B2) views; C-E, “Ranidae”; C, right humerus AFG 1653, ventral view; D, right ilium AFG 1655, lateral view; E, right coracoid AFG 1652, inner face. Hadji Rona, early Pliocene, F, Anura indet. sp. C, sacral vertebra AFG 1680, ventral view. Scale bars: 3 mm.