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

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>[e-mail]<i>] and Julián Faivovich [</i>[e-mail]<i>], División Herpetología, and Paula Muzzopappa [</i>[e-mail]<i>], Sección Paleontología de Vertebrados, Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’-CONICET, Av. Angel Gallardo 470, C1405DJR, Buenos Aires, Argentina.</i>2016年7月，Nicoli、Muzzopappa与Faivovich发表了题为《中新世（Miocene）蛙类*Wawelia gerholdi*的分类学位置》（隶属两栖纲: 无尾目（Anura））的研究，刊载于《Alcheringa》第40卷，页码范围xxx–xxx，ISSN 0311-5518。 发现于巴塔哥尼亚北部的中新世蛙类*Wawelia gerholdi*，此前被归入角蛙科（Ceratophryidae）——一类现生南美角蛙所在的演化支（clade），该类群的已知古老记录中，它曾被认为是最古老的记录之一。然而，目前仅知的该标本带有幼体特征，且与澳蟾类（australobatrachian）的*Calyptocephalella*属物种形态高度相似。 本研究重新检视了*W. gerholdi*的形态特征，补充了解剖学信息，并将其与角蛙科幼体以及*Calyptocephalella*属唯一现生种*Calyptocephalella gayi*的幼体进行了对比。本研究否定了*W. gerholdi*与角蛙科存在近缘关系的结论。此外，该物种的正模标本（holotype）与*C. gayi*的幼体无法区分，且与该属所有物种共享一套在无尾目中看似独特的性状组合。因此，本研究认为*Wawelia*属是*Calyptocephalella*属的晚出异名（junior synonym）。 此外，*Calyptocephalella*属诸多化石物种的分类学地位存在争议，且该属的单系性（monophyly）尚未得到验证，这促使我们暂时将该属已灭绝的物种均视为归入该属的疑名（species inquirenda），待未来对所有可获取的标本开展全面修订后再做定论。 Laura Nicoli [[e-mail]]与Julián Faivovich [[e-mail]]隶属于两栖爬行动物学部（División Herpetología），Paula Muzzopappa [[e-mail]]隶属于脊椎古生物学部（Sección Paleontología de Vertebrados），阿根廷贝尔纳迪诺·里瓦达维亚自然科学博物馆（Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales ‘Bernardino Rivadavia’）- CONICET，地址：阿根廷布宜诺斯艾利斯市Angel Gallardo大道470号，邮编C1405DJR。