Can a shade shed light on the monophyly of Cycloramphidae (Lissamphibia: Anura)?

Publication date: Available online 16 January 2020Source: Zoologischer AnzeigerAuthor(s): Gustavo Colaço, Gabriela Bueno Bittencourt-Silva, Helio Ricardo da SilvaAbstractWe studied the morphology, development, and the terminology of a lobe over the iris present in three genera of South American cycloramphid frogs (Cycloramphus, Thoropa, and Zachaenus). This research is based on dissections and a macroscopic survey of the eyes of tadpoles, post-metamorphosed, and adults of all six species of Thoropa, nine species of Cycloramphus (3 with adults only, and 6 with tadpoles and adults), and Zachaenus parvulus and Z. carvalhoi (only adults). Because at least three distinctive names are associated with a similar lobe on the iris of frogs from different families, we also discuss the properties that guarantee the observed variations of the involved morphologies as homologues. Lastly, we discuss the possibility that structure present in Cycloramphidae may be the first morphological synapomorphy for the family.

Source: A Journal of Comparative Zoology - January 17, 2020 Category: Zoology Source Type: research