Comparative osteology of the hynobiid complex Liua-Protohynobius-Pseudohynobius (Amphibia, Urodela): Ⅰ. Cranial anatomy of Pseudohynobius.

Comparative osteology of the hynobiid complex Liua-Protohynobius-Pseudohynobius (Amphibia, Urodela): Ⅰ. Cranial anatomy of Pseudohynobius. J Anat. 2020 Sep 22;: Authors: Jia J, Gao KQ, Jiang JP, Bever GS, Xiong R, Wei G Abstract Hynobiidae are a clade of salamanders that diverged early within the crown radiation and that retain a considerable number of features plesiomorphic for the group. Their evolutionary history is informed by a fossil record that extends to the Middle Jurassic Bathonian time. Our understanding of the evolution within the total group of Hynobiidae has benefited considerably from recent discoveries of stem hynobiids but is constrained by inadequate anatomical knowledge of some extant forms. Pseudohynobius is a derived hynobiid clade consisting of five to seven extant species living endemic to southwestern China. Although this clade has been recognized for over 37 years, osteological details of these extant hynobiids remain elusive, which undoubtedly has contributed to taxonomic controversies over the hynobiid complex Liua-Protohynobius-Pseudohynobius. Here we provide a bone-by-bone study of the cranium in the five extant species of Pseudohynobius (Ps. flavomaculatus, Ps. guizhouensis, Ps. jinfo, Ps. kuankuoshuiensis and Ps. shuichengensis) based on x-ray computer tomography data for 18 specimens. Our results indicate that the cranium in each of these species has a combination of differences in morphology, propo...
Source: Journal of Anatomy - Category: Anatomy Authors: Tags: J Anat Source Type: research