Pelodytidae

 ( Amphibian Families ) 

Pelodytidae, also known as the parsley frogs, or rarely, mud divers, is a family of . It contains a single extant genus, Parsley frog, and three genera only known from fossils. The extant species are found in southwestern Europe and the Caucasus.

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Genera

• Parsley frog Bonaparte, 1838 – 5 species, southwestern Europe and the Caucasus
• † Aerugoamnis Henrici, Baez & Lance Grande, 2013 – 1 species, North America
• † Miopelodytes Taylor, 1941 – 1 species, North America
• † Tephrodytes Henrici, 1994 – 1 species, North America

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Evolutionary relationships Most recent studies suggests that Pelodytidae belongs to a clade containing three other families: Pelobatidae, Scaphiopodidae, and Megophryidae. Its sister taxon is the clade Pelobatidae+Megophryidae, although older studies have suggested also other relationships.

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Description

Modern pelodytids are moderately small frogs measuring in snout–vent length. The eyes have rounded but vertically oriented . The finger and the toe tips are blunt to pointed. The have mouthparts. The family is also characterized by a number of anatomical and sceletal features, including the fusion of the tibiale and fibulare that have been used to include the fossil taxa Miopelodytes and Tephrodytes in this family.

Categories: Amphibian Families, Extant Eocene First Appearances, Taxa Named By Charles Lucien Bonaparte

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