Title: The morphology, systematics, and evolution of the Old World treefrogs (Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae)
Abstract:Based on a study of the myology, skeleton, and external morphol- ogy of 420 species of Old World treefrogs, two families were recog- nized: Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae.New characters discovered in ...Based on a study of the myology, skeleton, and external morphol- ogy of 420 species of Old World treefrogs, two families were recog- nized: Rhacophoridae and Hyperoliidae.New characters discovered in the forearm, foot, and throat musculature and in the hyoid skeleton established a basis for a new classification and a means for deduc- ing phylogenetic relationships.Two computer methods were used to handle the mass of data assembled and to provide objectivity in the analysis.The Rhacophoridae as revised here includes 14 (10 exam- ined) genera in the Orient, Madagascar, and the African tropics; the limits of these genera were redefined.Undue emphasis on vomerine teeth as a generic character had resulted in the lumping of four Ori- ental genera under Rhacophorus auct.and four under Philautus auct.The Hyperoliidae includes 14 genera (eight examined) in Africa, Madagascar, and the Seychelles Islands; their generic limits are in accord with those in previous studies.The Rhacophoridae probably evolved from a ranid stock in the Orient, but four primitive genera reached Madagascar, where they still occur, and one advanced genus appears to have recently reached Africa.The Hyperoliidae evolved from a ranid stock in Africa but have also dispersed to Madagascar and the Seychelles Islands, where the family is represented by one endemic genus each.Read More