The gastric brooding frog Rheobatrachus silus exhibits osteological and myological character states that set it apart from other Australopapuan leptodactylid frogs. A number of convergent features shared with aquatic frogs of other families have been detected. The descriptions reported here are at variance with a number of features previously reported in the literature. The recorded data support the concept of the erection of a separate subfamily Rheobatrachinae, for the species.
Cranial and post-cranial osteology of the headfirst-burrowing Australian myobatrachine frog, Arenophryne rotunda, are described and compared with the genera Myobatrachus, Pseudophryne, Uperoleia and Ranidella. Some anatomical features, such as the position of the nasal bones, the form of the occipital condyles and the orientation of the coracoids, are considered to be burrowing adaptations, whilst other features reflect phylogenetic affinities. The highly paedomorphic nature of the skull is unique among the genera examined.
The new leptodactylid genus Megistolotis and new species Megistolotis lignarius are described from localities in northern Western Australia and the Northern Territory. M. lignarius inhabits scree slopes and escarpments. The male mating call is a single note resembling the striking of timber. The spawn clump is a foam nest anchored to stones at the edge of small, temporary pools, and the tadpoles have intense black bodies and fins, and suctorial mouths. Megistolotis is most closely related to the limnodynastine genera Limnodynastes and Heleioporus.
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