Chondrocranium, cranial muscles and buccopharyngeal morphology on tadpoles of the controversial leptodactylid frog Limnomedusa macroglossa (Anura: Leptodactylidae)

Abstract

The present paper provides original data on the chondrocranium, cranial muscles, oral disc and buccopharyngeal morphology of Limnomedusa macroglossa. We found that the cranial muscles and the buccopharyngeal papillation are not useful to relate Limnomedusa either to telmatobiine or leptodactyline genera. There are two chondrocranial characters (presence of a long processus pseudopterygoideus and sindesmotic connection of the partes alares and partes corpora of the cartilago suprarostralis) that relate Limnomedusa to the telmatobiine genera more than to any other genus within Leptodactylidae. Additionally, the processus pseudopterygoideus of Limnomedusa is fused to the basi cranii, a character state only known for some telmatobiine genera such as Alsodes and Telmatobius.

Larval anatomy of Dendropsophus decipiens (A. Lutz 1925) (Anura: Hylidae: Dendropsophini) with considerations to larvae of this genus

“…Two individuals (stages 34 and 35) were dissected according to Wassersug [22] to expose the buccopharyngeal cavity. One individual (stage 34) was submitted to the protocol of Alcalde and Blotto [23] for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Descriptive terminology follows Wassersug [22,24].…”

Larval chondrocranium morphology of five species of Proceratophrys Miranda-Ribeiro (Amphibia; Anura; Odontophrynidae)

“…Proceratophrys differs from Limnomedusa Fitzinger by presenting the corpora and alae fused dorsally-these features are free in Limnomedusa macroglossa Duméril & Bibron (Alcade & Blotto 2006). The presence of the taenia tecti medialis and transversales in this species separates it from species of Proceratophrys.…”

The tadpoles of the funnel‐mouthed dendrobatids (Anura: Dendrobatidae: Colostethinae:Silverstoneia): external morphology, musculoskeletal anatomy, buccopharyngeal cavity, and new synapomorphies

“…We examined internal anatomy in the tadpoles of S. erasmios (n = 3), S. nubicola (n = 3), and S. flotator (n = 4). To study buccopharyngeal anatomy, we dissected at least one tadpole per species according to Wassersug (1976), and after inspection using a stereoscopic microscope, we submitted them to the protocol of Alcalde and Blotto (2006) for scanning electron microscopy (SEM). We employed the terminology of Wassersug (1976,1980) to describe buccopharyngeal anatomy.…”