A Synopsis of Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus OsteocephalusDuellman, William Edward
Science
A Synopsis of Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Osteocephalus
Duellman, William Edward
Frogs -- Ecuador; Osteocephalus
_Vertebral Column._--The cervical cotyles are uniformly widely
displaced. The neural arches are low and non-imbricate. The transverse
processes of the third presacral vertebrae are approximately equal in
width to the sacral diapophyses in all species, except _buckleyi_, in
which the processes of the third presacral are slightly narrower than
the diapophyses. _Osteocephalus buckleyi_ is further distinguished by
the presence of narrow transverse processes on presacrals five through
eight (Fig. 7b); males have narrower processes than do females. The
processes are moderately wide but subequal in width in _pearsoni_,
_taurinus_, and _verrucigerus_, whereas they are nearly equivalent in
width to one another and to the sacral diapophyses in _leprieurii_ (Fig.
7a). The sacral diapophyses of all species are moderately dilated and
posterolaterally inclined. The coccyx bears a distinct dorsal ridge and
has a bicondylar articulation with the sacrum.
_Pectoral Girdle._--The pectoral girdles are fully arciferal and bear
small, cartilaginous omosterna and moderately large cartilaginous
sterna. The coracoids are robust, and the clavicles are strongly arched.
Procoracoid cartilage seems to be absent. The scapulae are large,
longer than the clavicles, and bicapitate proximally. The suprascapulae
are moderately large and well ossified in _leprieurii_ and _taurinus_.
The suprascapula of _verrucigerus_ is poorly ossified, and that of
_buckleyi_ is not ossified.
_Pelvic Girdle._--The ilia of _buckleyi_, _taurinus_, and _verrucigerus_
lack any indication of a crest on the shaft, whereas _leprieurii_ has a
low crest. The dorsal acetabular expansion of the ilia is moderately low
in _taurinus_ and _verrucigerus_, but distinctly lower in _buckleyi_ and
_leprieurii_. The ilia of all species bear low dorsal protuberances. The
ischia of _leprieurii_, _taurinus_, and _verrucigerus_ are moderately
expanded; that of _buckleyi_ is somewhat less expanded dorsally. The
pubis of _leprieurii_, _taurinus_, and _verrucigerus_ are calcified,
whereas that of _buckleyi_ remains cartilaginous.
_Throat Musculature and Vocal Sac Structure._--Tyler (1971) described
the throat myology of _Osteocephalus_. The genus is characterized by a
moderate-sized araphic submentalis muscle and an undifferentiated
intermandibularis having an elongate median aponeurosis. The
intermandibularis and submentalis are completely independent in
_buckleyi_, whereas in the other species there is a small attachment
between these muscles.
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