Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus SmiliscaDuellman, William Edward
Science
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Frogs; Smilisca
The nasals are large, widest anteriorly and narrowing posteriorly,
parallel to maxillaries, and not separated from the ethmoid by
cartilage. The nasals bear long, delicate maxillary processes extending
nearly to the maxillaries. Anteriorly, the nasals are widely separated
by the partially ossified internasal septum, which is in contact with
the premaxillaries between the prenasal processes; the anterior points
of the nasals lie approximately one-half the distance between the
anterior ends of the ethmoid and the premaxillaries. The ethmoid is
large and completely ossified; the margins are smooth. The trunate
anterior edge lies between the nasals and is in contact with the
internasal septum. The frontoparietals are large, smooth-margined, and
bear large supraorbital flanges curving posterolaterally at the rear of
the orbit. A small, oval foramen involves the posterior part of the
ethmoid and anterior portion of frontoparietals; continued ossification
in older specimens fills in the foramen, thereby resulting in a solidly
roofed cranium. The auditory regions are relatively massive and bear
narrow tegmen tympani; the distal ends of the tegmen tympani are medial
to the lateral edge of the pterygoids in dorsal view. The squamosals are
large; the long anterior arm is separated from the maxillary by a
suture. The delicate, spindle-shaped columellae lie ventral to the
tegmen tympani and squamosals, are spatulate distally, and have a broad
basal attachment to the auditory region.
The vomers are moderately large and are in contact anteriorly with the
premaxillaries and posteriorly with the ethmoid. Each vomer has two wide
serrated flanges laterally. The tooth-bearing parts of the vomers are
widely separated and at a slight angle to one another; the vomers
terminate medially in two pointed processes on the ethmoid. The
palatines are edentate, but bear strong ridges throughout their lengths.
They are broadly in contact with the maxillary, are narrow medially, and
are attached by pointed processes to the medial part of the ethmoid.
The pterygoids are large, attached to the maxillaries immediately
anterior and medial to the squamosal-maxillary connection, bear
well-developed pedicles, which are broadly attached to the prooetic, and
a wide wing is in contact posteriorly with the distal two-thirds of the
quadrate.
The angular makes up most of the lower jaw, bears a broad articular
surface posteriorly, and has a small coronoid process on the lingual
edge; anteriorly the angular is separated from the dentary and
mentomecklian by Meckel's cartilage. The dentary lies external to the
angular and extends from the mentomecklian to approximately the
mid-length of the angular. The mentomecklians are ossified, but
separated by cartilage medially.
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