Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus SmiliscaDuellman, William Edward
Science
Neotropical Hylid Frogs, Genus Smilisca
Duellman, William Edward
Amphibians -- Central America; Frogs; Smilisca
_Pelvic Girdle._--The ilia are long, slender, and slightly curved. A
thin ridge projects laterally from the dorsal edge of the posterior
one-half of each ilium. The ilial prominence is large and knoblike when
viewed from above. The anterior edge of the ilial prominence is at the
level of the anterior edge of the acetabular border. The dorsal
acetabular expansion is small. The pubis is slender, and the ischium is
elevated and robust.
_Leg and Foot._--The slightly curved femur has a distinct crest
proximally on the posterior surface. The nearly straight tibio-fibula is
slightly longer than the femur. The tibial and fibial elements are
completely fused but have a distinct cleft between them. A small foramen
exists at the mid-length of the tibio-fibula. The fibulare (calcaneum)
is much more robust than the tibiale (astragalus). The prehallux is
large and flat. The metatarsals of the third, fourth, and fifth digits
are equal in length; the metatarsal of the second is somewhat shorter,
and that of the first is much shorter. The phalangeal formula is
2-2-3-4-3; the terminal phalanges are claw-shaped.
_Developmental Cranial Morphology of Smilisca baudini_
The following description of development of the skull of _Smilisca
baudini_ is based on the examination of 12 cleared and stained
specimens. In table 3 the cranial bones are listed in the left hand
column in the approximate order of their appearance in the young frogs.
Across the top of the table selected specimens designated by
developmental stage or snout-vent length are listed. It should be noted
that although each individual, from left to right, has an increasing
number of ossified bones, the correlation with increasing size is
imperfect; the precise ages of the individuals are unknown.
The first bones to appear are the septomaxillaries, frontoparietals,
part of the exoccipital, and the parasphenoid in developmental stage 40.
The frontoparietals are represented by two slender ossifications
dorsomedial to the orbits; the septomaxillaries are present as small
ossifications anterior to the nasal capsules (Pl. 1A). The parasphenoid
is present as a faint median ossification, and the exoccipital shows
some ossification.
Table 3.--The Order of Occurrence of Cranial Ossifications in the
Skull of Smilisca baudini. Where Numbers Are Divided by a Slash
Mark, the Left and Right Symbols Correspond to the Left and
Right Sides of the Skull, Respectively.
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