Pelodytidae

Pelodytidae, also known as the parsley frogs, or rarely, mud divers, is a family of frogs. It contains a single extant genus, Pelodytes,^[2][3][4][5] and three genera only known from fossils.^[1][4] The extant species are found in southwestern Europe and the Caucasus.^[2][3][5]

Pelodytidae Temporal range: Early Eocene–recent, 50–0 Ma[1] PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Pelodytes punctatus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Superfamily:	Pelobatoidea
Family:	Pelodytidae Bonaparte, 1850
Type genus
Pelodytes Bonaparte, 1838
Synonyms[2]
Pelodytina Bonaparte, 1850 Pelodytides — Bruch, 1862 Pelodytidae — Cope, 1866 Pelodytinae — Fejérváry, 1923

Genera

• Pelodytes Bonaparte, 1838 – 5 species, southwestern Europe and the Caucasus^[2][3]
• †Aerugoamnis Henrici, Baez & Grande, 2013 – 1 species, North America^[6]
• †Miopelodytes Taylor, 1941 – 1 species, North America^[7]
• †Tephrodytes Henrici, 1994 – 1 species, North America^[8]

Evolutionary relationships

Most recent studies suggests that Pelodytidae belongs to a clade containing three other families: Pelobatidae, Scaphiopodidae, and Megophryidae.^[4][5] Its sister taxon is the clade Pelobatidae+Megophryidae,^[2][5] although older studies have suggested also other relationships.^[2]

Description

Modern pelodytids are moderately small frogs measuring 30–55 mm (1.2–2.2 in) in snout–vent length. The eyes have rounded but vertically oriented pupils. The finger and the toe tips are blunt to pointed. The tadpoles have keratinized mouthparts. The family is also characterized by a number of anatomical and sceletal features,^[5] including the fusion of the tibiale and fibulare that have been used to include the fossil taxa Miopelodytes and Tephrodytes in this family.^[4]