Brachycephaloidea

Brachycephaloidea (or Terrarana) is a large monophyletic unranked clade of direct-developing frogs including more than 1,100 species, comprising about 15% of named frog species.^[1][2] Brachycephaloids inhabit the New World tropics, subtropics, and Andean regions. The group has undergone extensive changes in its taxonomy thanks to multiple molecular phylogenetic analyses in recent years.^[3][4] Until 2008, these species were placed in a single, large family (Brachycephalidae).^[1]

Brachycephaloids
Brachycephalus pitanga
Pristimantis elegans
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Amphibia
Order:	Anura
Superfamily:	Hyloidea
Clade:	Brachycephaloidea
Families
Brachycephalidae Caligophrynidae Ceuthomantidae Craugastoridae Eleutherodactylidae Neblinaphrynidae Strabomantidae

The diverse Brachycephaloidea contains several notable taxa. It includes the smallest known vertebrates, in the genus Brachycephalus (family Brachycephalidae): B. pulex and B. dacnis.^[5][6] It also holds the most specious vertebrate genus, Pristimantis (family Strabomantidae).^[7]