First record of Latonia gigantea (Anura, Alytidae) from the Iberian Peninsula. (16th March 2019)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Villa, Andrea; Delfino, Massimo; Luján, Àngel H.; Almécija, Sergio; Alba, David M.
• Is Part Of: Historical biology. Volume 31:Number 3(2019)
• Page Start: 371
• Page End: 382
• Publication Date: 2019-03-16
• Subjects: Palaeoherpetofauna -- fossil anurans -- Discoglossinae -- Miocene -- Vallès-Penedès Basin; Paleobiology -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; Paleontology -- Periodicals; Biology -- Periodicals; Paleontology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 560.5
• DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2017.1371712
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0891-2963

Abstract

Abstract: The single extant species of the anuran genus Latonia lives in Israel, but in the fossil record the genus is known mainly from Europe, spanning from the Oligocene to the early Pleistocene. Here we describe new remains of Latonia from the early to late Miocene of the Vallès-Penedès Basin (NE Iberian Peninsula), coming from the following localities: Sant Mamet (MN4), Sant Quirze and Trinxera del Ferrocarril (MN7+8), and Castell de Barberà, Can Poncic 1 and Can Llobateres 1 (MN9). Fossils from the late Aragonian and early Vallesian are attributed to Latonia gigantea mainly because of the morphology of the ornamentation that covers the maxillae. In turn, an ilium from Sant Mamet is not diagnostic at the specific level and is assigned only to the genus Latonia . The newly reported remains represent the first record of L. gigantea in the Iberian Peninsula, where Latonia was previously known by a single report of Latonia cf. ragei from Navarrete del Río (MN2) and remains from other localities unassigned to species. Moreover, the Vallès-Penedès remains represent one of the southernmost records of the species known thus far. The presence of Latonia in these localities confirms the humid and warm environment suggested by the recorded mammal fauna.