Stereocyclops

Stereocyclops (common name: Brazilian dumpy frogs) is a small genus of microhylid frogs.[2][4] It is endemic to the Atlantic forest of eastern Brazil.[2] Molecular phylogeny suggests that it is sister taxon to the clade containing Dasypops and Myersiella.[5]

Stereocyclops
S. histrio
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura
Family: Microhylidae
Subfamily: Gastrophryninae
Genus: Stereocyclops
Cope, 1870
Type species
Stereocyclops incrassatus
Cope, 1870 "1869"[1]
Species

4, see text.

Synonyms[2]

Emydops Miranda-Ribeiro, 1920
Ribeirina Parker, 1934
Hyophryne Carvalho, 1954[3]

Description

Stereocyclops can be defined by features of its osteology. In the skull, palatine bone is present, as is the posterior part of prevomer. The clavicle is fully developed and long. Furthermore, the dorsal coloration is light and sharply separated from the dark ventrum by a light line. The head is flattened and the mouth is relatively large.[3] Notice, however, that at the time of this description, the genus was monotypic and Hyophryne was considered a separate genus;[3] a thorough morphological study of the genus as presently understood is lacking.[6]

Beheavior

One species, Stereocyclops parkeri, is known to show defensive behavior that may enhance its cryptic appearance, giving an impression of a casually dislodged leaf: when an individual is disturbed, it makes a short leap, landing with its legs stretched backwards. It will then remain still, sometimes as long as 30 minutes, although it may also move a little forward with a quick movement of the feet, resembling a flicked leaf.[7]

Species

There are four species in the genus:[2][4]

Binomial name and authorCommon name
Stereocyclops histrio (Carvalho, 1954)Bahia yellow frog
Stereocyclops incrassatus Cope, 1870Brazilian dumpy frog
Stereocyclops palmipes Caramaschi, Salles, and Cruz, 2012
Stereocyclops parkeri (Wettstein, 1934)

References

  1. Cope, Edward D. (1870) [1869]. "Seventh contribution to the herpetology of tropical America". Proceedings of the American Philosophical Society. 11 (81): 147–192. JSTOR 981453.
  2. Frost, Darrel R. (2017). "Stereocyclops Cope, 1870". Amphibian Species of the World: an Online Reference. Version 6.0. American Museum of Natural History. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  3. Carvalho, Antenor Leitão de (1954). "A preliminary synopsis of the genera of American microhylid frogs". Occasional Papers of the Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan. 555: 1–19. hdl:2027.42/56993.
  4. "Microhylidae". AmphibiaWeb. University of California, Berkeley. 2017. Retrieved 29 June 2017.
  5. de Sá, R. O.; Streicher, J. W.; Sekonyela, R.; Forlani, M. C.; Loader, S. P.; Greenbaum, E.; Richards, S.; Haddad, C. F. B. (2012). "Molecular phylogeny of microhylid frogs (Anura: Microhylidae) with emphasis on relationships among New World genera". BMC Evolutionary Biology. 12: 241. doi:10.1186/1471-2148-12-241. PMC 3561245. PMID 23228209.
  6. Caramaschi, U.; Salles, R. de O. L.; Cruz, C. A. G. (2012). "A new species of Stereocyclops Cope (Anura, Microhylidae) from southeastern Brazil". Zootaxa. 3583: 83–88. doi:10.11646/zootaxa.3583.1.7.
  7. Sazima, Ivan (1978). "Convergent defensive behavior of two leaf-litter frogs of southeastern Brazil". Biotropica. 10 (2): 158. doi:10.2307/2388020. JSTOR 2388020.
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