Herpetologists' League A New Species of Hylodes from Southeastern Brazil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) Author(s): Célio F. B. Haddad and José P. Pombal, Jr. Source: Herpetologica, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Sep., 1995), pp. 279-286 Published by: Herpetologists' League Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3893033 . Accessed: 24/01/2014 11:48 Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at . http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp . JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact support@jstor.org. . Herpetologists' League is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Herpetologica. http://www.jstor.org This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/action/showPublisher?publisherCode=herpetologists http://www.jstor.org/stable/3893033?origin=JSTOR-pdf http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp September 1995] HERPETOLOGICA 279 Ecuador. A DESFIL (Development Strategies For Fragile Lands) Report, Washington, D.C. HOOGMOED, M. S. 1987. New Osornophryne (Am- phibia: Anura: Bufonidae) from the Atlantic ver- sant of the Andes in Ecuador. Zoologische Mede- delingen 61:209-242. LONG, B. 1992. Conflicting land-use schemes in the Ecuadorean Amazon: The case of Sumaco. Geog- raphy 77:336-348. MCDIARMID, R. W. 1971. Comparative morphol- ogy and evolution of frogs of the neotropical genera Atelopus, Dendrophryniscus, Melanophryniscus, and Oreophrynella. Bulletin Los Angeles Co. Mus. Nat. Hist. Sci. 12:1-66. RUIZ-CARRANZA, P. M., AND J. I. HERNAN- DEZ-CAMACHO. 1976. Osornophryne, genero nuevo de anfibios buf6nidos de Columbia y Ec- uador. Caldasia 11(54):93-148. SAS. 1988. SAS/STAT User's Guide: Release 6.03, 1990 printing. SAS Institute, Cary, North Carolina. Accepted: 17 March 1994 Associate Editor: Stephen Tilley APPENDIX I Material Examined Osornophryne antisana. Ecuador: Napo: Volcan Sumaco, SE of summit, QCAZ 4573, 4574, 4575. Napo: via Salcedo-Oriente, 3500-3600 m, eastern slopes, QCAZ 411. Tungurahua: PaLramos dellangantes, QCAZ 1648. Osornophryne bufoniformis. Ecuador: Departa- mento de Carchi; Santa Barbara, 2650 m, KU 189945; Paramo del Angel, 23 km SW Tulcan, KU 117880. Imbabura: Cordillera de Intag, La Delicia, KU 132126. USNM 322774-5. Provincia Napo; Santa Barbara, USNM 193537-193540. Colombia: Departamento de Cauca: Municipio Paez, carretera al paramo de Santo Domingo, 3200-3300, Pedro M. Ruiz coll. 28.x.1972, MCZ 100559; Paramo Purace, Laguna San Raphael, 3200 m, KU 144113-144114; Purace, 3450 m, KU 145036-45037; 23 km E. of Purace, 3275 m, KU 169134-169135. Departamento de Narino; 12 km E. of Pasto, 3050 m, KU 169137, 169139-169140. Osornophryne guacamayo. Ecuador: Napo: Vol- can Sumaco, SE of summit, QCAZ 4576-4584, AGG (AGG numbers are deposited in QCAZ) 191, 193, 216, 219, 230, 238-240, 242, 247, 250, 253, 256, 257. Osornophryne percrassa. Colombia: Departamen- to de Tolima: Herveo, 3100 m Pedro M. Ruiz coll. 28.i.1972. MCZ 100558. USNM 151325, 322776-7. Osornophryne sumacoensis. Ecuador: Napo: Volcan Sumaco, SE of summit, 2500 m, QCAZ 4570-4572. Osornophryne talipes. Ecuador: Imbabura: north slope of Nudo de Mojanda, 3400 m, KU 131798. Colombia: Departamento de Cauca: 26 km E. of Purace, 3180 m, KU 169136. Herpetologica, 51(3), 1995, 279-286 ?) 1995 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc. A NEW SPECIES OF HYLODES FROM SOUTHEASTERN BRAZIL (AMPHIBIA: LEPTODACTYLIDAE) CtLIO F. B. HADDAD' AND JOsPE P. POMBAL, JR.2 'Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biocie6ncias, Universidade Estadual Paulista, 13506-900 Rio Claro, Sdo Paulo, Brasil 2Departamento de Zoologia, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, 13083-970 Campinas, Sdo Paulo, Brasil ABSTRACT: A new species of leptodactylid frog is described from the Serra das Cabras in Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. The new species is a member of the Hylodes lateristrigatus group and is characterized by its small size and high number of notes per call. Descriptions of the tadpole and advertisement call and information on natural history are provided. Key words: Anura; Leptodactylidae; Hylodinae; Advertisement call; New species; Southeastern Brazil; Tadpole THE rheophilic frogs of the genus Hy- lodes are restricted to the Atlantic Forests in Brazil, with the only known exception being H. otavioi from the riparian forests in rocky fields at the Serra do Cipo, Minas Gerais, Brazil (Sazima and Bokermann, 1982). In the genus Hylodes, there are 15 spe- cies currently recognized in four groups: one in the H. glaber group, nine in the H. lateristrigatus group, one in the H. mer- tensi group, and four in the H. nasus group (Duellman, 1993; Frost, 1985; Izecksohn and Gouvea, 1983). The Hylodes lateris- This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp 280 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 51, No. 3 FIG. 1.-Hylodes sazimai, ZUEC 9004 (holotype), an adult male in life. trigatus group contains small to moderate- sized species characterized by slender bod- ies, smooth dorsums, and light dorsolateral stripes (Heyer, 1982). The species pres- ently allocated in the H. lateristrigatus group are Hylodes babax Heyer, H. char- adranaetes Heyer and Cocroft, H. later- istrigatus (Baumann), H. magalhaesi (Bokermann), H. ornatus (Bokermann), H. otavioi Sazima and Bokermann, H. phyl- lodes Heyer and Cocroft, H. regius Gou- vea, and H. vanzolinii Heyer. During a survey of the anuran fauna of the Serra das Cabras, Atlantic Forest at Campinas, State of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil, we collected specimens of a new species of the Hylodes lateristrigatus group described herein. MATERIAL AND METHODS Vocalizations were recorded with a Na- gra E tape recorder and Sennheiser ME 80 microphone at a tape speed of 19 cm/ s. We analyzed the tapes on a Macintosh Classic computer coupled to the Mac- Recorder Sound System 2.0.5, using 512 points. Specimens used in the description or examined for comparisons are in AL- MNRJ (Adolpho Lutz collection, Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), MNRJ (Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), MZUSP (Museu de Zoologia, Universidade de Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil), WCAB (Werner C. A. Bokermann collection, Sao Paulo, Brazil), and ZUEC (Museu de His- toria Natural, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil). Tooth-row formula notation of the tadpole follows that of Altig (1970). Measurements are in millimeters. Ab- breviations used in the account are SVL (snout-vent length), HL (head length), HW (head width), ED (eye diameter), END (eye-nostril distance), TD (tympanum di- ameter), THL (thigh length), TBL (tibia length), and FL (foot length). Measure- ments technique for adults follows that of Duellman (1970); the measured specimens were fixed and preserved. SYSTEMATIC ACCOUNT Hylodes sazimai sp. nov. Holotype.-ZUEC 9004 (Fig. 1), adult male, collected next to the Observatorio de Capricornio, Joaquim Egidio, Munici- This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp September 1995] HERPETOLOGICA 281 pio de Campinas (approximately 22?54'S, 46?49'W; approximately 1100 m eleva- tion), Estado de Sao Paulo, Brasil, on 24 November 1990 by Celio F. B. Haddad, Jose P. Pombal, Jr., and Ivan Sazima. Paratopotypes.-MNRJ 15869, an adult male, collected on 1 February 1991 by C. F. B. Haddad and J. P. Pombal, Jr.; MZUSP 69637, adult male, collected on 5 April 1992 by C. F. B. Haddad and J. P. Pombal, Jr. Diagnosis.-A small, slender species (males 27.1-28.5 mm SVL) belonging to the H. lateristrigatus group (sensu Heyer, 1982), characterized by (1) snout rounded in dorsal view, (2) thumb without nuptial asperities or spines, (3) upper surfaces of finger discs without well developed scutes, (4) dorsum dark brown. Comparison with other species.-Hy- lodes sazimai is smaller than H. babax, H. charadranaetes, H. lateristrigatus, H. ma- galhaesi, H. otavioi, and H. regius; the latter species range from 30.0-39.2 mm SVL (Bokermann, 1964; Gouvea, 1979; Heyer, 1982; Heyer and Cocroft, 1986; Sazima and Bokermann, 1982.) The new species also differs from H. babax and H. otavioi by the absence of well developed scutes on the upper surfaces of finger discs; scutes are well developed in H. babax and H. otavioi. Hylodes sazimai differs from H. charadranaetes in having a uniform color on the dorsum, rather than a varie- gated pattern. It can be distinguished from H. lateristrigatus by its less evident dor- solateral stripes, and from H. magalhaesi by its light belly [black with white spots in H. magalhaesi (Bokermann, 1964)] and larger fringes and discs on the fingers and toes. Hylodes sazimai differs from H. re- gius by its dull colors in life, rather than the contrasting colors of H. regius (Gou- vea, 1979), and by a more rounded snout. Hylodes ornatus is smaller than H. sazi- mai and has a pair of elongate, light dorsal bands. From H. phyllodes, the new species differs by its more rounded snout and thumb without nuptial spines. Hylodes sa- zimai is distinguished from H. vanzolinii by the truncate snout (in dorsal view) and nostrils closer from the tip of snout than in the latter species. Hylodes sazimai is distinguished from all other known species in the H. lateristri- gatus group by the higher number of notes per call. The call duration of the new spe- cies is longer than those of H. babax, H. charadranaetes, H. lateristrigatus, H. ma- galhaesi, and H. regius. The number of notes per second in the call of H. sazimai is greater than in the calls of H. charad- ranaetes, H. lateristrigatus, H. otavioi, H. phyllodes, and H. regius and fewer than in H. babax and H. magalhaesi. The note duration of the new species is longer than that of H. magalhaesi and H. regius, and shorter than that of H. charadranaetes and H. otavioi. The dominant frequency of the call of H. sazimai is higher than those of H. lateristrigatus and H. magalhaesi and lower than that of H. regius; the adver- tisement call of the new species is distin- guished from that of H. phyllodes also by the absence of notes given in pairs at end of call and from that of H. charadranaetes also by the absence of descending fre- quency modulation (see Heyer and Co- croft, 1986, for comparative data). Description of holotype.-Body slender (Fig. 1); head longer than wide, snout round in dorsal view and protruding in lateral view (Fig. 2A,B); nostrils slightly protu- berant, directed laterally; canthus rostralis distinct; loreal region weakly concave; tympanum distinct, large, diameter about % eye diameter; weak supratympanic fold; well developed lateral vocal sacs; vocal slits present; tongue medium-sized; vomerine teeth in two small series, between and be- hind choanae; choanae small. Arms robust; thumb without nuptial asperities or spines; subarticular tubercles single, round (Fig. 2C); outer metacarpal tubercle nearly round, inner metacarpal tubercle ellipti- cal; finger discs medium sized, nearly round; finger length I = II < IV < III; fingers laterally fringed; upper surfaces of finger discs without well developed scutes; finger and toe discs of about equal size. Legs moderately robust; foot with an ovoid inner metatarsal tubercle (Fig. 2D) and a protruding round outer metatarsal tuber- cle; subarticular tubercles single, round; toes extensively fringed laterally; extensive tarsal fold-flap continuous distally with toe This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp 282 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 51, No. 3 A X E ; FIG. 2.- Hylodes sazimai, ZUEC 9004 (holotype). (A) Dorsal and (B) lateral views of head; ventral views of (C) hand and (D) foot. This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp September 1995] HERPETOLOGICA 283 10- N 5 ' ; t ' * \ t gll ' ' ;i ' .I ; ' A N I 8- L Lz x,t>5*>t }}5t#5[ }\t+ 8 _6 ......:.- . .- n -.. z ?J 4Xti ** - * l * W 2- ' LL TIME ?04 ~~~~~~~. .~ . TI M E 0.45 s FIG. 3.-(A) Sonagram and (B) wave form of the advertisement call of Hylodes sazimai, recorded on 24 November 1990 at 15t30 h; air temperature 20 C. The wave form corresponds to the last five notes in the sonagram. fringe on outer side of first toe. Dorsal skin texture slightly rugged; undersurfaces smooth; rugged texture near the vent. Color in life of the holotype: Dorsum dark brown; upper surfaces of thigh, tibia, and foot reddish brown with dark trans- verse bars; forearm reddish brown -with dark spots; light line extending from the eye to the groin; dark brown lateral stripe extending from tip of snout, through nos- tril, eye, and tympanum to near arm in- sertion; a whitish lateral stripe below the dark brown stripe extending from tip of snout to the arm insertion; lips dark; throat and belly whitish with dark brown mar- bling; iris cupreous. Color in preservative of the holotype: In preservative (alcohol 70%), the colors are similar to those in life, except for the red- dish-brown areas and iris that become brown. Measurements of the holotype: SVL 27.1; HL 10.9; HW 9.1; ED 3.8; END 1.6; TD 2.1; THL 14.0; TBL 14.3; FL 14.4. Variation.-In life, the whitish lateral stripe may be yellowish. Measurements (mean, range) of three males: SVL 27.6, 27.1-28.5; HL 10.8, 10.7-10.9; HW 9.2, 9.1-9.3; ED 3.8,3.8; END 1.7, 1.6-1.8; TD 2.3, 2.1-2.6; THL 14.0, 13.8-14.3; TBL 14.4, 14.3-14.5; FL 14.2, 14.1-14.4. Advertisement call.-Calls given spo- radically; three neighboring males about 10 m apart emitted advertisement calls at intervals of 9.90 ? 1.27 s (x ? SD) at an air temperature of 22 C; call duration about 2.0 s; 28-35 notes per call (31.72 ? 2.15, n = 11) given at a rate of 14.5/s; notes This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp 284 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 51, No. 3 A 10 mm B X , 10 mm C k X .... M*~ . * 1 mm FIG. 4.-Tadpole of Hylodes sazimai, stage 25; (A) dorsal and (B) lateral views; (C) oral disc. given at regular intervals; note duration 0.04-0.05 s; each note is a rising frequency modulated whistle with a dominant fre- quency (=third harmonic) range of 4.0- 5.5 kHz; call with harmonic structure (Fig. 3). Encounter calls were heard but not re- corded. Tadpoles. -Larvae were obtained from the rivulet at the type locality. The follow- ing description is based on a tadpole in developmental stage 25 (Gosner, 1960). Total length 47.5 mm; body length 16.8 mm; body elliptical in dorsal view; ovoid in lateral view, widest posteriorly (Fig. 4A,B); body wider than high; snout round- ed; eyes small, dorsolateral; nostrils about midway between the eyes and the tip of snout, directed laterally; spiracle sinistral, its opening at the middle of the body; clo- acal tube short, conical, opening dextral; caudal musculature robust, gradually ta- pering to pointed tip; dorsal fin originating on body; dorsal fin higher than the ventral. Lateral line system composed of 12 lateral lines, six on each side of the body and tail. Body with a ventral depression anterior to This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp September 1995] HERPETOLOGICA 285 the region of the coiled intestine; two lat- eral lines, one on each side of the body, converge on the ventral depression. Oral disc (Fig. 4C) directed ventrally and bordered by two or three rows of small papillae interrupted on a large area on the anterior labium; tooth row formula 2(2)/ 3(1); jaw sheaths strongly developed and serrate; posterior jaw sheath V-shaped. In life, dorsum brown with small dark brown, black, and reddish spots; ventral and lateral surfaces of body pale brown with whitish punctations; tail brown, with large pale brown blotches anterodorsally; lateral and ventral surfaces of tail brown with whitish punctations. Fins translucent with brown punctations. Iris yellowish. In preservative dorsum brown; throat and belly transparent; caudal musculature with scattered brown pigmentation more con- centrated on the upper first third; fins translucent with scattered brown pigmen- tation more concentrated on the dorsal fin. Natural history.-Males of Hylodes sa- zimai were observed calling from October through April (wet season). Males are di- urnal and frequent shaded places on rocks, in rock crevices, and on the banks of a small stream running amidst and under large granitic boulders. The frogs are wary, hiding in rock crevices or plunging into the water when disturbed. Females and ovipositions are unknown. Distribution. -The new species is known only from the type locality in the Serra das Cabras, Campinas, State of Sao Paulo, southeastern Brazil. Etymology.-The specific name is in honor to our friend Ivan Sazima for his contribution to the knowledge of the Bra- zilian vertebrate fauna. Remarks.-In his diagnostic definition of the genus Hylodes, Lynch (1971) stated that larvae have dextral vents. However, in the subfamily Hylodinae, this character is not exclusive for the genus Hylodes be- cause it is present also in Megaelosia (Lynch, 1971). As an addition to the di- agnostic definition of Hylodes, we record that in the subfamily Hylodinae, only the tadpoles of Hylodes have a ventral de- pression. We found this depression in large tadpoles (stage 25 of Gosner, 1960) of three species of Hylodes that we analyzed (Hy- lodes asper, H. otavioi, and H. sazimai). We did not observe this ventral depression in tadpoles of the other two genera within the subfamily Hylodinae. We analyzed Crossodactylus dispar, Megaelosia goeldi, M. lutzae, and M. massarti. Heyer and Cocroft (1986) suggested that more information is needed to clarify the specific status of Hylodes otavioi relative to H. lateristrigatus. We compared both species and concluded that they are dis- tinct. Hylodes otavioi is smaller than H. lateristrigatus, and it has more extensively fringed toes, a more arcuate canthus ros- tralis, and a different color pattern. The studies of Heyer (1982), Izecksohn and Gouvea (1983), and Heyer and Co- croft (1986) made possible the use of prop- er names for the genus Hylodes. However, a general survey that we made in Brazilian museum collections revealed a large num- ber of unnamed species of this genus, mainly within the H. lateristrigatus group. Acknowledgments. -R. P. Bastos, M. Martins, I. Sazima, and J. Vielliard made helpful suggestions on the manuscript. A. B. Haddad, 0. C. Oliveira, and E. C. P. Pombal assisted in the field. I. Sazima assisted in the field and made the photo of the holotype, and M. Gordo and M. Martins prepared the sonagram. J. Somera made the line drawings. W. C. A. Boker- mann, U. Caramaschi, A. J. Cardoso, and P. E. Van- zolini loaned and/or permitted access to material un- der their care. For financial support, C. F. B. Haddad acknowledges the CNPq (grant 301281/91-2) and FAPESP (grant 92/0631-2), and J. P. Pombal, Jr. acknowledges the CAPES (PICD program grant). LITERATURE CITED ALTIG, R. 1970. A key to the tadpoles of the con- tinental United States and Canada. Herpetologica 26:180-207. BOKERMANN, W. C. A. 1964. Una nueva especie de Elosia de la Serra da Mantiqueira, Brasil (Am- phibia, Leptodactylidae). Neotropica 19:102-107. DUELLMAN, W. E. 1970. The Hylid Frogs of Middle America. Monogr. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas 1:xi + 753 pages. . 1993. Amphibian Species of the World: Additions and Corrections. Special Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas 21:iii + 372 pages. FROST, D. R. (Ed.). 1985. Amphibian Species of the World. Allen Press, Lawrence, Kansas. GOSNER, K. L. 1960. A simplified table for staging anuran embryos and larvae, with notes on identi- fication. Herpetologica 16:183-190. GOUVEA, E. 1979. Uma nova esp6cie de Elosineo This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp 286 HERPETOLOGICA [Vol. 51, No. 3 da Serra do Itatiaia (Amphibia, Anura, Leptodac- tylidae). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 39:855-859. HEYER, W. R. 1982. Two new species of the frog genus Hylodes from Capara6, Minas Gerais, Brasil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 95:377-385. HEYER, W. R., AND R. B. COCROFT. 1986. Descrip- tions of two species of Hylodes from the Atlantic forests of Brazil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Washington 99:100-109. IZECKSOHN, E., AND E. GOUVEA. 1983. Sobre a identidade de Elosia glabra Miranda-Ribeiro (Am- phibia, Anura, Leptodactylidae). Arq. Univ. Fed. Rur. Rio de Janeiro 6:221-223. LYNCH, J. D. 1971. Evolutionary relationships, os- teology, and zoogeography of leptodactyloid frogs. Misc. Publ. Mus. Nat. Hist. Univ. Kansas 53:1-238. SAZIMA, I., AND W. C. A. BOKERMANN. 1982. An- fibios da Serra do Cip6, Minas Gerais, Brasil. 5: Hylodes otavioi sp. n. (Anura, Leptodactylidae). Rev. Brasil. Biol. 42:767-771. Accepted: 2 June 1994 Associate Editor: Linda Trueb APPENDIX I Additional Specimens Examined Hylodes babax MZUSP 57949 (holotype); H. cha- radranaetes MZUSP 60648 (holotype), MZUSP 60656- 59 (paratypes), ZUEC 8091-92, 8094-98, 8326-27 (topotypes); H. lateristrigatus AL-MNRJ 2364 (top- otype), MZUSP 53259-61 (topotypes); H. magalhaesi WCAB 34318-19,34322,34327,34334,37681,37683- 84, 45342, 45345 (topotypes); H. ornatus MZUSP 60682-83,60843-45 (topotypes), ZUEC 737-38,4087 (topotypes); H. otavioi ZUEC 3351-53, 5022 (para- types); H. phyllodes MZUSP 59934 (holotype), 37712- 17 (paratypes), ZUEC 2615, 6365-66, ZUEC 6411 (topotype), 6797, 6987-89, 8420; H. regius MNRJ 4110 (holotype), 4106, 4108-09, 4111 (paratypes). Herpetologica, 51(3), 1995, 286-291 ? 1995 by The Herpetologists' League, Inc. PRIMITIVE, HELODERMATID-LIKE PLATYNOTAN FROM THE EARLY CRETACEOUS OF UTAH RICHARD L. CIFELLI AND RANDALL L. NYDAM Oklahoma Museum of Natural History and Department of Zoology, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA ABSTRACT: We describe an advanced anguimorph lizard from the Albian (Early Cretaceous) of Utah. The taxon lacks at least one important feature (retracted nares) of Varanoidea, and for this reason is referred to the Necrosauridae, a fossil group characterized by a combination of anguoid and varanoid characters. Nonetheless, the fossil bears several advanced characters (such as widely-s?aced, trenchant, plicidentine, marginal teeth lacking replacement pits) suggesting relationship to Varanoidea, and others (form of the maxilla, suggesting a blunt, rounded snout; osteoderm pattern and ornamentation) reminiscent of Helodermatidae; the closest comparison is with Late Cretaceous Paraderma, which represents the first record of that family. Regardless of specific affinities, the unnamed taxon represents the earliest occurrence of terrestrial Platynota, partly occluding a major gap in the fossil record of lizards, and documents the presence of this group of highly predaceous squamates in the Early Cretaceous of North America. Like living varanoids, especially helodermatids, the taxon from Utah may have included relatively large prey in its diet. Key words: Varanoidea; Necrosauridae; Helodermatidae; Cretaceous VARANOID lizards and suspected fossil allies are of special interest in that they are evidently related to some of the major radiations of squamates, including mosa- saurs (and related aquatic taxa) and, pos- sibly, snakes (Camp, 1923; Carroll, 1988). Varanoids are also of interest because they were relatively larger and more highly predaceous than other anguimorphs, and they preyed more heavily on vertebrates This content downloaded from 186.217.234.230 on Fri, 24 Jan 2014 11:48:48 AM All use subject to JSTOR Terms and Conditions http://www.jstor.org/page/info/about/policies/terms.jsp Article Contents p. 279 p. 280 p. 281 p. 282 p. 283 p. 284 p. 285 p. 286 Issue Table of Contents Herpetologica, Vol. 51, No. 3 (Sep., 1995), pp. 257-380 Front Matter A Taxonomic Review of Tylototriton verrucosus Anderson (Amphibia: Caudata: Salamandridae) [pp. 257-268] A New Species of Osornophryne (Anura: Bufonidae) from Volcán Sumaco, Ecuador with Notes on Other Members of the Genus [pp. 268-279] A New Species of Hylodes from Southeastern Brazil (Amphibia: Leptodactylidae) [pp. 279-286] Primitive, Helodermatid-Like Platynotan from the Early Cretaceous of Utah [pp. 286-291] Molecular and Morphological Evolution in South Pacific Scincid Lizards: Morphological Conservatism and Phylogenetic Relationships of Papuan Lipinia (Scincidae) [pp. 291-300] Geographic Variation in Rhadinaea hempsteadae (Serpentes: Colubridae) with the Description of a New Species from Chiapas, Mexico [pp. 301-313] Sexual Dimorphism in the Genital Morphology of Young American Alligators, Alligator mississippiensis [pp. 314-325] Tropical Amphibian Monitoring: A Comparison of Methods for Detecting Inter-Site Variation in Species' Composition [pp. 325-337] Urotomy in Scaphiodontophis: Evidence for the Multiple Tail Break Hypothesis in Snakes [pp. 338-341] Reproduction in Sceloporus virgatus from the Chiricahua Mountains of Southeastern Arizona with Emphasis on Annual Variation [pp. 342-349] Solitary versus Arribada Nesting in the Olive Ridley Sea Turtles (Lepidochelys Olivacea): A Test of the Predator-Satiation Hypothesis [pp. 349-354] Year-to-Year Variation in Growth in the Red-Eared Turtle, Trachemys scripta elegans [pp. 354-358] Seasonal and Nightly Variation in Glycogen Reserves of Calling Gray Treefrogs (Hyla Versicolor) [pp. 359-368] Respiration of Embryos and Larvae of the Terrestrially Breeding Frog Kyarranus loveridgei [pp. 369-376] Back Matter [pp. 377-380]