Upper Pliocene Frogs from Idaho

Chantell, C

Fossil frogs from the Upper Pliocene Glenns Ferry Formation of the Hagerman area in Twin Falls, Owyhee and Elmore counties, Idaho are represented by Scaphiopus cf. S. hammondii, Hyla cf. H. regilla, Rana cf. R. aurora, R. cf. R. pipiens and ?Bufo sp. The temporal and/or geographic ranges are extended for all the fossil species identified. The Hagerman frog fauna is similar to one that might presently be found in the Californian Biotic Province and suggests a warm, well-vegetated floodplain habitat. Species-specific osteological characters for extant North American ranids are sparse. Species groupings based on osteology can be discerned but their taxonomic make-up usually changes with the skeletal elements used. An osteologically well-defined group of western Rana is recognizable (R. aurora, R. boylii, R. cascadae, R. muscosa, R. pretiosa, R. sylvatica).

Upper Pliocene Frogs from Idaho

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