Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768

Szentesi, Z., 2014, Green toad (Anura: Bufonidae) skeleton from the Upper Pleistocene of Hungary (Nagyharsány Crystal Cave, Villány Hills), Fragmenta Palaeontologica Hungarica 31, pp. 117-124 : 119-121

Bufo viridis Laurenti, 1768

( Figs 2 /1, 3–7)

B. viridis is represented on the slab by a partial skeleton and some isolated bones. The partial skeleton is exposed in ventral view ( Fig. 2 /1). Only a few skull bones are preserved from this specimen, as well as the almost complete vertebral column.

Cranium – The frontoparietal is always fused with the prootic and the exooccipital in Bufo viridis (e.g. BAILON 1999; VENCZEL 2001; BLAIN et al. 2010). An extinct species with close affinities to B. viridis : Pseudepidalea prisca (Špinar, Klembara et Meszároš, 1993) is known (originally as B. priscus ) from the Middle Miocene site (MN6) of Devínska Nová Ves and probably from the French Middle Miocene, too ( SANCHÍZ 1998, and references therein). However, it should be noted that the type material of Pseudepidelea prisca was originally assigned to Bufo cf. viridis by HODROVA (1988, Fig. 4), while MARTÍN et al. (2012) reclassified it as a member of the “ Bufo viridis group”. The genus name Pseudepidalea is not acceptable because this name suggests the “ Bufo viridis group” belongs to another taxon than all other European toads (e.g. Bufo bufo or B. calamita ).

Vertebral column – It is composed of eight discrete procoelous vertebrae, which are partially disarticulated. The atlas is ring-like with two anterior cotyles and with a pinch between the cotyles. The presacral vertebrae (II–VII) maintain transverse processes preserved to varying degrees. On the second vertebra the transverse processes project anteriorly, while on the others slightly laterally or posteriorly (e.g. IV). The sacrum has an anterior cotyle and two posterior condyles. The transverse processes extend moderately laterally and flare distally. The slender, posteriorly tubular urostyle has two anterior cotyles.

The isolated bones probably represent one or more specimens of green toads on this slab because they are significantly smaller than the bones of the above described partial skeleton. Differences in bone size and immaturity of these isolated bones suggest that these fossils belong to one or more younger specimens. The dorsal crest, similarly to other toads (e.g. HOLMAN 1998; SANCHÍZ 1998), is absent on this ilium ( Fig. 2 /3), and on the basis of the two-lobed dorsal protuberance this specimen belongs to Bufo viridis . The pars epicoracoidalis on the relatively elongat- ed coracoid ( Fig. 2 /4) is flat-rounded dorsoventrally while the bends of the margo fenestralis and posterior are similar. The deep, rounded fossa under the capitulum and laterally under the rim of the joint on the radio-ulna ( Fig. 2 /5) is typical of Bufo viridis (e.g. BAILON 1999) just like the distally well-defined sulcus longitudinalis ( Fig. 2 /5–7). The two isolated vertebrae ( Fig. 2 /6) are similar to those described above on the partial skeleton. These are vertebrae IV and V of the vertebral column of a green toad.

Anura indet.

( Fig. 2 /2)

The red clay slab also contains many fragmentary bones of Anura indet. by an angulosplenial, frontoparietals and mainly shin-bones, e.g. os cruris.

Figures

Fig. 2. Anuran and snake remains from the Pleistocene Nagyharsány Crystal Cave (PAL 2014.1.). 1 = Bufo viridis partial skeleton in ventral view; 2 = Anura indet. os cruris (tibiofibula); 3–7 = Bufo viridis right ilium in posterolateral, os antebrachii (radioulna) in lateral, coracoid in dorsal and vertebrae in anterior and ventral views; 8 = Natrix sp. trunk vertebra in posterior view