Eopelobates sp.

Villa, Andrea, Macaluso, Loredana & Mörs, Thomas, 2024, Miocene and Pliocene amphibians from Hambach (Germany): New evidence for a late Neogene refuge in northwestern Europe, Palaeontologia Electronica (a 3) 27 (1), pp. 1-56 : 30

? Eopelobates sp.

Figure 19 K-O

Material. Hambach 11C: two humeri (IPB-HaR 2414/2415); one ilium (IPB-HaR 2421).

Description. The two humeri ( Figure 19 K-M) are represented only by their distal epiphyses. They reach a moderately large size. A spherical eminentia capitata is present, as well as a fossa cubitalis ventralis. The latter is open on the lateral side. Both humeri have a well-developed epicondylus ulnaris and a less developed epicondylus radialis. On the dorsal surface, a wide and elongated olecranon scar is present. Based on the position of the scar, it seems that the eminentia capitata was laterally shifted, but this cannot be confidently evaluated given the absence of the diaphysis.

The ilium ( Figure 19 N-O) is very poorly preserved, with only the base of the shaft and the anterior portion of the body remaining. It clearly has no dorsal crest and no dorsal tubercle. The acetabular rim is slightly higher in its anteroventral part. There are no supraacetabular and preacetabular fossae and the spiral groove is not distinct. The dorsal acetabular expansion appears rather short, whereas the development of the ventral one cannot be evaluated due to breakage. The medial surface of the ilial body is flat in its preserved portion. The absence of its posterior part hinders an evaluation of the presence or absence of striae.

Remarks. These elements are here tentatively attributed to Eopelobates because of the overall morphological similarity with those from Hambach 11 referred to this genus, in particular in the indistinct spiral groove on the ilium. However, poor preservation hinders confidence in the attribution.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Pelobatids from Hambach: sacral vertebra (IPB-HaR 2179) of cf. Eopelobates sp. in dorsal (A), anterior (B), posterior (C) and ventral (D) views; left humerus (IPB-HaR 2154) of cf. Eopelobates sp. in ventral (E) and dorsal (F) views; left ilium (IPB-HaR 2084) of cf. Eopelobates sp. in lateral (G) and medial (H) views; right ilium (IPB-HaR 2103) of cf. Eopelobates sp. in lateral (I) and medial (J) views; right humerus (IPB-HaR 2414) of?Eopelobates sp. in ventral (K) and dorsal (L) views; left humerus (IPB-HaR 2415) of?Eopelobates sp. in ventral view (M); right ilium (IPB-HaR 2421) of?Eopelobates sp. in lateral (N) and medial (O) views; trunk vertebra (IPB-HaH 2220) of Pelobatidae indet. in right lateral (P), anterior (Q), dorsal (R) and posterior (S) views; left humerus (IPB-HaH 2399) of Pelobatidae indet. in ventral (T) and dorsal (U) views. Scale bars equal 1 mm. Abbreviations: dae, dorsal acetabular expansion; fcv, fossa cubitalis ventralis.