Rana strausi Špinar, 1980

Taxonomy

Frog

Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Amphibia
Order: Anura Fischer von Waldheim 1813
Family: Ranidae Rafinesque 1814
Genus: Rana
Species: Rana strausi
Author Citation Špinar, 1980

Geological Time Scale

Eon: Phanerozoic
Era: Cenozoic
Period: Neogene
Sub Period: None
Epoch: Pliocene
International Age: Piacenzian

Stratigraphy

Willershausen Formation

Provenance

Collector: T. Bastelberger
Date Collected: 07/30/1970
Acquired by: Field Collection

Dimensions

Length: 18 cm

Location

Clay Pit Willershausen
Willershausen a. Harz
Lower Saxony
Germany

• germany
• pliocene
• rana
• tff-oilshale-ch173
• willershausen

Comments

Taxonomy from GBIF.org.

Diagnosis by Špinar 1980, p. 5 (translated from German by oilshale): "Medium to large frog (see Table 5). The species is characterized by
following characteristics:
1. small skull in the shape of a Gothic arch. Its length is not quite 1/5 of the body length (in the species Rana temporaria almost 1/4 of the body length).
2. ossa fronto-parietalia orocaudally elongated with concurrent edges on thesurface of bone; mutually trough-shaped incurved and caudally
broadened.
3. pars medialis ossis nasalis broad, irregularly triangular, process laterahs of same bone long.
4. maxilla toothed up to 2/3 of its length.
5. maxillary arch complete; processus frontalis of maxillary short, broad, truncated; lateral process not reaching nasal.
6. quadratojugals long.
7. Vertebral column long, consisting of 9 long, mostly procoelous vertebrae. Ribs absent. They are fused with processus transversi. 
8. processus transversus of 3rd vertebra most directed laterocaudally.
9. processus transversus of sacral vertebra cylindrical, narrow, forming an angle of 35-42° with transverse plane.
10. urostylus conspicuously narrow, long, rod-shaped, with 2 articular pits on the proximal end.
11. shoulder girdle firmistern.
12. cleithrum well ossified, broad; margo scapularis and margo caudalis forming an angle of about 31 -32°.
13. scapula broad, strong, even broader to margo cleithralis.
14. ilium with low, bean-shaped tuber superius, as well as low, long crest (crista ossis ischii). 
 15. femur shorter than os cruris. Total length of both bones less than length of body - measured from oral end of intermaxillare to the caudal end of the ischium.
16. calcaneus bent through on the tibial side.
17. webbing between toes of hind foot well developed. In the 4th toe it extends to middle of 3rd phalanx.
18. hind limbs conspicuously dark striped."

Identified by oilshale.

References:

Špinar, Z. V. (1980): Fossile Raniden aus dem oberen Pliozän von Willershausen (Niedersachsen). Stuttgarter Beiträge zur Naturkunde / Ser. B, Nr. 53, pp. 1-53, 9 Taf., 25 Abb., 8 Tab.