Austrochaperina

Abstract: Embryonic development in fifteen Australopapuan microhylid frogs of the genera Austrochaperina, Cophixalus and Oreophryne is described. These frogs have direct development during which the embryo develops to a minute froglet within the jelly capsule. Development of the operculum, presence of external gills, tail structure, gut development and timing of forelimb emergence are described and compared with the direct-developing eleutherodactylid Eleutherodactylus coqui from Puerto Rico and three Australian myobatrachid genera with direct development (Arenophryne, Metacrinia and Myobatrachus). We comment on those differences that likely reflect examples of convergent and divergent evolution and heterochrony.

Abstract: In a recent revision ZWEIFEL (2000) split the Australopapuan microhylid genus Sphenophryne sensu PARKER (1934) into four genera, for all of which names were already available, namely Austrochaperina FRY, 1912 including 24 species at present; Liophryne BOULENGER, 1897 with six species; Oxydactyla VAN KAMPEN, 1913 with fi ve species; and Sphenophryne PETERS & DORIA, 1878 with one species. The genus Austrochaperina was diagnosed by ZWEIFEL (2000) as follows “A genus of genyophrynine microhylid frogs (sensu ZWEIFEL, 1971; BURTON, 1986) with the following combination of morphological characters: clavicles long and slender, reaching from scapula almost to midline of pectoral girdle; tips of fi ngers and toes (except sometimes the 1st) fl attened and disclike with terminal grooves and typically broader than penultimate phalanx, the disc of the 3rd fi nger narrower or no broader than that on the 4th toe; subarticular elevations low and rounded, almost undetectable in some species”. According to ZWEIFEL (2000) snout-vent lengths of the adults range from 20 to 50 mm. Most species are surface dwellers on and below leaf-litter, and some inhabit riparian habitats along small streams. The genus is distributed from sea level to elevations of approximately 2000 m above sea level (a.s.l.). Most species occur on the main island of New Guinea, some on adjacent islands, and fi ve in northern Australia. During fi eld work in the Wondiwoi Mountains at the base of the Wandammen Peninsula, Papua Province, Indonesian New Guinea, in various years between 1998 and 2003 the present author together with indigenous helpers found, among others, a tiny species of Austrochaperina which could not be allocated to any of the hitherto recognized taxa. This new species is described in the following text. A new and minute species of Austrochaperina (Amphibia: Anura: Microhylidae) from western New Guinea

Abstract: We describe a new species of Austrochaperina from the Bewani Mountains of northwestern Papua New Guinea. The new species is a member of Zweifel's (2000) “Large” group of Austrochaperina closely related to A. hooglandi, from which it differs in size, color pattern, call parameters, and ecology. It differs from its other 23 congeners in a variety of morphological and color pattern attributes, and in advertisement call.

Abstract: In Australia, the family Microhylidae consists of 19 species of Cophixalus Boettger 1892 and 5 species of Austrochaperina Fry 1912 (Hoskin 2012; Hoskin, submitted). Most of these species have highly localized distributions in the rainforests and boulder-fields of north-east Australia (Zweifel 1985; Hoskin 2004; Hoskin & Aland 2011). Australian microhylid frogs are terrestrial breeders with direct development (Zweifel 1985; Hoskin 2004; Anstis et al. 2011). The natural history of Australia’s microhylids is fairly well known, with the basics of breeding biology such as calls and clutch sizes published for most species (Zweifel 1985; Hoskin 2004; Anstis et al. 2011; Hoskin & Aland 2011; Hoskin 2012; Hoskin, submitted). Hoskin & Aland (2011) described two new species from Cape York Peninsula, C. pakayakulangun and C. kulakula , each restricted to boulder-field areas only 30 km apart but readily distinguished by morphology and genetics. Calls could not be compared because the call of C. pakayakulangun was not known at that time. Clutch information for C. pakayakulangun was also not available at the time of description.