''Albionbatrachus'' is an extinct

genus Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family (taxonomy), family as used in the biological classification of extant taxon, living and fossil organisms as well as Virus classification#ICTV classification, viruses. In bino ...

frog A frog is any member of a diverse and largely semiaquatic group of short-bodied, tailless amphibian vertebrates composing the order (biology), order Anura (coming from the Ancient Greek , literally 'without tail'). Frog species with rough ski ...

s from

England England is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is located on the island of Great Britain, of which it covers about 62%, and List of islands of England, more than 100 smaller adjacent islands. It ...

and

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

, that spanned to the

Eocene The Eocene ( ) is a geological epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (Ma). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period (geology), Period in the modern Cenozoic Era (geology), Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes ...

Miocene The Miocene ( ) is the first epoch (geology), geological epoch of the Neogene Period and extends from about (Ma). The Miocene was named by Scottish geologist Charles Lyell; the name comes from the Greek words (', "less") and (', "new") and mea ...

. Two species are recognized: *''Albionbatrachus oligocenicus'', 2012: A new palaeobatrachid frog from the early Oligocene of Suceag, Romania. ''Journal of systematic palaeontology'', 11(2): 179–189. . *''Albionbatrachus wightensis''C. A. M. Meszoely, Z. V. Spinar, and R. L. E. Ford. 1984. A new palaeobatrachid frog from the Eocene of the British Isles. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 3(3):143-147

Discovery and naming

Discovery

''A.wightensis'' was discovered near

Alum Bay Alum Bay is a bay near the westernmost point of the Isle of Wight, England, within close sight of the Needles rock formation. Of geological interest and a tourist attraction, the bay is noted for its multi-coloured sand cliffs. The waters and ad ...

, Isle of Wright, while ''A.oligocenicus'' was found in the Dancu formation. The holotype of ''A.wightensis'' MCZ 8784 consists of an almost complete frontoparietal bone, and the holotype of ''A,oligocenicus'' consists of nearly complete frontoparietal bones.

Etymology

The genus name combines ''Albion'' which is Latin for England and batrachus meaning frog in Greek. The species name for ''A.wightensis'' which refers the area of discovery being the Isle of Wright, and for ''A.oligocenicus'' refers to the greek name for Oligocene..

Description

The main distinguishing factor is its frontopaterial bone having an hourglass shape, other features include the frontopaterial being flat and ornamented, paroccipital processes extending past the posterior median process and the middle layer containing large cavities and the large cavities being connected to the frontopaterial by inclined canals.

''A.wightensis''

''A.wightensis'' has prominent lateral corners which form spurlike processes, and has a synsacrum.

''A.oligocenicus''

''A.oligocenicus'' differs from ''A.wightensis'' from a lack of dorsal anterior depression, less pronounced dorsal sculptures, lower occipital ridge, paraoccpital processes being more elevated dorsally, the back section of

Meckel's cartilage In humans, the cartilaginous bar of the mandibular arch is formed by what are known as Meckel's cartilages (right and left; also known as Meckelian cartilages), above which the incus and malleus are located. Meckel's cartilage arises from the fir ...

being ossified, and a small tubercle on the preacetabular portion of the ilium.

Paleoecology

The presence of a synsacrum indicates an aquatic lifestyle, and might have made a niche in low oxygen environments, and if the cavities were used relive CO2, that might suggest more terrestrial adaptations.

References

Pipoidea Prehistoric amphibian genera Oligocene amphibians Cenozoic amphibians of Europe Fossil taxa described in 1984 {{mesobatrachia-stub