The Rhinophrynidae are a family of frogs containing one extant genus, the

monotypic In biology, a monotypic taxon is a taxonomic group (taxon) that contains only one immediately subordinate taxon. A monotypic species is one that does not include subspecies or smaller, infraspecific taxa. In the case of genera, the term "unisp ...

Rhinophrynus The Mexican burrowing toad (''Rhinophrynus dorsalis'') is the single living representative of the family Rhinophrynidae. It is a unique species in its taxonomy and morphology, with special adaptations to assist them in digging burrows where they ...

'', and a number of fossil genera. The family is sometimes known as the Mexican burrowing toads or simply burrowing toads. ''Rhinophrynus'' occurs in the Central America north from Costa Rica to Mexico and Texas. Fossil finds of Rhinophrynidae come from Mexico, the United States, and Canada. ''Rhinophrynus'' is a burrowing ant and termite eater.

Systematics

The Rhinophrynidae are the

sister taxon In phylogenetics, a sister group or sister taxon, also called an adelphotaxon, comprises the closest relative(s) of another given unit in an evolutionary tree. Definition The expression is most easily illustrated by a cladogram: Taxon A and ...

of the

Pipidae The Pipidae are a family (biology), family of primitive, tongueless frogs. There are 41 species in the family, found in tropical South America (genus ''Pipa'') and sub-Saharan Africa (the three other genera). Description Pipid frogs are highly ...

. The

clade In biology, a clade (), also known as a Monophyly, monophyletic group or natural group, is a group of organisms that is composed of a common ancestor and all of its descendants. Clades are the fundamental unit of cladistics, a modern approach t ...

formed by these two genera is sometimes referred to as Xenoanura or superfamily

Pipoidea Pipoidea are a clade of frogs, that contains the most recent common ancestor of living Pipidae and Rhinophrynidae as well as all its descendants. It is broadly equivalent to Xenoanura. Description The synapomorphies that define Pipoidea are th ...

Genera

Extant genera: * ''

'' or ''

Mexican burrowing toad The Mexican burrowing toad (''Rhinophrynus dorsalis'') is the single living representative of the family Rhinophrynidae. It is a unique species in its taxonomy and morphology, with special adaptations to assist them in digging burrows where they ...

'' Late Eocene-Recent Fossil genera: * †''

Chelomophrynus ''Chelomophrynus'' is an extinct genus of anurans in the family Rhinophrynidae. A single species is known, ''Chelomophrynus bayi'' from the Uintan Wagon Bed Formation of Wyoming. It was probably a subterranean feeder, like the modern member of ...

'' Henrici 1991 Wagon Bed Formation, Wyoming United States, Eocene * †'' Eorhinophrynus'' Hecht 1959

Polecat Bench Formation The Polecat Bench Formation is a geologic formation in Montana. It preserves fossils dating back to the Paleogene period.D. E. Russell. 1967. Le Paleocene continental d'Amerique du nord. Memoires du Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle. Serie C. ...

, Wyoming, United States, Paleocene * †'' Rhadinosteus'' Henrici 1998

Morrison Formation The Morrison Formation is a distinctive sequence of Upper Jurassic sedimentary rock found in the western United States which has been the most fertile source of dinosaur fossils in North America. It is composed of mudstone, sandstone, siltston ...

, Utah, United States, Late Jurassic The affinity of ''Eorhinophrynus'' is uncertain.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q3429460 Amphibian families Late Jurassic first appearances Taxa named by Albert Günther