VARIATION IN THE HAND AND SUPERFICIAL THROAT MUSCULATURE OF NEOTROPICAL LEPTODACTYLID FROGS

Hand and throat musculatures were surveyed for systematic characters i n 157 species and 41 genera of leptodactylids. Two conditions occur in the superficial throat muscles; one of them is shared by the Limnodyn astinae and the Leptodactylinae and Eleutherodactylini. The hand muscu lature of the Leptodactylidae differs consistently in some respects fr om the musculature reported from other families, but data are availabl e from few families. The distribution of characters of the hand muscle s indicate monophyly of a number of leptodactylid groups: the subgenus Eleutherodactylus (excluding the binotatus group), the E. martinicens is group, clades consisting of Ceratophrys and Lepidobatrachus; Caudiv erbera and Telmatobufo; Leptodactylus, Vanzolinius, and Hydrolaetare; and Hylodes and Megaelosia. The condition of the m, palmaris longus in the subgenus Eleutherodactylus resembles that of the hylids, particul arly in the E. martinicensis group. Elongation of the mm. extensores b reves profundi is a feature of arboreal members of different species g roups of the subgenus Eleutherodactylus, and resembles the condition f ound in hylids and an arboreal microhylid. This may be an adaptation t o arboreal life. No putative adaptations were found in the hand muscul ature of aquatic leptodactylids.