A new species of Leiopelma frog (Amphibia: Anura: Leiopelmatidae) from the late Pliocene of New Zealand

Abstract

The fossil record of Leiopelma frogs in New Zealand is patchy, with remains previously reported only from the early Miocene (16–19 Mya) and late Quaternary (past 20 Ka). Here we describe Leiopelma bishopi n. sp. from the late Pliocene (3.7–2.4 Ma) of the eastern South Island. The subsequent extinction of frogs in this region is likely due to increased aridity following uplift of the Southern Alps and cooling associated with the Pleistocene Ice Ages. Discoveries from this unique Pliocene terrestrial fossil locality provide new and significant insights into how the dynamic climatic and geological history of Zealandia has shaped the evolution of its recent biota, especially for groups with a poor pre-Quaternary fossil record. LSID:urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:457F4C99-A561-4C3B-802C-3412EA3D7D42 Abbreviations: SVL: snout-vent length; NMNZ: Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington, New Zealand; WO: Waitomo Caves Museum, Waitomo, New Zealand.