Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • Letter
  • Published:

First frog fossils from Australia

Abstract

RECENT speculation about the ancestral frog fauna of Australia, even embracing the Cretaceous1, has been based purely on zoogeographic deductions, for study of the origins and history of this fauna has been seriously handicapped by the complete absence of an endemic fossil record. Although it has been suggested2,3 that the Lower Eocene Indobatrachus of the Intertrappean beds of Bombay represents the Australian leptodactylid subfamily Myobatrachinae, such a relationship is considered dubious or untenable by other authors4,5. It is therefore of interest to report the recent discovery of isolated fragments of frog bones among a rich mid-Miocene vertebrate fauna in Central Australia, so being the first frog fossils found in Australia.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Savage, J. M., in Evolutionary Biology of the Anurans (Univ. Missouri, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Noble, G. K., Am. Mus. Novit., No. 401, 1–13 (1930).

  3. Lynch, J. D., Misc. Publs Mus. nat. Hist. Univ. Kans., No. 53, 1–238 (1971).

  4. Parker, H. W., Novit. zool., 42, 1–106 (1940).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Hecht, M. K., Syst. Zool., 12, 20–35 (1963).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Stirton, Tedford, and Woodburne, M. O., Univ. Calif., Publs geol. Sci., 77 (1968).

  7. Chantell, C. J., Am. Midl. Nat., 72, 211–225 (1964).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Holman, J. A., Q. Jl. Fla Acad. Sci., 28, 68–82 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Trueb, L., in Evolutionary Biology of the Anurans. (Univ. Missouri, 1973).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Tyler, M. J., in Bridge and Barrier: The Natural and Cultural History of Torres Strait Dept. Biogeography and Geomorphology, Australian National Univ., (1973).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

TYLER, M. First frog fossils from Australia. Nature 248, 711–712 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/248711b0

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/248711b0

Comments

By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing