Rana architemporaria Temporal range:
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The original specimen that was used to describe the species in 1937 | |
Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Amphibia |
Order: | Anura |
Family: | Ranidae |
Genus: | Rana |
Species: | †R. architemporaria
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Binomial name | |
†Rana architemporaria
Okada, 1937
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Rana architemporaria is an extinct species of true frog from the Pliocene that was found in Kabutoiwa, near the Arafune volcano, Central Japan. [1] It was found at an altitude of 1200 meters. [2] The species was described from a single specimen, but another specimen of Rana architemporaria may also have been found later in 1980, though it was not deemed a definitive ID. This specimen was also dated to around the Pliocene. [3]
The author of Rana architemporaria was comparing it to Rana temporaria, the European common brown frog and observed some key differences such as a shorter skull and limbs. However, they were very similar and because of this, he named it Rana architemporaria. [2] "Archi-" as a prefix could mean "first" in the context of Rana architemporaria. [4]