Phyllomedusidae

Phyllomedusidae

Meanwhile, in South America the first diversification within phyllomedusids took place in the Oligocene 33.3 (29.0–37.6) Mya when the Cruziohyla-Phrynomedusa ancestral stock departed from the early branching phyllomedusid ancestor. Phrynomedusa differentiated into five species in southeastern Brazil while Cruziohyla inhabited the western Amazon Basin and eventually entered Central America. The next major split in the phyllomedusid stock was the divergence of Agalychnis (crown node) in the latest Oligocene or earliest Miocene 23.4 Mya (18.6–28.3) Mya. While the major phyllomedusid stock remained in South America, Agalychnis differentiated in Central America (see below). Generic differentiation occurred in the Miocene, when Callimedusa diverged from Pithecopus 17.1 (14.8–19.3) Mya; the former differentiated in the Andes and upper Amazon Basin, whereas the latter evolved into nine species in eastern and northern South America. Ancestral Phasmahyla diverged from the Pithecopus-Callimedusa-Phyllomedusa stock 27.9 (24.1–31.7) Mya and evolved streamdwelling tadpoles in southeastern Brazil. Phyllomedusa became a distinct lineage 18.2 (15.7–20.6) Mya and