Giant pelobatid fossil larva from the middle Miocene of Bulgaria

Vladislav Vergilov,Nikolay Tzankov

doi:10.48027/hnb.43.031

Abstract

So far, in Bulgaria several fossils of extinct anuran species have been found, but all seem doubtful. Only two pelobatid remains have been found from the Balkans and the regions - younger species (Late Pleistocene) of the genus Pelobates from Serbia and Miocene Pelobates sp. from Turkey. The fossil in the current study represents a larva of the genus Eopelobates, the first discovery of this genus not only for Bulgaria but for the Balkans as well. This pelobatid larva is gigantic, more than 200 mm in total length. The fossil is found in a diatomitian complex from the middle Miocene.

Highlights

Reported fossil anurans from Bulgaria have been discovered from the bituminous argillites near Brezhani Village, in the south-western part of the country (Stefanov, 1951)
The fossil in the current study represents a larva of the genus Eopelobates, the first discovery of this genus for Bulgaria but for the Balkans as well
For the purpose of this study, we identify the current fossil larva as Eopelobates cf. bayeri

Summary

Introduction

Reported fossil anurans from Bulgaria have been discovered from the bituminous argillites (shales) near Brezhani Village, in the south-western part of the country (Stefanov, 1951). From the same locality (Oligocene sediments of the Pirin Mine, in the Brezhani Graben), Gaudant & Vatsev (2012) reported several skeletons of adult anurans, as well as four tadpoles attributed to Palaeobatrachus cf grandipes (Giebel, 1851). They stated that the previously reported taxa (erroneously given by the authors as Rana temporaria temporaria Linnaeus, 1758) belonged to the genus Palaeobatrachus Tschudi, 1859, but did not provide any arguments about this. The specimen reported by Stefanov (1951) was not included in our study due to the fact that it was not available and virtually lost (personal communication with NT); it was only briefly discussed. A more precise taxonomic conclusion would be possible only if the material becomes available

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