Two New North American Miocene Salamandrids

Abstract

Palaeotaricha van Frank apparently differs from Taricha primarily in the possession of higher neural spines provided with a dermal cap. Generic status is probably not warranted on this basis, but Palaeotaricha does constitute a recognizable subgenus of Taricha existing at least from the upper Oligocene to the lower Miocene. It may be directly ancestral to the nominate subgenus. Taricha (Palaeotaricha) miocenica, sp. nov., is described herein from the lower Miocene of Montana, as is also a new species of Notophthalmus, N. crassus, from the middle Miocene of southwestern South Dakota.