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]
| Rana architemporaria Temporal range:
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| The original specimen that was used to describe the species in 1937 | |
Scientific classification 
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| 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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Etymology
editThe 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]
References
edit- ^ Syromyatnikova, Elena. (2016). Anurans of the tagay locality (Baikal lake, russia; miocene): Bombinatoridae, hylidae, and ranidae. Russian Journal of Herpetology. 23. 145 – 157.
- ^ a b Okada, Yaichiro (1937). "A Fossil Frog from Japan".
- ^ Nokariya, Hiroshi; Hasegawa, Yoshikazu (1998). "Two fossils ranids from the Late Tertiary Kabutoiwa Formation, Gunma Prefecture, Central Japan" (PDF). J-Stage.
- ^ "ARCHI- Definition & Meaning". Dictionary.com.