The Neobatrachia (Neo-Latin neo- ("new") + batrachia ("frogs")) are a suborder of the Anura, the order of frogs and toads.
This suborder is the most advanced and apomorphic of the three anuran suborders alive today, hence its name, which literally means "new frogs" (from the hellenic words neo, meaning "new" and batrachia, meaning "frogs"). It is also by far the largest of the three; its more than 5,000 different species make up over 96% of all living anurans.
The differentiation between Archaeobatrachia, Mesobatrachia, and Neobatrachia is based primarily on anatomic differences, especially the skeletal structure, as well as several visible characteristics and behaviors.
Systematics Separating the Anura into the Archaeo-, Meso- and Neobatrachia is somewhat controversial; as more research is done and more knowledge is gained, it is becoming even less clear, because many characteristics used for this differentiation apply to more than one group.
Neobatrachia are usually sorted into five superfamilies, but this division is also controversial, as some families are placed into different superfamilies by different authors. In addition, several families have been revealed to be paraphyletic and consequently divided to make them correspond to clades and thus be natural, evolutionary groups. This has approximately doubled the number of presently recognized neobatrachian families.
List of families The clades and families currently accepted in the Neobatrachia are:
Superfamily Heleophrynoidea: Heleophrynidae – ghost frogs Clade Australobatrachia: Calyptocephalellidae – Chilean toads Superfamily Myobatrachoidea Limnodynastidae – Australian ground frogs Myobatrachidae – Australian froglets Superfamily Hyloidea: Allophrynidae – Tukeit hill frogs Amphignathodontidae – marsupial frogs (sometimes in Hemiphractidae) Alsodidae Batrachylidae Clade Brachycephaloidea Caligophrynidae Fouquet et al., 2023 Brachycephalidae – saddleback toads Ceuthomantidae – emerald-barred frogs Craugastoridae Hedges, Duellmann & Heinicke, 2008 (formerly in Brachycephalidae) Eleutherodactylidae Lutz, 1954 (formerly in Brachycephalidae) Neblinaphrynidae Fouquet et al., 2023 Strabomantidae Hedges, Duellmann & Heinicke, 2008 (some formerly in Brachycephalidae) Bufonidae – true toads Centrolenidae – glass frogs Ceratophryidae – horned toads Cycloramphidae Clade Dendrobatoidea Aromobatidae – skunk frog (sometimes in Dendrobatidae) Dendrobatidae – poison dart frogs Hemiphractidae – marsupial frogs Hylidae – true tree frogs and relatives Hylodidae – giant Neotropical torrent frogs Leiuperidae (sometimes in Leptodactylidae) Leptodactylidae – southern frogs, tropical frogs Odontophrynidae Rhinodermatidae – Darwin's frogs Telmatobiidae – water frogs Superfamily Sooglossoidea: Nasikabatrachidae – purple frogs Sooglossidae – Seychelles frogs Superfamily Ranoidea: Microhylidae – narrow-mouthed frogs Clade Afrobatrachia: Arthroleptidae – squeakers Brevicipitidae – rain frogs Hemisotidae – shovelnose frogs Hyperoliidae – sedge frogs, bush frogs Clade Natatanura: Ceratobatrachidae Conrauidae - slippery frogs, giant frogs Dicroglossidae – fork-tongued frogs Micrixalidae – dancing frogs Mantellidae – Malagasy frogs Nyctibatrachidae – night frogs Odontobatrachidae Petropedetidae – torrent frogs Phrynobatrachidae – puddle frogs Ptychadenidae – grassland frogs Pyxicephalidae Ranidae – true frogs Ranixalidae – Indian frogs Rhacophoridae – shrub frogs, bush frogs, moss frogs
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Further reading