One of the most distinctive phyletic lines among the diverse Neotropicalhylid frogs is composed of a group of 40 species placed in the genusPhyllomedusa (Funkhouser, 1957) or in two or three different genera(Goin, 1961; Lutz, 1966). These species differ from all otherNeotropical hylids by possessing a vertical, instead of horizontal,pupil. The only other hylids having a vertical pupil belong to thePapuan genus Nyctimystes. Goin (1961) erroneously stated thatNyctimantis and Triprion have vertical pupils.
Although limited information is available on the cytotaxonomy of hylids,the data show that phyllomedusine species have n=13 (2n=26)chromosomes. Acris has n=11 (2n=22) (Cole, 1966). Members ofthe Hyla leucophyllata, microcephala, and parviceps groups haven=15 (2n=30), Gastrotheca ceratophrys has a haploid number of14, the Papuan hylid genus Nyctimystes and all but one of theAustralo-Papuan Hyla for which the numbers are known have a haploidnumber of 13, and all other New World hylids studied have n=12 (2n=24)(Duellman and Cole, 1965; Duellman, 1967).
Cei (1963) and Cei and Erspamer (1966) noted that phyllomedusine frogsdiffer notably from other Neotropical hylids on the basis of the aminesand polypeptides in the skin. All species of phyllomedusines deposittheir eggs in a gelatinous mass on leaves or branches above water.Although this type of egg deposition is characteristic of somerhacophorines and apparently all centrolenids, it is known among hylidsonly in the phyllomedusines and in two species of Hyla.
The distinctive combination of morphological, physiological,chromosomal, and behavioral characteristics is strongly suggestive thatthese frogs represent an early phyletic divergence within the Hylidae.Günther (1859) proposed the familial name Phyllomedusidae forPhyllomedusa bicolor (Boddaert). I suggest the recognition of thegroup as a subfamily. The following classification of[Pg 4] thephyllomedusines is based on my own knowledge of the Middle American andsome South American species and on evidence from the literature on thoseSouth American species with which I am not personally familiar.
Phyllomedusidae Günther 1859 [Type genus, Phyllomedusa Wagler,1830].
Definition.—Moderately small to large hylids having vertical pupils,n=13 (2n=26) chromosomes, skin containing large amounts ofpowerful bradykinin-like and physalaemin-like polypeptides, eggssuspended from vegetation above water, and tadpoles