Vieraella

{{Automatic taxobox

| fossil_range = Early Pliensbachian to Toarcian
~{{fossilrange|189|176}} {{cite journal |last1=Navarrete |first1=C. |last2=Gianni |first2=G. |last3=Christiansen |first3=R. |last4=Kamerbeek |first4=Y. |last5=Periale |first5=S. |last6=Folguera |first6=A. |title=Jurassic intraplate contraction of southern Patagonia: the El Tranquilo anticline area, Deseado Massif |journal=Journal of South American Earth Sciences |date=2019 |volume=94 |issue=3 |pages=102–224 |doi=10.1016/j.jsames.2019.102224 |bibcode=2019JSAES..9402224N |s2cid=197571957 |url=https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0895981118305406 |access-date=30 March 2022|url-access=subscription }}

| image = Vieraella NT.jpg

| image_caption = Restoration

| taxon = Vieraella

| authority = Reig, 1961

| type_species = †Vieraella herbsti

| type_species_authority = Reig, 1961 {{cite journal |last1=Reig |first1=O. A. |title=Noticia sobre un nuevo anuro fósil del Jurásico de Santa Cruz (Patagonia) |journal=Ameghiniana |date=1961 |volume=2 |issue=5 |pages=73–78 |url=https://www.ameghiniana.org.ar/index.php/ameghiniana/article/view/1104 |access-date=30 March 2022}}

}}

Vieraella is an extinct genus of frogs from the Lower Jurassic (Early Pliensbachian to Toarcian) Roca Blanca Formation of Argentina, and one of the oldest true frogs known. This genus is known by a single exceptionally well-preserved specimen, P.V.L. 2188, with at least eight presacrals vertebrae, free ribs, ulna and radius not fused, bony skull with some discoglossid characters.{{cite journal |last1=Casamiquela |first1=R. |title=Nuevo material de Vieraella HerbstII ReIg. Reinterpretación de la ranita liasica de la Patagonia y consideraciones sobre filogenia y sistemática de los anuros |journal=Revista del Museo de La Plata |date=1965 |volume=4 |issue=27 |pages=265–317 |url=https://publicaciones.fcnym.unlp.edu.ar/rmlp/article/viewFile/1812/613 |access-date=30 March 2022}}

Description

Despite living around 188 million years ago, Vieraella was anatomically very similar to modern frogs. For example, its hind legs were adapted for jumping, and the skull already possessed the lattice-like form found in modern species. It was, however, an unusually small frog, measuring only {{convert|3|cm|in}} in length. Although older frog-like creatures are known, such as Triadobatrachus, these possessed many primitive characteristics, and cannot be said to be "true" frogs.{{cite book |editor=Palmer, D.|year=1999 |title= The Marshall Illustrated Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs and Prehistoric Animals|publisher= Marshall Editions|location=London|page= 56|isbn= 1-84028-152-9}}

Vieraella

Description

References

Further reading