Vulcanobatrachus

{{Short description|Extinct genus of frogs}}

{{Speciesbox

| fossil_range = Late Cretaceous

| parent_authority = Linda Trueb et al., 2005

| genus = Vulcanobatrachus

| species = mandelai

| authority = Trueb et al., 2005

}}

Vulcanobatrachus is an extinct genus of frogs. The genus contains the single species Vulcanobatrachus mandelai found at Marydale, South Africa, described in 2005 and named after Nelson Mandela. The genus owes its name to the fact that fossils were recovered from an extinct volcanic crater lake of Late Cretaceous age. The fossil frogs are assumed to have died following a limnic eruption (a degassing event possibly of CO₂) by the volcano.

The existence of fossil specimens was discovered accidentally in the late 1970s during prospecting of the volcanic kimberlite pipe for diamonds by de Beers Mining Company. Specimens of Vulcanobatrachus mandelai are curated by Iziko South African Museum.

It is a member of the clade Pipimorpha, related to the family Pipidae.{{Cite journal |last1=Rolando |first1=Alexis M. Aranciaga |last2=Agnolin |first2=Federico L. |last3=Corsolini |first3=Julián |date=October 2019 |title=A new pipoid frog (Anura, Pipimorpha) from the Paleogene of Patagonia. Paleobiogeographical implications |journal=Comptes Rendus Palevol |language=en |volume=18 |issue=7 |pages=725–734 |doi=10.1016/j.crpv.2019.04.003|doi-access=free |bibcode=2019CRPal..18..725R }} A recent phylogenetic analysis suggested that Vulcanobatrachus is more closely related to Pipidae and Shelaniinae than to Palaeobatrachus.{{cite journal |last1=Lemierre |first1=Alfred |last2=Bailon |first2=Salvador |last3=Folie |first3=Annelise |last4=Laurin |first4=Michel |title=A new pipid from the Cretaceous of Africa (In Becetèn, Niger) and early evolution of the Pipidae |journal=Journal of Systematic Palaeontology |date=January 2023 |volume=21 |issue=1 |doi=10.1080/14772019.2023.2266428 |bibcode=2023JSPal..2166428L |url=https://doi.org/10.1080/14772019.2023.2266428 |language=en |issn=1477-2019}}