1. Patterns of larval development in the Anura: palaeontological evidence Zbyněk Roček and Eddie Van Dijk

2. Bechlejovice, Late Oligocene, -32 Mya, Czech Republic

4. Palaeobatrachidae Palaeobatrachidae - the only anuran group that became extinct; - Late Cretaceous – Middle Pleistocene (-70-0.9 Mya); - found only in Europe; - similar to pipid frogs of southern hemisphere but different in procoelous, instead of opisthocoelous, vertebral centra; - the most representative developmental series of fossil frogs ever found (covering late larval development and complete metamorphosis).

5. Skeletal development of Xenopus Stage 59 Stage 57 Stage 56 Stage 54 Stage 52 Stage 60 Stage 63 Stage 66 Stage 46

6. Skeletal development of Palaeobatrachus The earliest preserved larva Nieuwkoop and Faber (1967) stage 58 Xenopus laevis Nieuwkoop and Faber (1967) stage 59

7. Skeletal development of Palaeobatrachus

11. Gigantism in metamorphosing tadpoles Stage 60 Stage 60 16 cm Miocene (approx. 15 Mya) Randecker Maar, Germany

12. Skeletal development of Palaeobatrachus

13. Pipidae fossil Pipidae - the earliest tadpoles ever found (Late Jurassic, -150 Mya, Zaire); - sometimes excellent preservation; - found only in Gondwanan continents; - large series of certain developmental stages. Comparisons with

14. Makhtesh Ramon, Early Cretaceous, cca 130 Mya, Israel Thoraciliacus rostripes holotype

15. Skeletal development of Thoraciliacus

16. Shomron Region, Early Cretaceous, -130 Mya, Israel Shomronella jordanica

17. Skeletal development of Shomronella ? Adult

18. Stompoor (crater lake deposits) Late Cretaceous, -150 Mya South Africa Skeletal development of a pipid from Stompoor

19. Xenopus hasaunus Early Oligocene, cca -35 Mya Libya

20. Pelobatidae Pelobatidae - represented by genera Pelobates and Eopelobates; - fossil record from the Paleocene (-60 Mya); - found only in Europe; - developmental series covering both pre-metamorphic and metamorphic stages.

21. Skeletal development of Pelobates 16 cm Stage 52 Stage 53 Stage 56 Stage 64 Stage 66

22. Skeletal development of Eopelobates

24. Late Jurassic, -150 Mya Zaire The oldest known tadpoles University of Stellenbosch, South Africa Palaeontological collections Cat. No. 493

25. Late Jurassic, 150 Mya or early Cretaceous, 128 mya Ningcheng, Inner Mongolia, China

27. - fossil tadpoles may provide an important information on development of extinct anuran taxa; Conclusions - although the development is mostly documented by ossified elements, sometimes astonishing details of soft anatomy may be recorded; - although the development is mostly documented by ossified elements, sometimes astonishing details of soft anatomy may be recorded; - developmental processes, such as origin of vertebral centra or transverse processes, may help to clarify the taxonomic position of studied taxa and their phylogenetic distance. - developmental processes, such as origin of vertebral centra or transverse processes, may help to clarify the taxonomic position of studied taxa and their phylogenetic distance.