Amphibia LINNAEUS 1758
Creators: name: Macaluso, Loredana
name: Wencker, Lukardis C M
name: Castrovilli, Maria
name: Carnevale, Giorgio
name: Delfino, Massimo
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2023
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Chordata
Amphibia

description: IDENTIFICATION KEYOtic–occipitum complex1. Smooth otic–occipitum complex, with no parietal crest and no parotic crest and process ....Speleomantes- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................2 2. Middle depression with small foramina at the bottom and tuberculum at the posterior end of the prominentia semicircularis anterioris ....................................................................................Salamandrina- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................3 3. Middle depression among prominentiae occupied by a fourth small prominentia .....................Chioglossa-Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................4 4. In ventral view, fenestra basicranialis posterioris entirely covered by crista retrosellaris...........................5-Fenestra basicranialis posterioris visible in ventral view...............................................................................6 5. Ventral spine present anterior to basicapsular commissure.......................................................Pleurodeles- Ventral spine absent ....................................................................................................................Salamandra6. Crista retrosellaris covering the anterior half of the fenestra basicranialis ............................Mertensiella- Crista retrosellaris absent.................................................................................................................................7 7. In lateral view, parotic process ventrally concave and small fenestra ovalis ...............................Calotriton- In lateral view, parotic process not ventrally concave and wide fenestra ovalis ............................................8 8. Middle depression with small foramina at the bottom...................................................................Euproctus- Smooth middle depression ................................................................................................................................9 9. In ventral view, low or absent medial crest ...............................................................................Ichthyosaura- In ventral view, medial crest high...................................................................................................................10 10. Parotic process rectangular in anterior and posterior views, minimally laterally extended......Lissotriton- Parotic process laterally extended and sub-triangular in anterior and posterior views .............................11 11. Low parotic crest, equally high throughout its length............................................................Ommatotriton- High parotic crest, generally higher close to the parietal crest ........................................................TriturusAtlas+1. Strongly dorsoventrally compressed confluent occipital joints, with reduced horizontal odontoid process dorsal to them .......................................................................................................................................Proteus- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................2 2. Neural bulge or two articular surfaces instead of neural crest.......................................................................3 - No neural bulge or articular surfaces (walls of neural arch fused).................................................................4 3. Articular surface of the odontoid process unseparated ........................................................Salamandrella- Articular surface of the odontoid process clearly separated....................................................Speleomantes4. High neural crest, posteriorly forked with lateral eversion ..................................................Salamandrina- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................5 5. Horizontal dorsal edge of the neural arch in lateral view and neural crest low or absent......Mertensiella- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................6 6. Dorsal portion of the neural arch with several small foramina in posterior view .....................Pleurodeles- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................7 7. Triangular neural canal ..............................................................................................................Salamandra- Circular neural canal.........................................................................................................................................8 8. Low neural crest, neither posteriorly enlarged nor forked (or absent)...........................................................9 - Low neural crest, posteriorly enlarged ...........................................................................................................10 9. Neural spine present**.....................................................................................................................Euproctus- Neural spine absent.........................................................................................................................Calotriton10. Low or absent secondary crests ...............................................................................................Ommatotriton- Marked secondary crests.................................................................................................................................11 11. Articular facets of odontoid process not contacting each other (large groove between them)Ichthyosaura- Articular facets of odontoid process contacting each other or slightly separated (narrow groove between them)..................................................................................................................................................12 12. Blade-like neural and secondary crests marked in anterior view ....................................................Triturus- Neural and secondary crests not marked in anterior view ..........................................................Lissotriton*Chioglossais not included in the key because the only available atlas is too incomplete. **In one specimen (MDHC 507) the neural spine is not present; the diagnosis is identical to the one ofCalotriton.Precaudal vertebrae1. Amphicoelous vertebrae ....................................................................................................................................2 - Opisthocoelous vertebrae ..................................................................................................................................4 2. No ventral crests and keels ...............................................................................................................................3 - Wide ventral crests and ventral keel...................................................................................................Proteus3. Foramen on the lateral wall of the neural arch present..........................................................Speleomantes- Foramen on the lateral wall of the neural arch absent ........................................................Salamandrella4. High, forked neural crest (with lateral lips)...........................................................................Salamandrina- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................5 5. Dorsoventrally compressed vertebra (only one-fifth of the vertebra height formed by the neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses), with low anterior zygapophyseal crests poorly visible in lateral view ......................6 - Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................8 6. Length approximately equal to width of the vertebra ...............................................................Salamandra- Elongate vertebrae.............................................................................................................................................7 7. Prezygapophyses not markedly laterally extended from the neural arch...................................Chioglossa- Prezygapophyses laterally projecting from the neural arch (vertebra with an overall hourglass-shape) ......................................................................................................................................................Mertensiella8. Anterior zygapophyseal crests contacting parapophyses or lamina of transverse processes or ventral half of diapophysis.................................................................................................................................Pleurodeles- Anterior zygapophyseal crests contacting dorsal half of diapophyses............................................................9 9. In anterior view, foramen at the base of parapophyses wide .................................................Ommatotriton- In anterior view, foramen at the base of parapophyses small .......................................................................10 10. Dorsoventrally compressed vertebra (only one-fifth of the vertebra height formed by the neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses) ...........................................................................................................................Triturus- One-third of the vertebra formed by neural crest/arch dorsal to postzygapophyses ...................................11 11. Wide, equidimensional prezygapophyses (circular or quadrangular)........................................... Calotriton - Elliptical prezygapophyses..............................................................................................................................12 12. High, posteriorly forked neural crest and condyle visible for most of its length in dorsal view ..Euproctus- Different from above ........................................................................................................................................13 13. In dorsal view, medial edges of the prezygapophyseal facets generally anteriorly diverging........Ichthyosaura- In dorsal view, medial edges of the prezygapophyseal facets generally parallel.........................LissotritonCaudal vertebrae1. Amphicoelous vertebrae ....................................................................................................................................2 - Opisthocoelous vertebrae ..................................................................................................................................4 2. Posterior, dorsal bulge present ..........................................................................................................................3 - Dorsal bulge absent, and forked posterior edge of the neural arch ...................................................Proteus3. Transverse processes expanded in dorsal view and slightly dorsally concave in anterior view ....................................................................................................................................................Speleomantes- Transverse processes sub-rectangular in dorsal view and ventrally pointing in anterior view .................................................................................................................................................Salamandrella4. Low and wide neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses (neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses flattened) ............................................................................................................................................................................5 - High and narrow neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses (neural arch dorsal to postzygapophyses not flattened) ............................................................................................................................................................6 5. High neural and haemal crest ....................................................................................................Mertensiella- Low haemal crest, and neural crest high only in its mid-length...............................................Salamandra6. M-shaped transverse processes and anterior and posterior ventral crests forming an angle <130° in lateral view...........................................................................................................................................Salamandrina- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................7 7. Posterior area of the dorsal surface of the neural arch and of the ventral surface of the haemal arch perforated .......................................................................................................................................Pleurodeles- Different from above ..........................................................................................................................................8 8. Wide foramen on the lateral surface of the haemal arch ................................................................................9 - Small foramen or no foramen on the lateral surface of the haemal arch .....................................................10 9. Height/length ratio ~1.3–1.4, and transverse processes in lateral view, laminar and anteroventrally inclined ......................................................................................................................................Ommatotriton- Height/length ratio <1.3, and transverse processes different from above .......................................Triturus10. Transverse processes triangular in anterior view ..........................................................................Euproctus- Transverse processes different from above ....................................................................................................11 11. Transverse processes posteriorly concave in lateral view .............................................................Calotriton- Transverse processes different from above ....................................................................................................12 12. Height/length ratio> 1.4 ................................................................................................Lissotriton Uulgaris- Height/length ratio ~1.3–1.4 .............................................................Ichthyosaura/otherLissotritonspp.
description: Published as part of Macaluso, Loredana, Wencker, Lukardis C M, Castrovilli, Maria, Carnevale, Giorgio & Delfino, Massimo, 2023, A comparative atlas of selected skeletal elements of European urodeles (Amphibia: Urodela) for palaeontological investigations, pp. 569-619 in Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 197 (3) on pages 612-614, DOI: 10.1093/zoolinnean/zlac063, http://zenodo.org/record/7690954