Ontogeny of bone and the role of heterochrony in the myobatrachine genera Uperoleia, Crinia, and Pseudophryne (anura: Leptodactylidae: Myobatrachinae)

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Abstract
Descriptive data are provided for ontogeny of bone to metamorphosis in the myobatrachine species Uperoleia trachyderma; in pre‐ and postmetamorphic specimens of U. lithomoda, Crinia signifera, and Pseudophryne bibroni; and in postmetamorphic specimens of U. laevigata. Data derived from postmetamorphic U. laevigata indicate that dermal and endochondral elements ossify independently of each other in Uperoleia. Crinia signifera does not show the same degree of independence of ossification of dermal and endochondral elements as Uperoleia, whereas dermal and endochondral elements are not independent in P. bibroni. Ten (or possibly eleven) features are identified as being influenced by heterochrony within Uperoleia, confirming that the genus represents a highly pedomorphic lineage, four elements are influenced by heterochrony in Crinia, but only two in Pseudophryne.