What is the scientific name of the true frog family?
The scientific name of the true frog family is Ranidae. This family holds the distinction of being the most widely distributed frog family on Earth, existing on every continent except Antarctica.
Short answers, pulled from the story.
The scientific name of the true frog family is Ranidae. This family holds the distinction of being the most widely distributed frog family on Earth, existing on every continent except Antarctica.
Modern genetic studies indicate that the true frog family originated in Eurasia. This finding overturns the previous belief that the family evolved on the ancient supercontinent of Gondwana or the island of India during the Cretaceous period.
The true frog family had successfully colonized every continent except Antarctica by the beginning of the Miocene epoch. This dispersal event began at the end of the Eocene epoch when the Ranidae started spreading out of Asia.
In 2023, Amphibian Species of the World tentatively synonymized the genera Amnirana, Chalcorana, Humerana, and Sylvirana into the genus Hylarana. This taxonomic move was made to address significant confusion, though it remains unrecognized by AmphibiaWeb.
The genus Amolops was described in 1865 and currently boasts 80 species. This number highlights the vast diversity within the true frog family compared to other genera like Abavorana which contains only three species.