I never knew before that members of the Asiatic family Hynobiidae used to inhabit eastern Europe (and I don't mean Russia), just like cryptobranchids did long ago.
I read it in this abstract:
Land salamanders of the family Hynobiidae from the Neogene and Quaternary of Europe
Author(s): Marton Venczel
Source: Amphibia-Reptilia Volume: 20 Number: 4 Page: 401 -- 412
DOI: 10.1163/156853899507158
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Abstract: A new extinct genus with two new species of land salamanders of the family Hynobiidae, from the Late Miocene of Polgardi (MN13), Hungary (Parahynobius kordosi gen. n. sp. n.) and from the Lower Pleistocene of Betfia IX/C (MQ1), Romania (Parahynobius betfianus gen. n. sp. n.), is described. The Late Miocene locality of Tardosbanya (MN12) and the Lower Pliocene locality of Osztramos 1C (MN14), Hungary, also yielded several vertebrae, assigned with some doubt to the above genus (cf. Parahynobius). The new taxa belonged to the westernmost distributed stock of land salamanders of the Hynobius-group, which, based on the available fossil record, reached the Carpathian Basin during Late Miocene and disappeared from the area during Lower Pleistocene times. The Hynobiidae had a wider geographic distribution during the Tertiary and Quaternary compared to their present range, which is limited to Asia.
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Anybody know what is the westernmost range of hynobiids today? I've read of Hynobius turkestanicus inhabiting Turkmenistan, but it seems it may be extinct already. Salamandrella keyserlingii is elsewhere said to be the only hynobiid in Europe, but the range map I have seen does not show it extending west of Siberia.
(Message edited by TJ on September 02, 2004)
I read it in this abstract:
Land salamanders of the family Hynobiidae from the Neogene and Quaternary of Europe
Author(s): Marton Venczel
Source: Amphibia-Reptilia Volume: 20 Number: 4 Page: 401 -- 412
DOI: 10.1163/156853899507158
Publisher: Brill Academic Publishers
Abstract: A new extinct genus with two new species of land salamanders of the family Hynobiidae, from the Late Miocene of Polgardi (MN13), Hungary (Parahynobius kordosi gen. n. sp. n.) and from the Lower Pleistocene of Betfia IX/C (MQ1), Romania (Parahynobius betfianus gen. n. sp. n.), is described. The Late Miocene locality of Tardosbanya (MN12) and the Lower Pliocene locality of Osztramos 1C (MN14), Hungary, also yielded several vertebrae, assigned with some doubt to the above genus (cf. Parahynobius). The new taxa belonged to the westernmost distributed stock of land salamanders of the Hynobius-group, which, based on the available fossil record, reached the Carpathian Basin during Late Miocene and disappeared from the area during Lower Pleistocene times. The Hynobiidae had a wider geographic distribution during the Tertiary and Quaternary compared to their present range, which is limited to Asia.
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Anybody know what is the westernmost range of hynobiids today? I've read of Hynobius turkestanicus inhabiting Turkmenistan, but it seems it may be extinct already. Salamandrella keyserlingii is elsewhere said to be the only hynobiid in Europe, but the range map I have seen does not show it extending west of Siberia.
(Message edited by TJ on September 02, 2004)