Kansas Herpetofaunal Atlas

Plate 15, Figure 2, from the original description (Taylor, 1942). A portion of the combined sacral vertebra and coccyx of *Spea diversus,* Holotype, KUVP 6368; (A) dorsal view, (B) ventral view.

AMPHIBIA (Amphibians) ANURA (Frogs) SCAPHIOPODIDAE (North American Spadefoots)

Different Spadefoot
†Spea diversus (Taylor 1942)

Conservation Status:
Extinct

Diagnosis:
Characterized by the absence of a bony web between the coccygeal shaft and the diapophyses. The type specimen consists of the centrum of the ninth (sacral) vertebra, fused with the coccyx; the base of the sacral diapophysis, is present only on the right side. The distal part of the coccygeal shaft is missing.

Distribution:
Known only from the type locality. Rexroad member (Frye & Hibbard [1941] p. 407), upper Pliocene, locality 3, about 16 miles southwest of Meade, Meade county, Kansas.
(, Museum Voucher) (, Observation) (, Literature Record) (, iNat Record), ( Fossil)
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Occurrence Summary:
2
Records
2
Museum Vouchers
0
Other Observations

Some county occurrences indicated below may be too imprecise to map above.
County Breakdown: County Name (# occurrences):
Meade (2);

Natural History:

Remarks:
The species was proposed by Taylor (1942) as Scaphiopus diversus, described from the Upper Pliocene Rexroad formation of Meade County, Kansas. Synonymy by Tihen (1960).

Bibliography:

1942	Taylor, Edward H. Extinct toads and frogs from the upper Pliocene deposits of Meade County, Kansas. University of Kansas Science Bulletin 28(10):199-235
1945	Lane, Henry H. A survey of the fossil vertebrates of Kansas, Part II. Amphibia. Transactions of the Kansas Academy of Science 48(3):286-316
1956	Zweifel, Richard G. Two Pelobatid frogs from the Tertiary of North America and their relationship to fossil and recent forms. American Museum Novitates 1762():1-45
1960	Tihen, Joseph A. On Neoscaphiopus and other Pliocene pelobatid frogs. Copeia 1960(2):89-94
1966	Kluge, Arnold G. A new pelobatine frog from the lower Miocene of South Dakota with a discussion of the evolution of the Scaphiopus/Spea complex. Los Angeles County Museum Contributions in Science 113():42761
1985	Schultze, Hans-Peter, L. Hunt, J. Chorn, and A. M. Neuner. Type and figured specimens of fossil vertebrates in the collection of the University of Kansas Museum of Natural History. Part II. Fossil amphibians and reptiles. University of Kansas Museum of Natural History, Miscellaneous Publications (77):1-66 Also check on several listed names not in KHA as KS taxa.

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