TAXONOMY AND DISTRIBUTION OF TERTIARY DISCOGLOSSIDS (ANURA) OF THE GENUS LATONIA V MEYER, 1843

Definition of the genus Latonia v. MEYER, 1843 (Anura, Discoglossidae) and description of all its known skeletal elements are given. Taxonomic revision based on both articulated skeletons and disarticulated bones from the Late Oligocene to Pliocene deposits of various European localities revealed that Prodiscoglossus vertaizoni FRIANT, 1944 is in fact the earliest known Latonia identical with that from the French locality Coderet, both of the Late Oligocene age. The Miocene representatives of the genus, namely Latonia seyfriedi v. MEYER, 1843, L. gigantea (LARTET, 1851), L. ragei HOSSINI, 1993, and Latonia sp. have been widely spread in western, central, and eastern Europe. General evolutionary trends that can be recognized in the Miocene and Pliocene material are appearance of the secondary dermal sculpture on the maxillae in some species, and gigantism. Summary of evolution within the genus Latonia and a revised description of the holotype of L. seyfriedi and all other known material from the type locality Ohningen (including a newly discovered specimen) are given. It was confirmed that Discoglossus giganteus WETTSTEIN-WESTERSHEIMB, 1955 and Pelobates robustus BOLKAY, 1913 are synonyms of Latonia, and the same holds (besides mentioned ''Prodiscoglossus'' vertaizoni) also for Diplopelturus ruscinesis DEPERET, 1890. Latonia fejfari (SPINAR, 1975) and L. kolebabi SPINAR, 1976 are synonyms of L. gigantea. Since L. gigantea and L. ragei were described on the basis of disarticulated bones (the principal diagnostic character being presence or absence of sculpture on the maxilla), whereas L. seyfriedi was based on articulated skeletons embedded by their dorsal side in matrix, the taxonomic relations among these three forms remain unsolved until chemical preparation of the latter holotype will be possible. Available data on the geographic and stratigraphic distribution are summarized and discussed (together with structural evolution within the genus) on the background of the palaeogeographic and palaeoclimatic situation in Europe during the Neogene.