Osteology of Leiopelma (Amphibia: Leiopelmatidae) and descriptions of three new subfossil Leiopelma species

Three new speeies of leiopelmatid frog are described from New Zealand cave deposits: Leiopelma waitomoensis n.sp., an offshoot of the L. archeyi/L. hamiltoni lineage, and Leiopelma markhami n.sp. and Leiopelma auroraensis n.sp., which are more closely related to L. hochstetteri. The osteology of the extant speeies L. hochstetleri, L. hamiltoni and L. archeyi is described in greater detail than previously. The data do not support the contention of Stephcnson (1960), that L. archeyi is neotenic in relation to L. hamiltoni. This idea was based only on the relative degree of ossification observed in these species; in fact both exhibit equal degrees of ossification. Detailed osteological studies of the Leiopelmatidae support the distinction of that family from the Ascaphidac.