''Phrynomedusa fimbriata'', the spiny-knee leaf frog, is an

extinct Extinction is the termination of a kind of organism or of a group of kinds (taxon), usually a species. The moment of extinction is generally considered to be the death of the last individual of the species, although the capacity to breed and ...

species of tree frog. It was

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...

to Brazil, where the only known specimen was discovered near

Paranapiacaba Paranapiacaba is a district of the municipality of Santo André in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. It is located approximately by road southeast of the centre of the city of São Paulo, and about east of Rio Grande da Serra. The word ''parana ...

in the state of

São Paulo São Paulo (, ; Portuguese for 'Saint Paul') is the most populous city in Brazil, and is the capital of the state of São Paulo, the most populous and wealthiest Brazilian state, located in the country's Southeast Region. Listed by the GaWC a ...

. The type locality was given as "Alto da Serra". While the species might still exist, having only been found once in the 1898, no trace of any individuals have been discovered in successive expeditions.

Description

This species is only known from the

holotype A holotype is a single physical example (or illustration) of an organism, known to have been used when the species (or lower-ranked taxon) was formally described. It is either the single such physical example (or illustration) or one of several ...

, an adult female measuring in snout–vent length. The specimen was collected in 1898 and is now in bad condition with completely faded colors. At the time of

species description A species description is a formal description of a newly discovered species, usually in the form of a scientific paper. Its purpose is to give a clear description of a new species of organism and explain how it differs from species that have be ...

, the holotype was dorsally pale blue and ventrally reddish yellow. ''Phrynomedusa fimbriata'' is a relatively robust frog for its genus. The snout is acuminate in dorsal view and markedly oblique in lateral view. The tympanum is visible, rounded, and has a visible tympanic annulus. The limbs are slender. The fingers and toes are slender and have reduced webbing and rounded adhesive discs.

Habitat and conservation

The natural history of this species is unknown. Possibly it was a high-altitude stream-breeder. The reason for its disappearance are unknown. The area hosts some protected areas, namely the Serra do Mar State Park and Reserva Biológica do Alto da Serra de Paranapiacaba.

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q2699413 fimbriata Endemic fauna of Brazil Extinct animals of Brazil Extinct amphibians Amphibian extinctions since 1500 Amphibians described in 1923 Taxa named by Alípio de Miranda-Ribeiro Taxonomy articles created by Polbot