Skeleton of a leopard frog (Rana pipiens) from Champlain Sea deposits (ca. 10 000 BP) near Eardley, Quebec

Abstract

A well-preserved skeleton of a leopard frog (Rana pipiens) was recovered from a calcareous nodule collected near Eardley, Quebec. Such nodules from the Ottawa area evidently date to the Ottawa Delta phase of the Champlain Sea, ca. 10 000 BP, and may contain remains of fishes, birds, mammals, marine mollusc shells and other invertebrates, and plants. Palynological analysis of matrix from the specimen suggests either (1) that forest communities were prominent in the area where the frog lived, or (2) that, presuming the specimen was from a large body of water, the environment supported herb and shrub tundra communities with only a few trees. This is the first record of an amphibian from Champlain Sea deposits. The specimen indicates the presence of grassy meadows near the seacoast.