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Abstract: The latest Pleistocene fissure-fill deposits of the Minatogawa man site on southern Okinawa Island have yielded a substantial assemblage of fossil anuran remains. Here, we re-evaluate the taxonomic affiliations of 140 well-preserved fossil ilia by comparing their morphological characteristics with those of extant anuran species currently inhabiting Okinawa and neighboring islands based on diagnostic criteria established in prior studies. As a result, the specimens were assigned to five species, all of which are endemic to present-day Okinawa Island： Babina holsti, Odorrana narina, Rana ulma （Ranidae） , Fejervarya kawamurai （Dicroglossidae） , and Zhangixalus viridis （Rhacophoridae）. Our comparative analysis suggests that earlier reports of mainland Japanese species from the site are likely based on misidentifications and should be reconsidered in light of recent taxonomic revisions. 27 受付：2025年12月20日；受理：2026年2月6日 28 池田忠広・髙橋亮雄・長谷川善和 Notably, the presence of F. kawamurai in the fossil record supports a hypothesis of natural dispersal to Okinawa prior to the mid-Holocene, countering previous suggestions of anthropogenic introduction. Moreover, the fossil occurrences of B. holsti, O. narina, and other forest-associated taxa lend strong support to paleoenvironmental reconstructions positing that the Minatogawa area was characterized by humid, densely vegetated forests with active freshwater systems during the latest Pleistocene.
Research papers (publications of university or research institution)
