Nearly 70% of the 535 species of salamanders in the world are members of a single family, the Plethodontidae, or lungless salamanders. The centre of diversity for this clade is North and Middle America, where the vast majority (99%) of species are found. We report the discovery of the first Asian plethodontid salamander, from montane woodlands in southwestern Korea. The new species superficially resembles members of North American genera, in particular the morphologically conservative genus Plethodon. However, phylogenetic analysis of the nuclear encoded gene Rag-1 shows the new taxon to be widely divergent from Plethodon. The new salamander differs osteologically from putative relatives, especially with respect to the tongue (attached protrusible) and the derived tarsus. We place the species in a new genus on the basis of the morphological and molecular data. The distribution of the new salamander adds to the enigma of Old World plethodontids, which are otherwise restricted to the western Mediterranean region, suggesting a more extensive past distribution of the family.

The ecology and life history of Desmognathus ochrophaeus inhabiting wet rock faces at high elevations near Highlands, North Carolina, were studied. Comparisons were made with rock—face populations in Great Smoky Mountains National Park and with woodland populations at Rabun Bald, Scaly Mountain, and Blue Valley in the Blue Ridge Mountains. The reproductive cycle in rock—face populations is annual; spawning occurs mostly in July and August, and females begin to emerge from brooding as early as late August. The new spermatogenic cycle begins in May and June. Animals on rock faces average 40—45 cm in movements between successive captures and appear to have a limited range. Animals displaced to the base of the rock face and higher on the rock face can return to their home range. Population density is high (up to 25 individuals/m2), diurnal activity is nearly as high as nocturnal activity (correlated with subdued body colors), and at least a moderate level of activity occurs during warm winter periods. Animals mature at 2 years of age as in woodland populations, but at a smaller size, and grow more slowly thereafter. Small body size is not due to paucity of food on the rock faces. The high population densities on the wet rock faces indicate that they are highly favorable habitats for D. ochrophaeus. Differences between rock—face and forest—floor populations are attributable to modified selective pressures in the two different ecological settings. Variation among rock—face populations is attributed to the intensity of selection for small body size and cryptic coloration, the size of the rock face, and variation among forest—floor populations from which they were derived. Since rock—face populations are linked genetically to surrounding forest—floor populations of D. ochrophaeus, they cannot be considered examples of taxonomic variation, but rather of ecotypic variation.

The ontogenetic sequence of cranial bony structure from initial ossifications through metamorphosis in Ambystoma texanum is described on the basis of 128 cleared and stained specimens. For convenience of discussion nine stages are recognized on the basis of conspicuous events. Cranial bones ossify and are modified in a definite sequence, and comparisons of complete sequences among groups of salamanders may prove useful in classification and in better understanding of relationships.Generic and suprageneric classifications of salamanders are based in part on features of adult cranial osteology (e.g

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