Rana esculenta
                                  Linnaeus, 1758 (name for a hybrid
                                  between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus; see note below) 
                                  
                                    Ranaria esculenta (Linnaeus, 1758) 
                                    Pelophylax esculentus (Linnaeus,
                                    1758) 
                                   
                                  Rana viridis Linnaeus, 1761 (name for
                                  a hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae
                                  and Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  
                                    Rana esculenta viridis (Linnaeus,
                                    1761) 
                                   
                                  Rana ridibunda Pallas, 1771 
                                  
                                    Rana ridibunda ridibunda Pallas,
                                    1771 
                                    Hylarana ridibunda (Pallas, 1771) 
                                    Baliopygus ridibundus (Pallas, 1771) 
                                    Pelophylax ridibundus (Pallas, 1771) 
                                    Pelophylax ridibunda (Pallas, 1771) 
                                    Bufo ridibundus (Pallas, 1771) 
                                    Rana esculenta ridibunda (Pallas,
                                    1771) 
                                   
                                  Rana vulgaris Lacepede, 1788
                                  (replacement name for Rana esculenta
                                  Linnaeus, 1758) 
                                  Rana gigas Gmelin, 1789 (nec Walbaum,
                                  1784, junior primary homonym, not
                                  available) 
                                  Rana persica Schneider, 1799 
                                  Rana cachinnans Pallas, 1814 
                                  
                                    Bufo cachinnans (Pallas, 1814) 
                                    Rana esculenta cachinnans (Pallas,
                                    1814) 
                                   
                                  Rana caucasica Pallas, 1814 
                                  
                                    Bufo caucasicus (Pallas, 1814) 
                                   
                                  Rana bufoides Gueldenstaedt (in
                                  Pallas), 1814 (in synonymy, not
                                  available) 
                                  Rana alpina Fitzinger, 1826 (nec
                                  Laurenti, 1768) (nomen nudum, not
                                  available; probably a name for a
                                  hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  
                                    Rana esculenta alpina (Fitzinger,
                                    1826) 
                                   
                                  Rana hispanica Fitzinger, 1826 (nomen
                                  nudum, not available; could also be
                                  identical to Pelophylax perezi) 
                                  Rana maritima Risso, 1826 (nomen
                                  dubium; probably a name for a hybrid
                                  between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana bosci Bory de Saint-Vincent, 1828
                                  (nomen dubium; rejected by ICZN;
                                  probably a name for a hybrid between
                                  Pelophylax lessonae and Pelophylax
                                  ridibundus) 
                                  Rana viridis Eichwald, 1830 (nec
                                  Linnaeus, 1761, neque Dumeril et
                                  Bibron, 1841, neque Bedriaga, 1883)
                                  (nomen nudum, not available) 
                                  Rana esculenta tigrina Eichwald, 1831
                                  (nec Merrem, 1820 (lapsus pro Rana
                                  tigerina Linnaeus, 1758)) 
                                  Rana dentex Krynicki, 1837 
                                  Rana hispanica Bonaparte, 1839 (nec
                                  Fitzinger, 1826) (nomen dubium;
                                  probably a name for a hybrid between
                                  Pelophylax lessonae and Pelophylax
                                  ridibundus) 
                                  
                                    Rana esculenta hispanica (Bonaparte,
                                    1839) 
                                    Pelophylax hispanicus (Bonaparte,
                                    1839) 
                                   
                                  Rana taurica Bonaparte, 1840
                                  (published in synonymy, as a synonym
                                  of Rana esculenta Linnaeus, 1758, not
                                  available) 
                                  Rana fluviatilis Bonaparte, 1840
                                  (nomen dubium; probably a name for a
                                  hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana viridis Dumeril et Bibron, 1841
                                  (nec Linnaeus, 1761, neque Eichwald,
                                  1830, neque Bedriaga, 1883) (described
                                  in synonymy, not available) 
                                  Rana esculenta lineata Massalongo,
                                  1854 (nomen dubium; probably a name
                                  for a hybrid between Pelophylax
                                  lessonae and Pelophylax ridibundus)
                                  (nec Schneider, 1799) 
                                  Rana esculenta vulgaris Massalongo,
                                  1854 (nomen dubium; probably a name
                                  for a hybrid between Pelophylax
                                  lessonae and Pelophylax ridibundus)
                                  (nec Lacepede, 1788) 
                                  Rana esculenta roseovirescens
                                  Massalongo, 1854 (nomen dubium;
                                  probably a name for a hybrid between
                                  Pelophylax lessonae and Pelophylax
                                  ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta marmorata Massalongo,
                                  1854 (nomen dubium; probably a name
                                  for a hybrid between Pelophylax
                                  lessonae and Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana agrorum Gistel, 1868 (nomen
                                  dubium; probably a name for a hybrid
                                  between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta viridis Bedriaga, 1883
                                  (nec Linnaeus, 1761, neque Eichwald,
                                  1830, neque Dumeril et Bibron, 1841)
                                  (nomen dubium; could also be a synonym
                                  of Pelophylax lessonae) 
                                  Rana fortis Boulenger, 1884 
                                  Rana esculenta maxima Prazak, 1898 
                                  Rana esculenta nigromaculata Prazak,
                                  1898 (nec Hallowell, 1861) 
                                  Rana esculenta concolor Prazak, 1898
                                  (nomen dubium; probably a name for a
                                  hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta immaculata Prazak, 1898
                                  (nec Camerano, 1884) (nomen dubium;
                                  probably a name for a hybrid between
                                  Pelophylax lessonae and Pelophylax
                                  ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta grisescens Prazak, 1898
                                  (nomen dubium; probably a name for a
                                  hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta paulopunctata Prazak,
                                  1898 (nomen dubium; probably a name
                                  for a hybrid between Pelophylax
                                  lessonae and Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta rubiginosa Prazak, 1898
                                  (nomen dubium; probably a name for a
                                  hybrid between Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta susana Prazak, 1898 
                                  
                                    Rana susana (Prazak, 1898) 
                                   
                                  Rana florinskii Kashchenko et Sipacev,
                                  1913 
                                  Rana mangischlakensis Ahl, 1925 
                                  Rana esculenta hungarica Toutain, 1966
                                  (nomen nudum, not available; could
                                  also be a synonym of Pelophylax
                                  lessonae) 
                                  Rana grafi Crochet, Dubois, Ohler,
                                  Turner, 1995 (name for a hybrid
                                  between Pelophylax perezi and
                                  Pelophylax ridibundus) 
                                  Rana esculenta lessonai auct.
                                  (misspelling) 
                                   
                                  Note: the present species is well
                                  known for the fact that it frequently
                                  hybridizes with two other water frog
                                  species, Pelophylax lessonae and
                                  Pelophylax perezi. According to the
                                  nomenclatural rules names given to
                                  hybrid specimens are excluded from
                                  nomenclature, but names given to
                                  species originated by hybrid
                                  speciation are not excluded from
                                  nomenclature. This distinction is
                                  important, because many names were
                                  given to hybrid specimens: e.g. the
                                  oldest name is Rana esculenta, and
                                  this has been given to a hybrid
                                  specimen. Most of the hybrid specimens
                                  occur in areas where one or both
                                  parental species are present, and thus
                                  originate by matings between the
                                  parental species, or by mating of the
                                  hybrid with one of the parental
                                  species. Thus, the hybrid specimens
                                  always originate de novo via crossings
                                  and therefore are typical hybrid
                                  specimens that cannot receive
                                  scientific names. However, there are
                                  also reports of stable "hybrid
                                  populations" that persist without
                                  back-crossing with their parental
                                  species. Unfortunately, these
                                  populations have not yet been fully
                                  studied and their true nature is
                                  therefore still uncertain. These
                                  populations would indeed qualify as
                                  new species originated by hybrid
                                  speciation and specimens of these
                                  populations could indeed serve as
                                  types for nomenclature. What
                                  consequences does this have for
                                  nomenclature? The non-hybrid species
                                  would of course retain their names,
                                  i.e. Pelophylax ridibundus, Pelophylax
                                  lessonae, and Pelophylax perezi (which
                                  does not occur in Germany), because
                                  these names are the oldest
                                  non-preoccupied names given to
                                  undoubtedly non-hybrid specimens. The
                                  self-sustaining hybrid populations (if
                                  they can be confirmed) have each
                                  evolved independently by hybrid
                                  speciation and thus cannot be "lumped"
                                  into a single "hybrid species".
                                  Rather, each of these populations has
                                  its own origin and thus is a true
                                  species of its own. Therefore, each
                                  stable hybrid population has to
                                  receive its own scientific binominal
                                  name and all of the names above that
                                  have been given to hybrid specimens
                                  have to be revised whether they may
                                  apply to one of these species.
                                  Currently, the nature of the seemingly
                                  self-sustaining hybrid populations is
                                  unclear and their status and names
                                  cannot currently be revised.
                                  Therefore, for the time being, I
                                  consider all names given to hybrids as
                                  excluded from zoological nomenclature.
                                  These names are listed here in the
                                  synonymy. 
                                 
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