Yes, thank you for the reminder that updating ports in FreeBSD isn't quite as simple as merely updating them. I should check in with 
UPDATING more. (…and just discovered 
 pkg updating for parsing down the list to what is relevant.)
However, in spite of checking with 
UPDATING and attempting to apply changes/reinstalls/etc mentioned there (back to when I first set up this machine: Jan 2012), I still cannot get 
libpng to install because it fails its own 
pngtest. It fails even when run manually:
	
	
	
		Code:
	
	
		root@fs:/usr/ports/graphics/png/work/libpng-1.5.15# 29> ./pngtest 
 Testing libpng version 1.5.15
   with zlib   version 1.2.7
libpng version 1.5.12 - July 11, 2012
Copyright (c) 1998-2012 Glenn Randers-Pehrson
Copyright (c) 1996-1997 Andreas Dilger
Copyright (c) 1995-1996 Guy Eric Schalnat, Group 42, Inc.
 library (10512): libpng version 1.5.12 - July 11, 2012
 pngtest (10515): libpng version 1.5.15 - March 28, 2013
Warning: versions are different between png.h and png.c
  png.h version: 1.5.15
  png.c version: 1.5.12
 Testing pngtest.png:
 Testing pngtest.png:
 Pass 0: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
 Pass 1: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
 Pass 2: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
 Pass 3: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
 Pass 4: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
 Pass 5: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
         rwrwrwrw
 Pass 6: rwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrwrw
         rwrwrwrwrw
 Testing pngtest.png:
 PASS (9782 zero samples)
 Filter 0 was used 21 times
 Filter 1 was used 15 times
 Filter 2 was used 52 times
 Filter 3 was used 10 times
 Filter 4 was used 33 times
 tIME = 7 Jun 1996 17:58:08 +0000
 libpng FAILS test
	 
 
This would appear to me to be date related, given the test's output. But the embedded dates in the 
pngtest.png it created has the date it was created (today).
I have tried reinstalling/updating other ports, as per relevant listings in 
/usr/ports/UPDATING. All compile 
and install without trouble, unless 
libpng is among the required ports. I've been prodding at this for days, trying to work from what information I can find (both on the system and online).
In any case, I've added to this thread, reaching out to the community, in attempt to find help with getting 
libpng to compile 
and install.