Supriya Ghosh (Editor)

Dinomyidae

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Kingdom
  
Animalia

Superfamily
  
Chinchilloidea

Phylum
  
Chordata

Rank
  
Family

Order
  
Rodentia

Scientific name
  
Dinomyidae

Higher classification
  
Hystricognathi

Dinomyidae

Height
  
Josephoartigasia monesi: 1.5 m

Mass
  
Josephoartigasia monesi: 350 – 1,500 kg

Similar
  
Rodent, Mammal, Dasyproctidae, Platacanthomyidae, Octodontidae

The Dinomyidae are a family of South American hystricognath rodents: the dinomyids were once a very speciose group, but now contains only a single living species, the pacarana. Several of the extinct dinomyids were among the largest rodents known to date, the bison-sized Josephoartigasia monesi and the smaller Josephoartigasia magna. The dinomyids are thought to have occupied ecological niches associated with large grazing mammals due to the lack of true ungulates in South America until its later connection to North America. The modern pacarana is only modest in size, considerably smaller than the capybara.

The Neoepiblemidae, an entirely extinct family, may actually be part of the Dinomyidae; both groups are undoubtedly closely related.

Genera

  • Family Dinomyidae
  • Pseudodiodomus incertae sedis
  • Agnomys incertae sedis
  • Subfamily Eumegamyinae
  • Doellomys
  • Gyriabrus
  • Briaromys
  • Tetrastylus
  • Phoberomys
  • Colpostemma
  • Orthomys
  • Eumegamys
  • Pseudosigmomys
  • Pentastylodon
  • Eumegamysops
  • Telicomys
  • Perumys
  • Josephoartigasia
  • Subfamily Potamarchinae
  • Scleromys
  • Olenopsis
  • Simplimus
  • Eusigmomys
  • Potamarchus
  • Subfamily Dinomyinae
  • Dinomys - pacarana
  • Telodontomys
  • References

    Dinomyidae Wikipedia