Geomyoidea

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Geomyoidea Temporal range: Early Eocene - Recent
Kangaroo rat
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Castorimorpha
Superfamily:	Geomyoidea Bonaparte, 1845
Families
†Eomyidae †Heliscomyidae †Florentiamyidae Geomyidae Heteromyidae

Geomyoidea is a superfamily of

Modern geomyoids are mostly restricted to North America, but some representatives have extended their range into South America since the Great American Interchange. Fossil taxa are known from throughout Laurasia.

Relation to other rodents

Geomyoids have been considered to be either

The masseter muscle does attach directly behind the zygomatic arch in a manner very different from sciuromorphs. Some authorities consider geomyoids myomorphs based on this feature. This suggests they may be related to mice, jerboas, and perhaps dormice.

Taxonomy

The family †Eomyidae is alternatively referred to as a member of the superfamily Geomyoidea or as a separate superfamily (†Eomyoidea) within the shared infraorder "Geomorpha" (which is also used for a genus of shield-bugs). †Florentiamyidae and †Heliscomyidae are usually placed within the superfamily Geomyoidea regardless of if eomyids are treated as a separate superfamily or not (Korth et al., 1991). McKenna and Bell (1997) do not recognize heliscomyids as a distinct family, placing the one or two heliscomyid genera in Geomyoidea incertae sedis. Sometimes the pocket gophers and heteromyids are placed as separate subfamilies within a single family (Geomyidae). These subfamilies are Geomyinae and Heteromyinae respectively.

• Superfamily Geomyoidea
  • Genus †Griphomys incertae sedis
  • Genus †Meliakrouniomys incertae sedis
  • Family †Eomyidae
  • Family †Heliscomyidae
  • Family †Florentiamyidae
  • Family
    Geomyidae
    - pocket gophers
  • Family Heteromyidae - kangaroo rats and mice, pocket mice

Cladogram showing interrelationships among geomyoid families following Korth et al. (1991):

References

• Korth, W.W., J.H. Wahlert, and R.J. Emry, 1991. A new species of Heliscomys and recognition of the family Heliscomyidae (Geomyoidea: Rodentia) Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 11(2):247-256.
• McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp. 
  ISBN 0-231-11013-8