List of extinct rodents
This list is of
extinct
− no longer alive.
Species from related groups such as Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares) are not included.
Before 1500
| Genus | Species | Notes | Location | Approx. max. weight | Stratigraphy | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Castor |
C. californicus | An extinct beaver species | Western North America | Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene[1] | ||
| Castoroides | Giant beavers | North America | Up to 100 kg (220 lb) | Pleistocene[1] | 
| |
Ceratogaulus |
Horned gophers | North America | Smallest horned mammal | Late Miocene to Pliocene[2] | 
| |
| Spelaeomys | S. florensis | A large cave rat | Flores | - | Extinct by 1500[3] | |
| " Giant hutias " |
A paraphyletic group of rodents resembling large guinea pigs |
West Indies | Up to 200 kg (440 lb) | Pleistocene[4] | ||
| Leithia | A giant dormouse | Europe (Malta, Sicily) | 113 g (4.0 oz) | Pleistocene[5] | ||
| Neochoerus | N. pinckneyi | A large capybara | North America | 100 kg (220 lb) | Pleistocene[6] | |
| Josephoartigasia | J. monesi |
'Giant pacarana', largest known rodent | South America | 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) | Pliocene to Early Pleistocene[7] | 
|
| Phoberomys | P. pattersoni | A horse-sized rodent[8] | North America | Probably under 280 kg (620 lb);[8] earlier estimates up to 700 kg (1,500 lb)[9] | Miocene[8] | |
| Telicomys | A giant rodent, to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long | South America | Perhaps 70% of size of P. pattersoni[8] | Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene[8] |
Extinct after 1500
16th century
- Oriente cave rat
- Torre's cave rat
- Imposter hutia
- Montane hutia
- Megaoryzomys
- Cuban coney
- Hispaniolan edible rat
- Conilurus capricornensis
- Samaná hutia
- Buhler's coryphomys
- Noronhomys
- Pennatomys nivalis
- Desmarest's hutia
17th century
- Insular cave rat
- Puerto Rican hutia
- Verhoeven's giant tree rat
See also
- Extinct rodents – all periods
- Prehistoric rodents
- Rodent extinctions since 1500
References
- ^ a b Harington, C. R. (March 1996). "Giant beaver". Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
- PMID 16087426.
- ^ Hooijer, D. A. (1957). "Three new giant prehistoric rats from Flores Lesser Sunda Islands". Zoologische Mededelingen. 35 (21). Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden: 299–316.
- ^ Biknevicius, A. R.; McFarlane, Donald A.; MacPhee, R. D. E. (1993). "Body size in Amblyrhiza inundata (Rodentia: Caviomorpha), an extinct megafaunal rodent from the Anguilla Bank, West Indies: estimates and implications" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3079): 1–26.
- ^ Petronio, C. (1970). "I roditori Pleistocenici della Grotta di Spinagallo (Siracusa)" (PDF). Geol. Rom. IX: 149–194. (in Italian)
- ISBN 0-231-03733-3.
- PMID 18198140.
- ^ JSTOR 27755167.
- PMID 14500978.