Myocastor
| Myocastor Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
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| Nutria (Myocastor coypus) | |
Scientific classification 
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| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Echimyidae |
| Subfamily: | Echimyinae |
| Tribe: | Myocastorini |
| Genus: | Myocastor Kerr, 1792 |
| Species | |
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Myocastor is a genus of rodent that contains the living nutria (or coypu), as well as several fossil species.
Taxonomy
Due to similar cranial morphology, the nutria was once considered a close relative of the Caribbean
Capromyidae.[1] Later, it was more accepted to place it in its own family, the Myocastoridae.[2] Recent molecular studies place them in the family Echimyidae, in the tribe Myocastorini.[3][4][5]
Fossil record
Kerber et al. (2013) recognize the following species as valid:[6]
- Myocastor columnaris (Middle Pleistocene)
- Myocastor obesus (Late Miocene)
- Myocastor paranensis (Late Miocene)
Other species described but no longer considered valid include Myocastor minor, Myocastor perditus, and Myocastor priscus.
References
- doi:10.2307/1379762.
- ^ Woods, C. A. (1982). "The history and classification of South American Hystricognath rodents: reflections on the far away and long ago". In Mares, M. A.; Genoways, H. H. (eds.). Mammalian Biology in South America. Pittsburgh: University of Pittsburgh. pp. 377–392.
- PMID 15683932.
- PMID 22327013.
- PMID 28025278.
- ^ Kerber, L. (2013). "Late Quaternary fossil record of Myocastor Kerr, 1792 (Rodentia: Hystricognathi: Caviomorpha) from Brazil with taxonomical and environmental remarks". Quaternary International: 1–12.
| Authority control databases: National |
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