Dinomyidae

From Freepedia

? Dinomyids Fossil Range: Early Miocene - Recent
Image:Phoberomys pattersoni.jpg Artist's impression of Phoberomys
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Family: Dinomyidae
Genera
†Pseudodiodomus †Agnomys †Doellomys †Gyriabrus †Briaromys †Tetrastylus †Phoberomys †Colpostemma †Orthomys †Eumegamys †Pseudosigmomys †Pentastylodon †Eumegamysops †Telicomys †Perumys †Artigasia †Scleromys †Olenopsis †Simplimus †Eusigmomys †Potamarchus †Telodontomys Dinomys

The family Dinomyidae was once a very successful group of South American hystricognath rodent, but now contains only a single living species, the Pacarana. The Dinomyidae included among its ranks the largest rodent ever known, the rhinoceros-sized Phoberomys pattersoni. It is thought that the dinomyids were able to occupy 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 sized, considerably smaller than the capybara.

Genera

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