On the morphological, taxonomic, and phylogenetic status of South American Quaternary dinomyid rodents (Rodentia: Dinomyidae)
Since the end of the Miocene, South American Dinomyidae rodents have declined in diversity, and are now represented by a single species— Dinomys branickii. The Quaternary fossils of Dinomyidae rodents are very rare, limited to some records from the tropical region of Brazil. One of them is a peculia...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Paläontologische Zeitschrift 2020-03, Vol.94 (1), p.167-178 |
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Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | Since the end of the Miocene, South American Dinomyidae rodents have declined in diversity, and are now represented by a single species—
Dinomys branickii.
The Quaternary fossils of Dinomyidae rodents are very rare, limited to some records from the tropical region of Brazil. One of them is a peculiar taxon described during the 1950s:
Tetrastylus walteri
. Here, we review the holotype (a dentary with cheek teeth) of this dinomyid and report new specimens, which include a palatal region with upper cheek teeth (previously unknown), contributing to the anatomical knowledge of this extinct rodent. Comparisons demonstrate that this taxon is a valid species, although its generic affinity is still dependent on additional analyses. The other analyzed taxon is
Niedemys piauiensis
, an enigmatic rodent described based on limited evidence and here interpreted as a possible dinomyid. Further data are necessary to better understand the extinct dinomyids that represent the decline of this particular group of rodents during the Quaternary of South America. |
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ISSN: | 0031-0220 1867-6812 |
DOI: | 10.1007/s12542-018-0435-3 |