Hystricomorpha

Definition

Hystricomorpha is a group of rodents. The name comes from Ancient Greek words for "porcupine" and "form." This group includes rodents (except dipodoids) that have a special skull structure.

Included Animals

This group includes animals like the Hystricognathi, Ctenodactylidae, Anomaluridae, and Pedetidae.

Recent Changes

Recent studies suggest that Anomaluridae and Pedetidae might not belong in Hystricomorpha. They are now considered part of a different suborder called Anomaluromorpha.

Classification

The modern idea of Hystricomorpha groups together gundis and hystricognath rodents. This grouping is supported by looks and genes. If this is correct, it changes how we think about Sciurognathi.

Hystricomorph rodents first appeared in South America during a time called the Eocene. They may have traveled there by rafting across the Atlantic from Africa. Scientists are still studying and discussing this.

Families

This list shows groups of rodents called Hystricomorpha. It comes from studies by scientists who looked at ancient rodents and found new ways to group them. Some of these groups are no longer considered valid, and some are extinct, marked with a symbol "†".

The main group is called Suborder Hystricomorpha and includes several families such as:

• Superfamily Ctenodactyloidea
  • †Chapattimyidae
  • Ctenodactylidae – gundis
  • Diatomyidae – Laotian rock rat
  • †Tamquammyidae
  • †Yuomyidae
• Hystricognathiformes
  • †Tsaganomyidae
  • Hystricognathi – true hystricognaths
    • †Baluchimyinae
    • Hystricidae – Old World porcupines
    • Phiomorpha
      • Bathyergidae – blesmols
      • †Bathyergoididae
      • †Diamantomyidae
      • Heterocephalidae – naked mole-rats
      • †Kenyamyidae
      • †Myophiomyidae
      • Petromuridae – dassie rat
      • †Phiomyidae
      • Thryonomyidae – cane rats
    • Caviomorpha – New World hystricognaths
      • Superfamily Cavioidea
        • Caviidae – cavies, capybaras, and guinea pigs
        • †Cephalomyidae
        • Cuniculidae – pacas
        • Dasyproctidae – agoutis and acouchis
        • Dinomyidae – pacarana
        • †Eocardiidae
        • †Neoepiblemidae
      • Superfamily Chinchilloidea
        • Abrocomidae – chinchilla rats
        • Chinchillidae – chinchillas and viscachas
      • Superfamily Erethizontoidea
        • Erethizontidae – New World porcupines
      • Superfamily Octodontoidea
        • Capromyidae – hutias
        • Ctenomyidae – tuco-tucos
        • Echimyidae – spiny rats
        • †Heptaxodontidae – giant hutias
        • Myocastoridae – nutria
        • Octodontidae – degus and relatives