Myocastor

Myocastor is a genus of rodent that contains the living nutria (or coypu), as well as several fossil species.

Myocastor
Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Echimyidae
Subfamily: Echimyinae
Tribe: Myocastorini
Genus: Myocastor
Kerr, 1792
Species
  • Myocastor coypus
  • †Myocastor columnaris
  • †Myocastor obesus
  • †Myocastor paranensis

Taxonomy

Due to similar cranial morphology, the nutria was once considered a close relative of the Caribbean hutias and placed together with them in the family 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
  1. Woods, C.A.; Howland, E.B. (1979). "Adaptive Radiation of Capromyid Rodents: Anatomy of the Masticatory Apparatus". Journal of Mammalogy. 60 (1): 95–116. doi:10.2307/1379762.
  2. 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.
  3. Galewski, Thomas; Mauffrey, Jean-François; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Patton, James L.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2005). "Ecomorphological diversification among South American spiny rats (Rodentia; Echimyidae): a phylogenetic and chronological approach". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 34 (3): 601–615. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.11.015. PMID 15683932.
  4. Upham, Nathan S.; Patterson, Bruce D. (2012). "Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 417–429. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID 22327013.
  5. Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Upham, Nathan S.; Emmons, Louise H.; Justy, Fabienne; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Loss, Ana Carolina; Orlando, Ludovic; Tilak, Marie-Ka; Patterson, Bruce D.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2017-03-01). "Mitogenomic Phylogeny, Diversification, and Biogeography of South American Spiny Rats". Molecular Biology and Evolution. 34 (3): 613–633. doi:10.1093/molbev/msw261. ISSN 0737-4038. PMID 28025278. icon of an open green padlock
  6. 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.
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