Mylagaulidae

The Mylagaulidae or mylagaulids are an extinct clade of sciuromorph rodents nested within the family Aplodontiidae.[1][2] They are known from the Neogene of North America and China.[3][4] The oldest member is the Late Oligocene Trilaccogaulus montanensis that lived some 29 million years ago (Mya), and the youngest was Ceratogaulus hatcheri—formerly in the invalid genus "Epigaulus" [2][5]—which was found barely into the Pliocene, some 5 Mya.[6]

Mylagaulids
Temporal range: Late Oligocene - Early Pliocene
Reconstruction of Ceratogaulus hatcheri
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Suborder: Sciuromorpha
Family: Mylagaulidae
Cope, 1881
Subfamilies

See text

Systematics

Three subfamilies are recognized. The taxonomy of Galbreathia is not resolved; it might belong in Mylagaulinae, but lacks the characteristic apomorphies.[6]

Promylagaulinae

  • Genus Crucimys
  • Genus Promylagaulus
  • Genus Trilaccogaulus
  • Genus Simpligaulus

Mesogaulinae

  • Genus Mesogaulus - includes Mylagaulodon

Mylagaulinae

incertae sedis

  • Genus Galbreathia - basal in Mylagaulinae?

Footnotes

References

  • Hopkins, Samantha S.B. (2005): The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia). Proc. R. Soc. B 272(1573): 1705–1713. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3171 PDF fulltext
  • McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997): Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11012-X
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