Hystricognathi

Hystricognathi Temporal range: Late Eocene–Recent PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N

Capromys pilorides
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Hystricomorpha
Infraorder:	Hystricognathi Tullberg, 1899
Families
Abrocomidae Bathyergidae †Bathyergoididae Capromyidae Caviidae †Cephalomyidae Chinchillidae Ctenomyidae Cuniculidae Dasyproctidae †Diamantomyidae Dinomyidae Echimyidae †Eocardiidae Erethizontidae †Heptaxodontidae Heterocephalidae Hystricidae †Kenyamyidae Myocastoridae †Myophiomyidae †Neoepiblemidae Octodontidae Petromuridae †Phiomyidae Thryonomyidae
Synonyms
Eucaviomorpha

The Hystricognathi are an infraorder of rodents, distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls. The masseter medialis (a jaw muscle) passes partially through a hole below each eye socket (called the infraorbital foramen) and connects to the bone on the opposite side. This, together with their lack of an infraorbital plate and the relative size of the infraorbital foramen, distinguishes hystricognaths from other rodent groups.

The 18 families within the Hystricognathi are divided into two parvorders, the Phiomorpha and the Caviomorpha. The Caviomorpha are mostly native to South America, with a few species in the Caribbean and North America, while the Phiomorpha occur in the Old World.

Skull of a nutria demonstrating the hystricognathous lower jaw and hystricomorphous zygomasseteric system

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Behavior

Play behavior has been observed in seven hystricognath families. The caviomorphs chase each other, play-wrestle, and gallop. The longer-legged species chase more often than the shorter-legged species. They also rotate their heads and body muscles as a form of play.^[1]

Phiomorphan hystricognath families

Bathyergidae (African mole rats)
Heterocephalidae (naked mole rats, monotypic taxon)
Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)
Petromuridae (dassie rat, monotypic taxon)
Thryonomyidae (cane rats)

Caviomorphan hystricognath families

Abrocomidae (chinchilla rats)
Capromyidae (hutias)
Caviidae (guinea pigs, wild cavies, and capybaras)
Chinchillidae (chinchillas and viscachas)
Ctenomyidae (tuco-tucos)
Cuniculidae (pacas)
Dasyproctidae (agoutis and acouchis)
Dinomyidae (pacaranas and their fossil relatives, including some of megafaunal size)
Echimyidae (spiny rats)
Erethizontidae (New World porcupines)
Myocastoridae (coypu)
Octodontidae (13 species including the degus)

References

Citations

^ Fagen, Robert. Animal Play Behavior. Oxford University Press, 1981.

Sources

Alfred L. Gardner Curator of North American mammals and Chief of Mammal Section, National Biological Service,Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, USA
Charles A. Woods Florida Museum of Natural History, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611-2035
McKenna, Malcolm C. and Susan K. Bell 1997 Classification of mammals above the species level 631 Columbia University Press New York, New York, USA ISBN 0-231-11012-X
Wilson, Don E., and DeeAnn M. Reeder, eds. 1993 Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference, 2nd ed., 3rd printing xviii + 1207 Smithsonian Institution Press Washington, DC, USA ISBN 1-56098-217-9 Corrections were made to text at 3rd printing

External links

https://web.archive.org/web/20061130080256/http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/topics/mammal_anatomy/rodent_jaws.html

This page was last edited on 1 March 2023, at 03:01

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