Myocastor
Genus of rodent
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Myocastor is a genus of rodent that contains the living nutria (or coypu), as well as several fossil species.
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| Myocastor Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent | |
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| Nutria (Myocastor coypus) | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Echimyidae |
| Subfamily: | Echimyinae |
| Tribe: | Myocastorini |
| Genus: | Myocastor Kerr, 1792 |
| Species | |
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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.
