Plate-toothed giant hutia
Species of mammal (fossil)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The plate-toothed giant hutia (Elasmodontomys obliquus) is an extinct species of rodent in the family Heptaxodontidae. It is the only species within the genus Elasmodontomys. It was found in Puerto Rico.[1]
| Plate-toothed giant hutia Temporal range: Late Pleistocene | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | †Heptaxodontidae |
| Genus: | †Elasmodontomys Anthony, 1916 |
| Species: | †E. obliquus |
| Binomial name | |
| †Elasmodontomys obliquus Anthony, 1916 | |
| Synonyms | |
|
Heptaxodon obliquus | |
Description
The rodent is thought to have weighed 13 kilograms (29 lb) and survived for at least 2000 years after humans colonised Puerto Rico.[2]
Taxonomy
Despite being described as a "giant hutia", it has recently been recovered as a member of the Chinchilloidea.[3]
