Hydrochoerinae
| Hydrochoerinae | ||||||||||||
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Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris ) |
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| Scientific name | ||||||||||||
| Hydrochoerinae | ||||||||||||
| JE Gray , 1825 |
The Hydrochoerinae are a subfamily of rodents within the guinea pigs that include the capybaras (genus Hydrochoerus ) and the genus Kerodon, as well as some fossil guinea pig genera . In some publications they are compared to the guinea pigs as a separate family of the giant rodents (Hydrochoeridae).
features
The Hydrochoerinae are mainly summarized on the basis of tooth features and molecular biological data. In addition, the two genera hardly share any morphological characteristics. With the capybaras , the taxon contains the largest rodents living today, which can reach a body length of more than 1.30 meters and a weight of over 80 kilograms. The species of the genus Kerodon , the mountain guinea pig and the climbing guinea pig , on the other hand, remain significantly smaller with a body length of around 30 to 40 centimeters and a maximum weight of one kilogram.
distribution
The species of Hydrochoerinae live in South and Central America, the taxon has also been proven to be fossilized in North America. While the Capybara inhabits most of South America, the other recent species are limited to much smaller areas of distribution.
Systematics
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Phylogenetic systematics of guinea pigs (Caviidae)
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The capybaras are often regarded as the only recent member of the giant rodent family (Hydrochoeridae). However, genetic studies have shown that the mountain guinea pig is more closely related to the capybara than to the real guinea pigs , making them a paraphyletic group. More recent systematics such as Wilson & Reeder (2005) therefore assign the capybaras to the guinea pigs and summarize them together with the mountain guinea pigs in the subfamily of Hydrochoerinae within the guinea pigs (Caviidae). Whether the actual guinea pigs or the pampas rabbits (Dolichotinae) are to be considered as sister group of the Hydrochoerinae has not yet been conclusively clarified and varies with the various authors. According to Rowe & Honeycutt 2002, the Dolichotinae and the Hydrochoerinae are combined, followed by Vucetich et al. 2012, while Pérez & Vucetich 2011 merged the Hydrochoerinae and the Caviinae.
The Hydrochoerinae therefore include the following recent genera and species:
- Genus Capybaras ( Hydrochoerus )
- Capybara ( Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris )
- Panama Capybara ( Hydrochoerus isthmius )
- Genus Kerodon
- Mountain Guinea Pig ( Kerodon rupestris )
- Climbing guinea pig ( Kerodon acrobata )
In addition, several fossil genera are assigned to the Hydrochoerinae and the Hydrochoeridae, including the genera Phugatherium and Cardiomys . Representatives of the Hydrochoerinae have been recorded since the late Pliocene and the Pleistocene , with the distribution in part reaching as far as North America.
Within the rodents they belong to the superfamily of guinea pigs (Cavioidea), to which the Agutis and Acouchis (Dasyproctidae), the Pakas (Cuniculidae) and the Pakarana (Dinomyidae) belong.
supporting documents
- ↑ James L. Patton: Genus Hydrochoerus Brisson, 1762 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardinas, Guillermo D'Elía (Ed.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 - Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; Pp. 720-721. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6 .
- ↑ James L. Patton: Genus Kerodon F. Cuvier, 1823 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardinas, Guillermo D'Elía (Ed.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 - Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; Pp. 724-725. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6 .
- ^ A b c Diane L. Rowe, Rodney L. Honeycutt: Phylogenetic Relationships, Ecological Correlates, and Molecular Evolution Within the Cavioidea (Mammalia, Rodentia). Molecular Biology and Evolution 19 (3), 2002; Pp. 263-277. ( Full text )
- ↑ Alvaro Mones, Juhani Ojasti: Hydrochoerus hydrochaeris. in: Mammalian Species . No. 264, 1986, ISSN 0076-3519 , pp. 1-7, online (PF; 850 kB; PDF) .
- ↑ a b Hydrochoerinae ( Memento of the original from January 3, 2016 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was automatically inserted and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. . In: Don E. Wilson , DeeAnn M. Reeder (Eds.): Mammal Species of the World. A taxonomic and geographic Reference. 2 volumes. 3. Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore MD 2005, ISBN 0-8018-8221-4 .
- ↑ a b c James L. Patton: Subfamily Hydrochoerinae Gray, 1825 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardinas, Guillermo D'Elía (Eds.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 - Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; P. 720. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6 .
- ↑ María Guiomar Vucetich, Cecilia M. Deschamps, María E. Pérez: Paleontology, Evolution and Systematics of Capybara. In: José Roberto Moreira, Katia Maria PMB Ferraz, Emilio A. Herrera, David W. Macdonald (Eds.): Capybara. Biology, Use and Conservation of an Exceptional Neotropical Species. Springer Science & Business Media 2012; Pp. 39-59. ISBN 978-1-4614-3999-8 .
- ^ A b María Encarnación Pérez, María Guiomar Vucetich: A New Extinct Genus of Cavioidea (Rodentia, Hystricognathi) from the Miocene of Patagonia (Argentina) and the Evolution of Cavioid Mandibular Morphology. Journal of Mammalian Evolution 18 (3), September 2011; Pp. 163-183. doi : 10.1007 / s10914-011-9154-1 .
literature
- James L. Patton: Subfamily Hydrochoerinae Gray, 1825 and Genus Hydrochoerus Brisson, 1762 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardinas, Guillermo D'Elía (Eds.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 - Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; P. 720 ff. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6 .
- James L. Patton: Genus Kerodon F. Cuvier, 1823 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses FJ Pardinas, Guillermo D'Elía (Eds.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 - Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; Pp. 724 ff. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6 .
