Josephoartigasia

Josephoartigasia
Temporal range: Early to Late Pliocene
Josephoartigasia monesi reconstruction
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Clade: Synapsida
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Dinomyidae
Genus: Josephoartigasia
Mones, 2007
Species

Josephoartigasia is an extinct genus of giant rodent from the Early to Late Pliocene related to the living pacarana. The genus includes the largest known rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi.[1] The two species would have resembled gigantic pacarana, or capybaras the size of cows.

As the first specimen was found in Uruguay, it was named in honour of José Artigas, the libertador of the country.[2]

References

  1. "Biggest rodent 'shrinks in size'". BBC News. 2008-05-21.
  2. Rinderknecht, Andrés (2008). "Nueva especie de roedor fósil: Josephoartigasia monesi". Museo Nacional de Historia Natural y Antropología (in Spanish). Uruguay. Significado del nombre: Josephoartigasia en honor a José Artigas y monesi por el paleontólogo uruguayo Álvaro Mones.


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