Anomaluromorpha: Facts, Discussion Forum, and Encyclopedia Article

All Topics

Anomaluromorpha

	Email		Print
	Bookmark		Link

	Anomaluromorpha
	Home Discussion Definition
	Topics Anomaluromorpha Topic Home Anomaluromorpha is the name given to a clade that unites the anomalureAnomalure The Anomaluridae family is a family of rodents found in central Africa.... s with the springhareSpringhare The Springhare, or Springhaas, is not actually a hare, but a member of the order Rodentia; it is the only species in i... . It has alternately been designated as either a suborder or infraorder. Most recently, Carleton and Musser (2005) recognized it as one of five suborders of rodents. Characteristics The suborder Anomaluromorpha was erected to unite sciurognathous rodents with a hystricomorphousFacts About Hystricomorphous A hystricomorphous zygomasseteric system is a type of rodent zygomasseteric system where the infraorbital foramen, which run... zygomasseteric systemZygomasseteric system The zygomasseteric system in rodents is the anatomical arrangement of the masseter muscle of the jaw and the zygomatic arch ... restricted to sub-Saharan AfricaSub-Saharan Africa [Image:Sub-Saharan-Africa.png\|thumb\|249px\|A polical map showing national divisions in relation to the ecological break]]Sub-Sah... . Many authors have suggested that the two extant families may be only distantly related, and that they belong to separate suborders or infraorders. For example, the Pedetidae are the only family of rodents with multiserial enamel except for the HystricognathiHystricognathi Overview Hystricognathi is an infraorder of rodents.... . This character, the hystricomorphous zygomatic region, and a common distribution in southern continents has led many researchers to suggest that the springhare (but not anomalures) may be allied with hystricognaths. Montgelard et al., (2002) generated some support for Anomaluromorpha in a molecular phylogenyMolecular phylogeny Molecular phylogeny is the use of the structure of molecules to gain information on an organism's evolutionary relationships... using 12S rRNA and cytochrome bCytochrome b Cytochrome b/b6 is main subunit of transmembrane cytochrome bc1 and b6f complexes.... . Families The suborder Anomaluromorpha contains 9 living species in 4 genera and two families. An additional fossilFossil Fossils are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces of animals, plants, and other organisms.... family probably belongs to this group. †Parapedetidae Pedetidae - springhare Anomaluridae - scaly-tailed flying squirrels, flying mice Potential relatives The following fossil taxa are also sometimes placed in the Anomaluromorpha: †DiatomysDiatomys *Diatomys* is a hystricomorphous sciurognathous rodent known from Miocene deposits in China, Japan, Pakistan, and Thailand... †Zegdoumyidae