Neoepiblemidae
Encyclopedia
The Neoepiblemidae are an extinct family of hystricognath
rodent
s from South America
. The genus
Dabbenea, formerly placed here, is now included in Phoberomys (see Horovitz et al. 2006). The delimitation of the present family and the Dinomyidae
is in need of review; some genera in the latter (such as Phoberomys and Eusigmomys) are sometimes included here.
Hystricognathi
Hystricognathi is an infraorder of rodents. Hystricognaths are distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls. The masseter medialis passes partially through the infraorbital foramen and connects to the bone on the opposite side...
rodent
Rodent
Rodentia is an order of mammals also known as rodents, characterised by two continuously growing incisors in the upper and lower jaws which must be kept short by gnawing....
s from South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
. The genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
Dabbenea, formerly placed here, is now included in Phoberomys (see Horovitz et al. 2006). The delimitation of the present family and the Dinomyidae
Dinomyidae
Dinomyidae was once a very speciose group of South American hystricognath rodent, but now contains only a single living species, the Pacarana. The Dinomyidae included among its ranks the largest rodents known to date, the bison-sized Josephoartigasia monesi and the smaller Josephoartigasia magna...
is in need of review; some genera in the latter (such as Phoberomys and Eusigmomys) are sometimes included here.