Isothrix
Template:Short description Template:Automatic taxobox
The toros or brush-tailed rats, genus Isothrix, are a group of spiny rats[1] found in tropical South America, particularly in the Amazon Basin.[2]
Description
Toros look like large rats with soft fur on the body and long guard hairs on the scaly tail.[3] Head and body is 18-27.5 cm and tail is 17–30 cm.[2] Weight is 320-570 grams.
Natural history
These animals appear to be arboreal, based on the shape of their hind feet.[2] They are thought to spend the day in holes in the ground near trees.
Systematics
The etymology of the genus name Isothrix corresponds to the two ancient greek words Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "of equal length", and Template:Wikt-lang, Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "hair".[4][5] The etymology of the genus name synonym Lasiuromys corresponds to the three ancient greek words Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "furry, with tufted hair", Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "animal tail", and Template:Wikt-lang (Template:Grc-transl), meaning "mouse, rat".[4][5]
There are currently five species recognized in the genus Isothrix:[6]
- Isothrix barbarabrownae[7]- Barbara Brown's Brush-tailed Rat
- Isothrix bistriata - Yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat
- Isothrix negrensis - Rio Negro brush-tailed rat
- Isothrix pagurus - Plain brush-tailed rat
- Isothrix sinnamariensis - Sinnamary brush-tailed rat
There does appear to be good support for the monophyly of three species found in this genus.[3]
Phylogeny
Isothrix is a member of the Echimyini clade of arboreal Echimyidae rodents.[8] Although tentatively considered an echimyine, it has been suggested that Isothrix may not be particularly closely related to other members of its subfamily.[3] This is confirmed by molecular phylogenies in which Isothrix appears as a distant relative of the three clades of Echimyini: (i) Echimys, Phyllomys, Makalata, Pattonomys, and Toromys ; (ii) the bamboo rats Dactylomys, Olallamys, Kannabateomys together with Diplomys and Santamartamys ; and (iii) the arboreal eumysopines Mesomys and Lonchothrix.[9]
The taxon Callistomys pictus was previously member of the genus Isothrix, but most authors considered it distinct enough to warrant a separate genus.[10] This distinctness has been confirmed by DNA comparative studies in which Callistomys even appears to branch with members of a distinct tribe (i.e., Myocastorini) of the subfamily Echimyinae.[11][8][9] The arboreal genera of the subfamily Echimyinae therefore constitute a polyphyletic assemblage.
References
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- ↑ a b c Nowak, Ronald M. 1999. Walker's Mammals of the World, 6th edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, 1936 pp. Template:ISBN
- ↑ a b c Emmons, L.H. 2005. A Revision of the Genera of Arboreal Echimyidae (Rodentia: Echimyidae, Echimyinae), With Descriptions of Two New Genera. pp. 247–310 in Lacey, E.A. & Myers, P. 2005. Mammalian Diversification: From Chromosomes to Phylogeography (A Celebration of the Career of James L. Patton). University of California Publications in Zoology.
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- ↑ Template:MSW3 Hystricognathi
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- ↑ Template:MSW3 Hystricognathi
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