HOME --> CLASS MAMMALIA
--> ORDER RODENTIA
--> SUBORDER MYOMORPHA
--> SUPERFAMILY Muroidea
--> FAMILY Cricetidae
--> SUBFAMILY Sigmodontinae
GENUS Wiedomys
Author: | Hershkovitz, 1959. | Citation: | Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., 72: 5. | Type Species: | Mus pyrrhorhinos Wied-Neuwied, 1821. | Comments: | Wiedomyini. Tribe formally diagnosed by Reig (1980) to contain a fossil genus, Cholomys, recovered from E Argentina, and the problematic form pyrrhorhinos, which has been variously classified as a species of Oryzomys or Thomasomys (see Tate, 1932f; Osgood, 1933d; and Hershkovitz, 1959b). Genus documented, as W. marplatensis, from the late Pliocene (Sanandresian) of Argentina (Quintana, 2002). Noting phallic similarities between W. pyrrhorhinos and certain phyllotines, Langguth and Silva Neto (1993) considered it an early offshoot of the South American sigmodontine radiation; based on a broader survey of morphological traits, Steppan (1995:60) considered its possible derivation from "a basal ‘thomasomyine’ grade." Although these somewhat conflicting assessments perhaps argue for continued tribal segregation, more definitive interpretation of the genus’ phylogenetic position is desirable. |
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