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HOME --> CLASS MAMMALIA
--> ORDER RODENTIA
--> SUBORDER HYSTRICOMORPHA
--> INFRAORDER HYSTRICOGNATHI
--> FAMILY Chinchillidae
GENUS Chinchilla
| Author: | Bennett, 1829. | | Citation: | Gard. Menag. Zool. Soc., 1: 1. | | Type Species: | Chinchilla lanigera Bennett, 1829. | | Comments: | Osgood (1941) critically reviewed the early descriptions of chinchillas and suggested that Molina’s (1782) Mus laniger was a composite based on no known specimens. Bennett (1829) uses Chinchilla lanigera, derived from Molina’s Mus laniger, without stating that the animal described is the same as that described by Molina (1782). Geographic variation in this taxon is poorly understood making it difficult to determine the number of valid species. Osgood (1943) recognized a single species, Cabrera (1961) and Woods (1993) recognized two species, and Bidlingmaier (1937) recognized three species. |
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