Dinomyids Fossil range: Early Miocene–Recent PreЄ Є O S D C P T J K Pg N
Josephoartigasia
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Hystricomorpha
Infraorder:	Hystricognathi
Parvorder:	Caviomorpha
Family:	Dinomyidae Peters, 1873
Genera
†Pseudodiodomus †Agnomys †Doellomys †Gyriabrus †Briaromys †Tetrastylus †Phoberomys †Colpostemma †Orthomys †Eumegamys †Pseudosigmomys †Pentastylodon †Eumegamysops †Telicomys †Perumys †Josephoartigasia †Scleromys †Olenopsis †Simplimus †Eusigmomys †Potamarchus †Telodontomys Dinomys

The family 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^[1] and the smaller Josephoartigasia magna.^[2] It is thought^{[by whom?]} that the dinomyids were able to occupy ecological niches associated with large grazing mammals due to the lack of true ungulates in South America until its later connection to North America. The modern pacarana is only modest^[vague] sized, considerably^[vague] smaller than the capybara.^{[citation needed]}

The Neoepiblemidae, an entirely extinct family, may actually^[vague] be part of the Dinomyidae; they are certainly^{[weasel words]} closely related.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Genera

• Family Dinomyidae
  • †Pseudodiodomus incertae sedis
  • †Agnomys incertae sedis
  • Subfamily Eumegamyinae
    • †Doellomys
    • †Gyriabrus
    • †Briaromys
    • †Tetrastylus
    • †Phoberomys
    • †Colpostemma
    • †Orthomys
    • †Eumegamys
    • †Pseudosigmomys
    • †Pentastylodon
    • †Eumegamysops
    • †Telicomys
    • †Perumys
    • †Josephoartigasia^[3]
  • Subfamily Potamarchinae
    • †Scleromys
    • †Olenopsis
    • †Simplimus
    • †Eusigmomys
    • †Potamarchus
  • Subfamily Dinomyinae
    • Dinomys - the Pacarana
    • †Telodontomys

[edit] References

• McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. (1997). Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. New York: Columbia University Press. p. 631 pp.. ISBN 0-231-11013-8.