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On the morphological, taxonomic, and phylogenetic status of South American Quaternary dinomyid rodents (Rodentia: Dinomyidae)

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Abstract

Since the end of the Miocene, South American Dinomyidae rodents have declined in diversity, and are now represented by a single species—Dinomys branickii. The Quaternary fossils of Dinomyidae rodents are very rare, limited to some records from the tropical region of Brazil. One of them is a peculiar taxon described during the 1950s: Tetrastylus walteri. Here, we review the holotype (a dentary with cheek teeth) of this dinomyid and report new specimens, which include a palatal region with upper cheek teeth (previously unknown), contributing to the anatomical knowledge of this extinct rodent. Comparisons demonstrate that this taxon is a valid species, although its generic affinity is still dependent on additional analyses. The other analyzed taxon is Niedemys piauiensis, an enigmatic rodent described based on limited evidence and here interpreted as a possible dinomyid. Further data are necessary to better understand the extinct dinomyids that represent the decline of this particular group of rodents during the Quaternary of South America.

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Acknowledgements

We thank Rodrigo Da Rocha Machado (DNPM), Niède Guidon (FUMDHAM), Erika Bányai (MAL), Alejandro Kramarz, Stella Alvarez (MACN), Marcelo Reguero (MLP), and João Alves de Oliveira (MN) for allowing us access to the collections in their care. This work was supported by the Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul (FAPERGS 17/2551-0000816-2; for LK); a Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico scholarship for ELM (140577/2014-9); and Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) scholarships for ACFG and ELM (88881.134568/2016-01). We also express our gratitude to André Strauss (Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia/Universidade de São Paulo) and Rodrigo Elias Oliveira (Instituto de Biociências/Universidade de São Paulo), who supported the travel that allowed ELM to study the specimens in MG; Álvaro Mones and Andrés Rinderknecht for their valuable contributions to the manuscript; and Katarzyna Piper for the grammatical review.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. UFSM, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Centro de Apoio à Pesquisa Paleontológica da Quarta Colônia, Rua Maximiliano Vizzoto 598 Centro, São João Do Polêsine, RS, Brazil

    Leonardo Kerber

  2. UFRGS, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Programa de Pós-Graduação em Geociências, Av Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil

    Elver Luiz Mayer

  3. Laboratório de Mastozoologia Museu de Zoologia João Moojen, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Vila Gianetti, 32 Centro, Viçosa, MG, Brazil

    Anny Caroliny Gomes

  4. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Instituto Miguel Lillo, INSUGEO, Universidad Nacional de Tucumán, Miguel Lillo 205, 4000, San Miguel De Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina

    Norma Nasif

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  1. Leonardo Kerber
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  2. Elver Luiz Mayer
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  3. Anny Caroliny Gomes
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Correspondence to Leonardo Kerber.

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Handling editor: Irina Ruf.

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Appendix—Comparative specimens

Appendix—Comparative specimens

  • Carlesia pendolai (MACN 3986)

  • Dinomys branickii (MCN-D 072, MCN-D 074, MN 2660, MN 2663)

  • Eumegamys paranaensis (MLP 15-245).

  • Gyriabrus holbergi (MLP 15-252)

  • Telicomys gigantissimus (MLP 15-230)

  • Tetrastylus intermedius (MACN 8323)

  • Tetrasylus laevigatus (MACN 3518)

  • Tetrastylus sp. (MLP 52-IX-30-60)

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Kerber, L., Mayer, E.L., Gomes, A.C. et al. On the morphological, taxonomic, and phylogenetic status of South American Quaternary dinomyid rodents (Rodentia: Dinomyidae). PalZ 94, 167–178 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-018-0435-3

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