Eurymylidae Explained

Eurymylidae is a family of extinct simplicidentates. Most authorities consider them to be basal to all modern rodents and may have been the ancestral stock whence the most recent common ancestor of all modern rodents (crown rodents) arose. However, the more completely known eurymylids, including Eurymylus, Heomys, Matutinia, and Rhombomylus, appear to represent a monophyletic side branch not directly ancestral to rodents (Meng et al., 2003). Huang et al. (2004) have argued that Hanomys, Matutinia, and Rhombomylus form a clade characterized by distinctive features of the skull and dentition that should be recognized as a separate family, Rhombomylidae. Eurymylids are only known from Asia.

Classification

Modified from McKenna and Bell (1997) following generic taxonomy of Ting et al. (2002) and Huang et al. (2004)

• Mirorder Simplicidentata – simplicidentates
  • Family †Eurymylidae
    • †Heomys

• • • †Zagmys
    • †Nikolomylus

• • • Subfamily †Eurymylinae

• • • • †Kazygurtia
      • †Eomylus
      • †Eurymylus
      • †Amar
      • †Hanomys
      • †Rhombomylus
      • †Matutinia
      • †Decipomys
    • Subfamily †Khaychininae
      • †Khaychina
  • Order Rodentia – crown rodents (including all extant rodents)

References

• Huang, X., C. Li, M.R. Dawson, and L. Liu, 2003. Hanomys malcolmi, a new simplicidentate mammal from the Paleocene of central China: its relationships and stratigraphic implications Bulletin of Carnegie Museum of Natural History 36(1):81–89.
• Book: 0-231-11013-8 . Classification of Mammals: Above the Species Level . McKenna . Malcolm C. . Bell . Susan K. . 1997 . Columbia University Press.
• Web site: The osteology of Rhombomylus (Mammalia, Glires) : Implications for phylogeny and evolution of Glires. Bulletin of the AMNH ; no. 275 . 2246/442 . 2003 . Meng . Jin . Hu . Yaoming . Li . Chuan-Kuei .
• Web site: The osteology of Matutinia (Simplicidentata, Mammalia) and its relationship to Rhombomylus. American Museum novitates ; no. 3371 . 2246/2860 . 2002 . Ting . Su-Yin . Meng . Jin (Paleontologist) . McKenna . Malcolm C. . Li . Chuan-Kuei .

Further reading

• R. J. Asher, J. Meng, J. R. Wible, M. C. McKenna, G. W. Rougier, D. Dashzeveg, and M. J. Novacek. 2005. Stem lagomorpha and the antiquity of Glires. Science 307:1091–1094
• R. L. Carroll. 1988. Vertebrate Paleontology and Evolution 1–698
• D. Dashzeveg and D. E. Russell. 1988. Palaeocene and Eocene Mixodontia (Mammalia, Glires) of Mongolia and China. Palaeontology 31(1):129–164
• C. Li. 1977. Paleocene eurymyloids (Anagalida, Mammalia) of Qianshan Anhui. Vertebrata PalAsiatica 15:103–118
• F. S. Szalay and Malcolm C. McKenna. 1971. Beginning of the Age of Mammals in Asia: the Late Paleocene Gashato fauna, Mongolia. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 144(4):269–318