Order Rodentia - Family Heptaxodontidae
Author
Wilson, Don E.
Author
Reeder, DeeAnn
text
2005
The Johns Hopkins University Press
Baltimore
Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2
1599
1600
book chapter
0-8018-8221-4
10.5281/zenodo.7316535
Heptaxodontidae Anthony 1917
Heptaxodontidae Anthony 1917
,
Bull. Am. Mus. Nat. Hist., 37 (4): 183
.
Synonyms:
Amblyrhizinae Schaub 1951
;
Elasmodontomyinae Anthony 1917
.
Genera:
4 genera with 4 species in 2 subfamilies:
Subfamily
Clidomyinae Woods 1989
Genus
Clidomys
Anthony 1920
(1 species)
Subfamily
Heptaxodontinae Anthony 1917
Genus
Amblyrhiza
Cope 1868
(1 species)
Genus
Elasmodontomys
Anthony 1916
(1 species)
Genus
Quemisia
Miller 1929
(1 species)
Discussion:
Known only from sub-Recent fossils from Greater and N Lesser Antilles (
Woods, 1989
a
). Whether
Amblyrhiza
and
Clidomys
became extinct before or after humans arrived in the West Indies is debatable. This family is often placed near the
Chinchillidae
based on similar laminar plates of molariform teeth. One genus (
Quemisia
) is very similar in dental morphology to capromyids, however, and it is possible to derive all of the conditions seen in heptaxodontids from dental patterns found within the
Capromyidae
. This family should be placed adjacent to the
Capromyidae
.