List of extinct rodents

This list is of rodent species that are extinct − no longer alive.

Species from related groups such as Lagomorpha (rabbits and hares) are not included.

Before 1500[edit]

Exceptionally large extinct rodents
Genus Species Notes Location Approx. max. weight Stratigraphy Image
Castor C. californicus An extinct beaver species Western North America Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene[1]
Castoroides Giant beavers North America Up to 100 kg (220 lb) Pleistocene[1]
Ceratogaulus Horned gophers North America Smallest horned mammal Late Miocene to Pliocene[2]
Spelaeomys S. florensis A large cave rat Flores - Extinct by 1500[3]
"Giant hutias" A paraphyletic group of rodents resembling large guinea pigs West Indies Up to 200 kg (440 lb) Pleistocene[4]
Leithia A giant dormouse Europe (Malta, Sicily) 113 g (4.0 oz) Pleistocene[5]
Neochoerus N. pinckneyi A large capybara North America 100 kg (220 lb) Pleistocene[6]
Josephoartigasia J. monesi 'Giant pacarana', largest known rodent South America 1,500 kg (3,300 lb) Pliocene to Early Pleistocene[7]
Phoberomys P. pattersoni A horse-sized rodent[8] North America Probably under 280 kg (620 lb);[8] earlier estimates up to 700 kg (1,500 lb)[9] Miocene[8]
Telicomys A giant rodent, to 2 metres (6 ft 7 in) long South America Perhaps 70% of size of P. pattersoni[8] Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene[8]

Extinct after 1500[edit]

16th century[edit]

17th century[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b Harington, C. R. (March 1996). "Giant beaver". Yukon Beringia Interpretive Centre. Archived from the original on September 14, 2007. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
  2. ^ Hopkins, Samantha S. B. (2005). "The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia)". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 272 (1573): 1705–1713. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3171. PMC 1559849. PMID 16087426.
  3. ^ Hooijer, D. A. (1957). "Three new giant prehistoric rats from Flores Lesser Sunda Islands". Zoologische Mededelingen. 35 (21). Rijksmuseum van Natuurlijke Historie, Leiden: 299–316.
  4. ^ Biknevicius, A. R.; McFarlane, Donald A.; MacPhee, R. D. E. (1993). "Body size in Amblyrhiza inundata (Rodentia: Caviomorpha), an extinct megafaunal rodent from the Anguilla Bank, West Indies: estimates and implications" (PDF). American Museum Novitates (3079): 1–26.
  5. ^ Petronio, C. (1970). "I roditori Pleistocenici della Grotta di Spinagallo (Siracusa)" (PDF). Geol. Rom. IX: 149–194. (in Italian)
  6. ^ Kurtén, Björn; Anderson, Elaine (1980). Pleistocene Mammals of North America. Columbia University Press. p. 274. ISBN 0-231-03733-3.
  7. ^ Rinderknecht, Andrés; Blanco, R. Ernesto (2008). "The largest fossil rodent". Proceedings of the Royal Society B. 275 (1637): 923–928. doi:10.1098/rspb.2007.1645. PMC 2599941. PMID 18198140.
  8. ^ a b c d e Millien, Virginie; Bovy, Helene (2010). "When teeth and bones disagree: Body mass estimation of a giant extinct rodent". Journal of Mammalogy. 91 (1): 11–18. doi:10.1644/08-mamm-a-347r1.1. JSTOR 27755167.
  9. ^ Sánchez-Villagra, M. R.; Aguilera, O.; Horovitz, I. (2003). "The anatomy of the world's largest rodent". Science. 301 (5640): 1708–10. doi:10.1126/science.1089332. PMID 14500978.