Josephoartigasia facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Josephoartigasia |
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| Josephoartigasia monesi reconstruction | |
Scientific classification  |
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| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Chordata |
| Class: | Mammalia |
| Order: | Rodentia |
| Family: | Dinomyidae |
| Genus: | †Josephoartigasia Mones, 2007 |
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Josephoartigasia is an extinct genus of giant rodent from the Pliocene. It is related to the living pacarana. The genus includes the largest known rodent, Josephoartigasia monesi.
The two species would have looked like gigantic pacarana, or capybaras the size of cows. However, Dr Virginie Millien, from McGill University in Montreal, said the mathematical models originally used to calculate the rodent's mass from its skull probably overestimated its body size.
A recent report said it had big front teeth, which it might have used for defence.
Images for kids
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The pacarana (above) is the closest living relative of Josephoartigasia
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Molars of an extinct capybara-like rodent, exhibiting lophs
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Reconstruction of J. monesi head
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The back of the skull of J. monesi (above) and the pacarana (below), showing their paracondyles (teal for the pacarana) Scale = 5 cm (2 in)
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Skull size comparisons between (a) J. monesi, (b) Phoberomys pattersoni, (c) Telicomys giganteus, (d) Neoepiblema acreensis, (e) Tetrastylus intermedius, (f) the guinea pig, (g) the pacarana, and (h) the capybara Scale = 10 cm (3.9 in)
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Reconstruction of J. monesi
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Xenosmilus (above) inhabited Uruguay during the Plio-Pleistocene, alongside Josephoartigasia.
See also
In Spanish: Josephoartigasia para niños
