Diatomyidae is a family of rodents related to the gundis, known almost entirely from fossils until a single living species, the Laotian rock rat, was discovered in Laos. Fossil diatomyids have turned up in Pakistan, India, Thailand, China, Japan and Serbia, but the family had been presumed extinct for about 11 million years before the living species was found, making it a Lazarus taxon. Its teeth show a rare combination of hystricomorphous and sciurognathous features, including multiserial enamel on the incisors and an enlarged single premolar in both jaws.
Facts
Classification
Living or Extinct Taxonomic Rank Connections
Parent Taxon Of
Source Laotian rock rat (Wikidata)
In the Other Atlases
- Also in Geography Atlas: Asia, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Europe, found in there.
- Also in Geography Atlas: Laos, found in there.
Sources
1. Wikidata (taxon extant/extinct status)
Wikimedia Foundation / Wikidata contributorsQ905019, descriptionView the Source 2. Wikipedia: Diatomyidae
WikipediaIntroductionQuote, Introduction
Diatomyidae is a family of hystricomorph rodents.
View the Source Wikidata: Diatomyidae
Wikidata Q905019, class allow-list match (w-wdresolver-0926)View the Source Laotian rock rat (Wikidata)
WikidataParent Taxon Of: Laotian rock rat, Wikidata parent-taxon (P171) chainView the Source Reader Challenges (0)
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