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Megaoryzomys

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(Redirected from Galápagos giant rat)

Megaoryzomys curioi
Skull of a Megaoryzomys curioi
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Cricetidae
Subfamily: Sigmodontinae
Genus: Megaoryzomys
Lenglet & Coppois, 1979
Species:
M. curioi
Binomial name
Megaoryzomys curioi
(Niethammer, 1964)

Megaoryzomys curioi, also known as the Galápagos giant rat,[2] is an extinct species of sigmodontine rodent, known only from Santa Cruz Island in the Galápagos Islands. It likely met its demise when European settlers introduced invasive species to the island. It is the only species in the genus Megaoryzomys. Its relationships have historically been unclear; it has been placed in both Oryzomyini and Thomasomyini in the past. A 2020 study favoured placing it in the former on overall skull morphology.[3]

References

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  1. ^ Weksler, M.; Tirira, D.G. (2019). "Megaoryzomys curioi". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2019: e.T136657A22330270. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2019-1.RLTS.T136657A22330270.en. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
  2. ^ Musser and Carleton, 2005
  3. ^ Ronez, Christophe; Brito, Jorge; Hutterer, Rainer; Martin, Robert A.; Pardiñas, Ulyses F. J. (2021-09-02). "Tribal allocation and biogeographical significance of one of the largest sigmodontine rodent, the extinct Galápagos Megaoryzomys (Cricetidae)". Historical Biology. 33 (9): 1920–1932. doi:10.1080/08912963.2020.1752202. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 219054139.