''Abrocoma'' is a

genus Genus ( plural genera ) is a taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In the hierarchy of biological classification, genus comes above species and below family. In binomial n ...

of abrocomid

rodent Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the Order (biology), order Rodentia (), which are characterized by a single pair of continuously growing incisors in each of the upper and lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal species are roden ...

s found in the

Andes The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

South America South America is a continent entirely in the Western Hemisphere and mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere at the northern tip of the continent. It can also be described as the souther ...

, from southern

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal , national_motto = "Fi ...

to central

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the eas ...

. The genus contains eight

species In biology, a species is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of ...

, most of which are found in isolated mountain ranges in northwestern

Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, t ...

. The oldest fossil record for the Caviomorpha appears at the late

Eocene The Eocene ( ) Epoch is a geological epoch that lasted from about 56 to 33.9 million years ago (mya). It is the second epoch of the Paleogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era. The name ''Eocene'' comes from the Ancient Greek (''ēṓs'', " ...

-Early

Oligocene The Oligocene ( ) is a geologic epoch of the Paleogene Period and extends from about 33.9 million to 23 million years before the present ( to ). As with other older geologic periods, the rock beds that define the epoch are well identified but ...

transition (37.5–31.5 mybp).

Species

*Genus ''Abrocoma'' **''A. bennettii'' - Bennett's chinchilla rat **''A. boliviensis'' -

Bolivian chinchilla rat The Bolivian chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma boliviensis'') is a species of chinchilla rat in the family Abrocomidae. It is found only in Manuel María Caballero Province, Bolivia. Its natural habitat is the rocky areas of cloud forests in Bolivia's ...

**''A. budini'' - Budin's chinchilla rat **''A. cinerea'' -

ashy chinchilla rat The ashy chinchilla rat (''Abrocoma cinerea'') is a species of chinchilla rats in the family Abrocomidae found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Description Their total length is , with the body being and the tail being . They have soft, ...

**''A. famatina'' - Famatina chinchilla rat **''A. shistacea'' - Sierra del Tontal chinchilla rat **''A. uspallata'' - Uspallata chinchilla rat **''A. vaccarum'' - Punta de Vacas chinchilla rat or Mendozan chinchilla rat Additionally, the species ''

Cuscomys oblativus The Machu Picchu arboreal chinchilla rat (''Cuscomys oblativus'') is a large species of South American chinchilla rats, known from skeletal remains found by members of the Peruvian Expedition of 1912. The animals were buried alongside people in ...

'' was formerly classified as ''A. oblativus'', but has been reassigned.http://darrennaish.blogspot.com/2006/03/giant-furry-pets-of-incas.html Giant Furry Pets Of The Incas

Species

References

Further reading