Thryonomyidae is a family of

hystricognath The Hystricognathi are an infraorder of rodents, distinguished from other rodents by the bone structure of their skulls. The masseter medialis (a jaw muscle) passes partially through a hole below each eye socket (called the infraorbital foramen) ...

rodents Rodents (from Latin , 'to gnaw') are mammals of the 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 rodents. They are na ...

that contains the cane rats ''(Thryomys)'' found throughout sub-Saharan Africa, and a number of fossil genera.

Taxonomy

Thryonomyidae was formerly more diverse and widespread, with fossil relatives found in

India India, officially the Republic of India ( Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the ...

and

Arabia The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plate. ...

as well. The extinct genus '' Sacaresia'' from the island of

Mallorca Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest island in the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain and located in the Mediterranean. The capital of the island, Palma, is also the capital of the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. The Bale ...

off

Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' ( Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...

may also be a member of this family, though its position remains uncertain. *Genus †'' Epiphiomys'' **†''Epiphiomys coryndoni'' *Genus †'' Gaudeamus'' **†''Gaudeamus aegyptius'' *Genus †'' Kochalia'' **†''Kochalia geespei'' *Genus †'' Monamys'' **†''Monamys simonsi'' *Genus †'' Neosciuromys'' **†''Neosciuromys africanus'' *Genus †'' Paraphiomys'' **†''Paraphiomys afarensis'' **†''Paraphiomys hopwoodi'' **†''Paraphiomys knolli'' **†''Paraphiomys occidentalis'' **†''Paraphiomys orangeus'' **†''Paraphiomys pigotti'' **†''Paraphiomys renelavocati'' **†''Paraphiomys shipmani'' *Genus †'' Paraulacodus'' **†''Paraulacodus indicus'' **†''Paraulacodus johanesi'' *Genus †'' Protohummus'' **†''Protohummus dango'' *Genus †'' Sacaresia''? **†''Sacaresia moyaeponsi'' *Genus '' Thryonomys'' **'' Thryonomys gregorianus'' **'' Thryonomys swinderianus'' **†'' Thryonomys asakomae'' Former fossil members of the family include the genus '' Apodecter'' and two species of '' Paraphiomys'' (''australis'' and ''roessneri''), which have now been transferred to the related

Petromuridae Petromuridae is a family of hystricognath rodents that contains the dassie rat ''(Petromus typicus)'' of southwestern Africa, the only extant member of this group. The genus ''Petromus ''Petromus'' is a genus of hystricognath rodents ...

References

Rodent families Taxa named by R. I. Pocock Hystricognath rodents {{rodent-stub