''Zenkerella'' is a genus of

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 Mandible, lower jaws. About 40% of all mammal specie ...

, the only member of the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Zenkerellidae. It was formerly classified in Anomaluridae until phylogenetic studies made its distinctiveness clear. While the

Anomalurus ''Anomalurus'' is the largest genus in the rodent family Anomaluridae, with four species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fert ...

of the family Anomaluridae has gliding membranes between its forelimb and hindlimb, the ''Zenkerella'' has no such adaptation. It is estimated from fossil records that this divergence might have occurred in the middle of the

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

. There is a single extant, the

Cameroon scaly-tail The Cameroon scaly-tail (''Zenkerella insignis''), also referred to as the Cameroon anomalure, flightless anomalure or flightless scaly-tail, is a rodent species endemic to West Central Africa. The scientific literature has never (or possibly onl ...

, and a single fossil representative. The fossil species ''

Zenkerella wintoni ''Zenkerella wintoni'' is in extinct species of rodent from the family Zenkerellidae. It is known from a single mandible from Songhor, Kenya dated to the Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Mioce ...

'' is known from a single mandible from Songhor,

Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...

dated to the

Early Miocene The Early Miocene (also known as Lower Miocene) is a sub-epoch of the Miocene epoch (geology), Epoch made up of two faunal stage, stages: the Aquitanian age, Aquitanian and Burdigalian stages. The sub-epoch lasted from 23.03 ± 0.05 annum, Ma to ...

References

{{Taxonbar, from=Q19717489 Rodent genera Mammal genera with one living species Taxa named by Paul Matschie Anomaluromorpha