Miocene rodents

Caviidae, the cavy family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from moist savanna to thorn forests or scrub desert. This family of rodents has fewer members than most other rodent families, with 19 species in seven genera in three subfamilies.

Ceratogaulus is an extinct genus of rodents, a member of the extinct fossorial (burrowing) rodent family Mylagaulidae. Ceratogaulus is one of two rodent genera with horns (along with fellow mylagaulid Mylagaulus) and is the smallest known horned mammal. Ceratogaulus lived in North America from the late Miocene to the early Pliocene epochs, 16.3 to 5.3 million years ago. Ceratogaulus (and to a lesser extent Mylagaulus) have sometimes been nicknamed "horned gophers", though they are only distantly related to true gophers.

Palaeocastor ('ancient beaver') is an extinct genus of beavers that lived in the North American Badlands during the late Oligocene period to early Miocene, 29.5~18.5 million years ago. Palaeocastor was much smaller than modern beavers. There are several species including Palaeocastor fossor, Palaeocastor magnus, Palaeocastor wahlerti, and Palaeocastor peninsulatus. The animals first became known on grounds of their fossilized burrows, the "Devil's corkscrews." ==Biology== thumb|left|P. peninsulates|205x205px Some members of this genus made corkscrew-shaped burrows and tunnels. Like many early

thumb | right | alt=A 10cm skull of Phoberomys pattersoni in ventral view | The skull of Phoberomys pattersoni Phoberomys is an extinct genus of rodents. Fossil specimens from the Late Miocene period have been discovered in the Ituzaingó Formation of Argentina, the Solimões Formation of Brazil, the Urumaco Formation at Urumaco in Venezuela, and the Pliocene of Peru.

species of mammal (fossil)

species of mammal (fossil)

Telicomys is an extinct genus of rodent from the Solimões Formation, Brazil, South America.

Steneofiber is an extinct genus of beavers from the Miocene. They contain several species of beavers. Amongst them are S.barbouri, S.complexus, S.depereti, S.fossor, S.gradatus, and S.hesperus. Their various species are found all the way from the eastern end of the Iberian peninsula to southern Japan. S.depereti has been found in northwest Germany. thumb|left|Steneofiber esseri at the Gallery of Paleontology and Comparative Anatomy, Paris. These small, 30-cm-long (1-ft-long) creatures probably lived in large freshwater lakes, like present day beavers. A semiaquatic lifestyle is indicated by t

Eocardia is an extinct genus of rodent from the Early to Middle Miocene of Argentina (Santa Cruz Formation) and Chile, South America. The long creature was related to guinea pigs and the capybara.

Migmacastor is an extinct member of the beaver family, Castoridae, known from a single species, Migmacastor procumbodens. Only a single specimen has been reported, a skull from the late Oligocene or early Miocene of Nebraska. Features of the incisor teeth of Migmacastor indicate they were used to dig. Other extinct beavers, including the better-known Palaeocastor, were also fossorial (digging), but Migmacastor may have become a burrower independently.

Sivacanthion is an extinct genus of rodent from the Miocene of India. The build of Sivacanthion is very like that of a modern Old World porcupine, although details of the anatomy suggest that it is not a direct ancestor but a side branch of Hystricidae known in the Indian sub-continent.

Apeomyoides savagei is a fossil rodent from the Miocene of the United States, the only species in the genus Apeomyoides. It is known from fragmentary jaws and isolated teeth from a site in the early Barstovian, around 15–16 million years ago, of Nevada. Together with other species from scattered localities in the United States, Japan, and Europe, Apeomyoides is classified in the subfamily Apeomyinae of the extinct rodent family Eomyidae. Apeomyines are a rare but widespread group that may have been adapted to a relatively dry habitat.