The Mylagaulidae or mylagaulids are an extinct clade of sciuromorph rodents nested within the family Aplodontiidae. They are known from the Neogene of North America and China. The oldest member is the Late Oligocene Trilaccogaulus montanensis that lived some 29 million years ago (Mya), and the youngest was Ceratogaulus hatcheri—formerly in the invalid genus "Epigaulus" —which was found barely into the Pliocene, some 5 Mya.
Systematics
Three subfamilies are recognized. The taxonomy of Galbreathia is not resolved; it might belong in Mylagaulinae, but lacks the characteristic apomorphies.
Promylagaulinae
- Genus Crucimys
- Genus Promylagaulus
- Genus Trilaccogaulus
- Genus Simpligaulus
Mesogaulinae
- Genus Mesogaulus - includes Mylagaulodon
Mylagaulinae
- Genus Alphagaulus (paraphyletic)
- Genus Ceratogaulus - includes "Epigaulus"
- Genus Hesperogaulus
- Genus Mylagaulus
- Genus Notogaulus
- Genus Pterogaulus
- Genus Umbogaulus
incertae sedis
- Genus Galbreathia - basal in Mylagaulinae?
Footnotes
References
- Hopkins, Samantha S.B. (2005): The evolution of fossoriality and the adaptive role of horns in the Mylagaulidae (Mammalia: Rodentia). Proc. R. Soc. B 272(1573): 1705–1713. doi:10.1098/rspb.2005.3171 PDF fulltext
- McKenna, M. C, and S. K. Bell (1997): Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press. ISBN 0-231-11012-X
