Anomaluromorpha

Anomaluromorpha Temporal range: Late Eocene to recent
File:Springharelg.jpg
Pedetes capensis
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Anomaluromorpha Bugge, 1974
Families
Anomaluridae Pedetidae Zenkerellidae

Anomaluromorpha is a clade that unites the anomalures, springhares, and zenkerella. It has alternately been designated as either a suborder or infraorder. Most recently, Carleton & Musser 2005 recognized it as one of five suborders of rodents.

Characteristics

The suborder Anomaluromorpha was erected to unite sciurognathous rodents with a hystricomorphous zygomasseteric system restricted to sub-Saharan Africa. Many authors have suggested that the two extant families may be only distantly related, and that they belong to separate suborders or infraorders. For example, the Pedetidae are the only family of rodents with multiserial enamel except for the Hystricognathi. This characteristic, the hystricomorphous zygomatic region, and a common distribution in southern continents has led many researchers to suggest that the springhares (but not anomalures) may be allied with hystricognaths. Montgelard et al. 2002 generated some support for Anomaluromorpha in a molecular phylogeny using 12S rRNA and cytochrome b.

Families

The suborder Anomaluromorpha contains nine living species in four genera and three families. An additional fossil family probably belongs to this group.

• †Parapedetidae
• Pedetidae - springhares
• Anomaluridae - scaly-tailed flying squirrels, flying mice
• Zenkerellidae - zenkerella or Cameroon scaly-tail

Potential relatives

The following fossil taxa are also sometimes placed in the Anomaluromorpha:

• †Diatomys
• †Zegdoumyidae