The Pedetidae are a

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

mammal Mammals () are a group of vertebrate animals constituting the class Mammalia (), characterized by the presence of mammary glands which in females produce milk for feeding (nursing) their young, a neocortex (a region of the brain), fur or ...

s from the

rodent 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 ...

order. The two living species, the

springhare ''Pedetes'' is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa. Species A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus ''Pedetes''. ...

s, are distributed throughout much of southern Africa and also around

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Tanzania Tanzania (; ), officially the United Republic of Tanzania ( sw, Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania), is a country in East Africa within the African Great Lakes region. It borders Uganda to the north; Kenya to the northeast; Comoro Islands and ...

, and

Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa East Africa, Eastern Africa, or East of Africa, is the eastern subregion of the African continent. In the United Nations Statistics Division scheme of geographic regions, 10-11-(16*) territor ...

. Fossils have been found as far north as Turkey.McKenna, M.C. and Bell, S.K. 1997. Classification of Mammals: Above the species level. New York: Columbia University Press, 631 pp. (p. 185) Together with the

anomalure The Anomaluridae are a family of rodents found in central Africa. They are known as anomalures or scaly-tailed squirrels. The six extant species are classified into two genera. All anomalurids have membranes between their front and hind legs li ...

s and zenkerella, Pedetidae forms the suborder

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

. The fossil genus '' Parapedetes'' is also related.

Taxonomy

The family includes one living genus and three extinct genera. The Asian fossil ''

Diatomys ''Diatomys'' is an extinct rodent genus known from Miocene deposits in China, Japan, Pakistan, and Thailand. The fossil range is from the late Early Miocene to the Middle Miocene (22.5–11 Ma). Specimens Specifically the strata and regions ...

'' was previously included, but is now classified in the family

Diatomyidae Diatomyidae is a family of hystricomorph rodents. It is represented by a single living species, ''Laonastes aenigmamus,'' native to Laos in Southeast Asia. Fossil species are known from the Oligocene and Miocene of Asia and eastern Europe. "Laz ...

with the

Laotian rock rat The Laotian rock rat or ''kha-nyou'' (''Laonastes aenigmamus'', Lao: ຂະຍຸ), sometimes called the "rat-squirrel", is a species of rodent found in the Khammouan region of Laos. The species was first described in a 2005 article by Paulina ...

. *Family Pedetidae **Genus ''

Pedetes ''Pedetes'' is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa. Species A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus ''Pedetes''. ...

'' ***

South African springhare The South African springhare (''Pedetes capensis'') ( af, springhaas) is a medium-sized terrestrial and burrowing rodent. Despite the name, it is not a hare. It is one of two extant species in the genus ''Pedetes'', and is native to southern Afri ...

, ''P. capensis'' ***†''

Pedetes gracilis ''Pedetes'' is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa. Species A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus ''Pedetes''. ...

'' ***†''

Pedetes hagenstadti ''Pedetes'' is a genus of rodent, the springhares, in the family Pedetidae. Members of the genus are distributed across southern and Eastern Africa. Species A number of species both extant and extinct are classified in the genus ''Pedetes''. ...

'' ***

East African springhare The East African springhare (''Pedetes surdaster''), is not closely related to the hare, which is a lagomorph, but is a member of the Pedetidae, a rodent family. Taxonomy ''Pedetes surdaster'' was recognised by Matthee and Robinson in 1997 as a ...

, ''P. surdaster'' **Genus †''

Megapedetes ''Megapedetes'' is a genus of fossil rodents related to the springhare and other species of the genus ''Pedetes'', with which it forms the family Pedetidae. At least four species are known, which ranged through Africa, southwestern Asia, and sout ...

'' ***†''Megapedetes aegaeus'' ***†''Megapedetes gariepensis'' ***†''Megapedetes pentadactylus'' **Genus †'' Oldrichpedetes'' ***†''Oldrichpedetes brigitteae'' ***†''Oldrichpedetes fejfari'' ***†''Oldrichpedetes pickfordi'' ***†''Oldrichpedetes praecursor'' **Genus †'' Propedetes'' ***†''Propedetes efeldensis'' ***†''Propedetes laetoliensis'' **Genus †'' Rusingapedetes'' ***†''Rusingapedetes tsujikawai''

References

*Incisor enamel microstructure and phylogenetic interrelationships of Pedetidae and Ctenodactyloidea (Rodentia). *Einiges zur Haltung und Zucht Hornchenartiger (Sciuromorpha) im Zoologischen Garten. *Postcranial morphology and springing adaptations in Pedetidae from Arrisdrift, Middle Miocene (Namibia). *Pelvic shape in gliding rodents: implications for the launch. *Tracking genome organization in rodents by Zoo-FISH. *Feldhamer, G. A., L. C. Drickamer, S. H. Vessey, and J. F. Merritt. 1999. Mammalogy. Adaptation, Diversity, and Ecology. WCB McGraw-Hill, Boston. xii+563pp. *McLaughlin, C. A. 1984. Protrogomorph, sciuromorph, castorimorph, myomorph (geomyoid, anomaluroid, pedetoid, and ctenodactyloid) rodents. pp. 267–288 in Anderson, S. and J. K. Jones, Jr. (eds). Orders and Families of Recent Mammals of the World. John Wiley and Sons, N.Y. xii+686 pp. *Paradiso, J. L. 1975. Walker's Mammals of the World, Third Edition. Johns Hopkins University Press, Baltimore. *Savage, R. J. G. and M. R. Long. 1986. Mammal Evolution, an Illustrated Guide. Facts of File Publications, New York. 259 pp. *Vaughan, T. A. 1986. Mammalogy. Third Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Fort Worth. vii+576 pp. *Vaughan, T. A., J. M. Ryan, N. J. Czaplewski. 2000. Mammalogy. Fourth Edition. Saunders College Publishing, Philadelphia. vii+565pp. *Wilson, D. E., and D. M. Reeder. 1993. Mammal Species of the World, A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference. 2nd edition. Smithsonian Institution Press, Washington. xviii+1206 pp. {{Taxonbar, from=Q577376 Pedetidae, Anomaluromorpha Rodent families Extant Miocene first appearances Taxa named by John Edward Gray

Taxonomy

References

Further reading