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Migmacastor
''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 Extinction is the termination of an organism by the death of its Endling, last member. A taxon may become Functional extinction, functionally extinct before the death of its last member if it loses the capacity to Reproduction, reproduce and ... beavers, including the better-known '' Palaeocastor'', were also fossorial (digging), but ''Migmacastor'' may have become a burrower independently.Korth, William W.; Rybczynski, Natalia (2003), "A new, unusual castorid (Rodentia) from the earliest Miocene of Nebraska", Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 23 (3): 667–675, doi:10.1671/2371 References Prehistoric beavers Oligocene rodents Mio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Castoridae
Castoridae is a family of rodents that contains the two living species of beavers and their fossil relatives. A formerly diverse group, only a single genus is extant today, ''beaver, Castor.'' Two other genera of "giant beavers", ''Castoroides'' and ''Trogontherium,'' became extinct in the Late Pleistocene. Characteristics Castorids are medium-sized mammals, although large compared with most other rodents. They are semiaquatic, with sleek bodies and webbed hind feet, and are more agile in the water than on land. Their tails are flattened and scaly, adaptations that help them manoeuvre in the water. Castorids live in small family groups that each occupy a specific territory, based around a lodge and dam constructed from sticks and mud. They are herbivores, feeding on leaves and grasses in the summer, and woody plants such as willow in the winter. They have powerful incisors and the typical rodent dentition, dental formula: Evolution The earliest castorids belong to the ge ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
