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Neoreomys

Extinct genus of caviomorph rodents

Neoreomys is an extinct genus of caviomorph rodent that lived in South America during the Miocene epoch.

01Taxonomy

Phylogenetic analysis has shown Neoreomys to be a monophyletic genus not closely related to Dasyproctidae, but instead representing a plesiomorphic member of Cavioidea.

02Description

The incisors of Neoreomys australis were characterised by an enamel microstructure consisting of an interprismatic matrix whose crystallites ran parallel or at a very low angle to enamel prisms and without totally surrounding each prism.

03Palaeobiology

Locomotion

Geometric morphometric analysis of the foot of Neoreomys points to it having had a generalised mode of ambulation, in contrast to other Late Oligocene and Early Miocene caviomorphs.

Diet

Dental microwear analysis has found that Neoreomys australis was a consumer of fruits and seeds.

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Sources and credits

This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article Neoreomys, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.

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