| Fossil range | Early Pliocene - Recent |
|---|---|
| Taxon | Petromus |
| Authority | A. Smith, 1831 |
| Type species | Petromus typicus |
| Type species authority | A. Smith, 1831 |
| Subdivision ranks | Species |
| Subdivision |
Petromus is a genus of hystricognath rodents that contains the dassie rat (Petromus typicus) of southwestern Africa, the only extant member of this group and the entire family Petromuridae.
Two fossil species are known from the Pliocene, with the oldest being Petromus antiquus of the Early Pliocene.[1]
References
- ^ Sénégas, F. (2004). "A New Species of Petromus (Rodentia, Hystricognatha, Petromuridae) from the Early Pliocene of South Africa and Its Paleoenvironmental Implications". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 24 (3): 757–763. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2004)024[0757:ANSOPR2.0.CO;2]. JSTOR 4524764