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Microcavia

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Microcavia
Southern mountain cavy (Microcavia australis)
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Subfamily: Caviinae
Genus: Microcavia
Gervais & Ameghino, 1880
Type species
Microcavia typus

Microcavia (mountain cavies) is a genus of rodents in the family Caviidae. They are unique within their family in that their premolar teeth do not grow and replace the original deciduous cheek teeth until after the animal is born; in other genera this occurs in the womb.[1]

It contains six extant species:[2]

At least nine fossil species have also been named, dating back to the mid Pliocene, although it is unclear how many of these are truly valid.[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b Tognelli, M.F.; Campos, C.M. & Ojeda, R.A. (2001). "Microcavia australis" (PDF). Mammalian Species. 648: 1–4. doi:10.1644/1545-1410(2001)648<0001:ma>2.0.co;2. S2CID 198968945. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-06-30. Retrieved 2015-06-27.
  2. ^ Mammal Diversity Database (2021-11-06), Mammal Diversity Database, doi:10.5281/zenodo.5651212, retrieved 2021-11-26