Diplomys

Diplomys is a genus of rodent in the family Echimyidae.^[1] They are found in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Colombia and Panama.^[2]

Diplomys
Colombian soft-furred spiny rat, Diplomys caniceps
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Echimyidae
Subfamily:	Echimyinae
Tribe:	Echimyini
Genus:	Diplomys Thomas, 1916
Type species
Loncheres caniceps Günther, 1877
Species
Diplomys caniceps Diplomys labilis

Systematics

The genus contains the following species:

• Colombian soft-furred spiny rat (Diplomys caniceps)
• Rufous soft-furred spiny rat (Diplomys labilis)

Phylogeny

Diplomys is a member of the Echimyini clade of arboreal Echimyidae rodents. The closest relative of Diplomys is Santamartamys, reflecting the fact that these taxa have once been classified in the same genus.^[3] These two genera constitute the sister group of the "Dactylomyines", a clade of South American bamboo rats.^[4] All these taxa are closely related to the genera Echimys, Phyllomys, Makalata, Pattonomys, and Toromys. In turn, these genera share phylogenetic affinities with the clade containing Lonchothrix and Mesomys, and with Isothrix.^[5]

Genus-level cladogram of the Echimyini.

Echimyini              Isothrix   "Eumysopines"     Lonchothrix   (Tuft-tailed spiny tree-rat)   Mesomys                                           Pattonomys   Toromys   (Giant tree-rat)             Makalata   Echimys   Phyllomys   Diplomys   Santamartamys   (Red-crested tree-rat)   "Dactylomyines"     Kannabateomys   (Atlantic bamboo rat)             Dactylomys   Olallamys

The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.[6][7][8][9][10][11][12][13][5]