Erethizon

Erethizon is a genus of New World porcupine and the only one of its family to be found north of southern Mexico. The North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum) is the only extant species, but at least 4 extinct relatives are known, the oldest dating to the Late Pliocene.^[2] Porcupines entered North America during the Great American Interchange after the Isthmus of Panama rose 3 million years ago.^[3] Early species of the genus retained an elongate tail, unlike E. dorsatum.^[4]

Erethizon Temporal range: Late Pliocene - Recent
North American porcupine (Erethizon dorsatum)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Erethizontidae
Subfamily:	Erethizontinae
Genus:	Erethizon F. Cuvier, 1823
Type species
Erithrix dorsata[1] Linnaeus, 1758
Species
Erethizon dorsatum †Erethizon bathygnathum †Erethizon cascoensis †Erethizon kleini †Erethizon poyeri