Ischyromys

Ischyromys is an extinct genus of rodent from North America.

Skull

Ischyromys Temporal range: Early Eocene–Early Oligocene PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
I. typus skull
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Suborder:	Sciuromorpha
Infraorder:	Protrogomorpha
Family:	†Ischyromyidae
Genus:	†Ischyromys Leidy, 1856
Species
I. typus (type) I. blacki I. brevidens I. douglassi I. junctus I. veterior

Description

The 60 cm (2 ft) long creature is one of the oldest rodents known. It resembled a mouse and already had characteristic rodent incisors. Ischyromys's hind legs were longer than the forelegs, which could be used for other means than walking. Unlike most other mammals of its time, Ischyromys was probably arboreal (along with its relative Paramys). It was a well-adapted climber that gradually beat out competition from rodent-like arboreal plesiadapiform primates.^[1]

The brain of I. typus was characterised by an exposed midbrain. Additionally, it had less developed olfactory bulbs as compared to plesiadapiforms, suggesting that early rodents relied less on their sense of smell as compared to primatomorphs and their relatives.^[2]