Mesocapromys

Mesocapromys is a genus of rodent in the subfamily Capromyinae.^[1] The genus is restricted to Cuba and associated islands.

Mesocapromys
Black-tailed hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Echimyidae
Subfamily:	Capromyinae
Tribe:	Capromyini
Genus:	Mesocapromys Varona, 1970
Type species
Capromys (Mesocapromys) auritus Varona, 1970
Species
Mesocapromys angelcabrerai Mesocapromys auritus Mesocapromys melanurus Mesocapromys nana Mesocapromys sanfelipensis
Synonyms
Paracapromys Kratochvíl, Rodriguez, & Barus, 1978 Pygmaeocapromys Varona, 1979 Stenocapromys Varona & Arrendondo, 1979

Systematics

Mesocapromys contains the five following species:^[1]

• Cabrera's hutia (Mesocapromys angelcabrerai)
• Eared hutia (Mesocapromys auritus)
• Black-tailed hutia (Mesocapromys melanurus)
• Dwarf hutia (Mesocapromys nana)
• San Felipe hutia (Mesocapromys sanfelipensis)

Phylogeny

Within Capromyidae, the closest relative of Mesocapromys is the genus Mysateles. Both genera are the sister group to Capromys, and then Geocapromys is a more distant genus. In turn, these four genera belong to the tribe Capromyini, and are the sister group to Plagiodontia.

Genus-level cladogram of the Capromyidae with their relationship to Carterodon and Euryzygomatomyinae.

Octodontoidea   Euryzygomatomyinae             Trinomys (Atlantic spiny rats)             Clyomys   Euryzygomatomys (guiaras)   Carterodon (Owl's spiny rat) Capromyidae   Plagiodontini     Plagiodontia   Capromyini     Geocapromys                       Capromys (Desmarest's hutia)             Mesocapromys   Mysateles Fossorial genera

The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.[2][3][4][5][6][7]