Myocastor

Myocastor is a genus of rodent that contains the living nutria (or coypu), as well as several fossil species.

Myocastor Temporal range: Late Miocene - Recent
Nutria (Myocastor coypus)
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Echimyidae
Subfamily:	Echimyinae
Tribe:	Myocastorini
Genus:	Myocastor Kerr, 1792
Species
Myocastor coypus †Myocastor columnaris †Myocastor obesus †Myocastor paranensis

Taxonomy

Due to similar cranial morphology, the nutria was once considered a close relative of the Caribbean hutias and placed together with them in the family Capromyidae.^[1] Later, it was more accepted to place it in its own family, the Myocastoridae.^[2] Recent molecular studies place them in the family Echimyidae, in the tribe Myocastorini.^[3][4][5]

Fossil record

Kerber et al. (2013) recognize the following species as valid:^[6]

• Myocastor columnaris (Middle Pleistocene)
• Myocastor obesus (Late Miocene)
• Myocastor paranensis (Late Miocene)

Other species described but no longer considered valid include Myocastor minor, Myocastor perditus, and Myocastor priscus.