Phyllomys

Phyllomys is a genus of arboreal spiny rat, geographically restricted to the forests of eastern Brazil.^[1][2]

Phyllomys
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Mammalia
Order:	Rodentia
Family:	Echimyidae
Subfamily:	Echimyinae
Tribe:	Echimyini
Genus:	Phyllomys Lund, 1839
Type species
Nelomys blainvilii Jourdan, 1837
Species
Phyllomys blainvilii Phyllomys brasiliensis Phyllomys dasythrix Phyllomys kerri Phyllomys lamarum Phyllomys lundi Phyllomys mantiqueirensis Phyllomys medius Phyllomys nigrispinus Phyllomys pattoni Phyllomys sulinus Phyllomys thomasi Phyllomys unicolor
Synonyms
Loncheres Lichtenstein, 1820

The etymology of the genus name derives from the two ancient greek words φύλλον (phúllon), meaning "plant leaf", and μῦς (mûs), meaning "mouse, rat".^[3][4]

Phylogeny

Phyllomys is the sister genus to Echimys, and then to Makalata. These taxa are closely related to the genera Pattonomys and Toromys. In turn, these five genera share phylogenetic affinities with a clade containing the bamboo rats Dactylomys, Olallamys, Kannabateomys together with Diplomys and Santamartamys.^[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]

Systematics

There are thirteen named species in the genus. These species have frequently been placed in the genus Echimys.^[14]

• Phyllomys blainvilii – golden Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys brasiliensis – orange-brown Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys dasythrix – drab Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys kerri – Kerr's Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys lamarum – pallid Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys lundi – Lund's Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys mantiqueirensis – Mantiqueira Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys medius – long-furred Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys nigrispinus – black-spined Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys pattoni – rusty-sided Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys sulinus – Southern Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys thomasi – giant Atlantic tree-rat
• Phyllomys unicolor – short-furred Atlantic tree-rat