Cavia

Last updated

Cavia
Temporal range: Pliocene – Holocene
Wildmeerschweinchen-06.jpg
Cavia aperea , or Brazilian guinea pig
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Caviidae
Subfamily: Caviinae
Genus: Cavia
Pallas, 1766 [1]
Type species
Cavia cobaya [1]
Pallas, 1766
(= Mus porcellus Linnaeus, 1758)
Species

Cavia is a genus in the subfamily Caviinae that contains the rodents commonly known as the true guinea pigs or cavies. [1] The best-known species in this genus is the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus , a meat animal in South America and a common household pet outside that continent.

Contents

Characteristics

General characteristics

The true guinea pigs are medium-sized rodents. They reach a head-body length of 20 to 35 centimeters (8 to 14 inches) and a weight of 500 to a maximum of 1,000 grams. The largest species of the genus is the greater guinea pig (Cavia magna). The species are very similar in habit and appearance, the long and relatively rough fur is usually grayish or brown to reddish-brown in color. The coloring can be variable, especially in species with a large distribution area and several subspecies.

The head is relatively large in relation to the body, the eyes are large and the ears are small. The legs are short and strong, the front feet have four toes and the hind feet have three, all of which end in sharp claws, the middle one being the longest. [2] [3] All species of the genus are also tailless. [4]

Characteristics of the skull and teeth

Incisors of a domestic guinea pig Nagezahne eines Hausmeerschweinchens.jpg
Incisors of a domestic guinea pig
Skull of a domestic guinea pig Guinea pig skull. Cavia porcellus 02.jpg
Skull of a domestic guinea pig

Guinea pigs have a typical rodent dentition with incisors (incisivi) and a gap between the teeth (diastema). In both the upper and lower jaws, there is one premolar and three molars in each half. Overall, they have a set of 20 teeth, like all guinea pigs. [5] The teeth are hypsodont like all species of guinea pigs and converge towards the front. [4] The crowns are prismatic and the teeth grow throughout life. [5] In contrast to the yellow-toothed cavies (Galea), the teeth are white in colour. [5]

The jaws of all guinea pigs are hystricomorphous ("porcupine-like"): the angular process growing from the rear end of the lower jaw is not in line with the rest of the jaw, as is the case with other rodents with a sciuromorphous ("squirrel-like") jaw structure, but is angled sideways. The masseter muscle, a jaw muscle, runs partially through the infraorbital foramen, which is correspondingly enlarged; moreover, like all representatives of the Hystricognathi, they lack the infraorbital plate. [5] The species of true guinea pigs can be regarded as comparatively primitive in terms of skull structure. They have only a slight interorbital constriction of the skull, pan elongated paroccipital process of the occipital bone, a relatively short hard palate and enlarged tympanic cavity. [5] The skulls of the mountain cavies correspond to those of the true guinea pigs, but are significantly more compact and rounded. [5]

Former taxonomic controversy

Cavia is classified in order Rodentia, although there was once a minority belief in the scientific community that evidence from mitochondrial DNA and proteins suggested the Hystricognathi might belong to a different evolutionary offshoot, and therefore a different order. [6] If this had been so, it would have been an example of convergent evolution. However, this uncertainty is largely of historical interest, as abundant molecular genetic evidence now conclusively supports classification of Cavia as rodents. [7] [8] This evidence includes draft genome sequences of Cavia porcellus and several other rodents. [9]

Species

Historically, there has been little consensus in regard to the number of Cavia forms and their taxonomic affiliations. Morphological characters differentiating between Cavia species are limited and levels of inter- and intraspecific morphologic variation have not been well documented, thus, interpretations have varied and resulted in very different taxonomic conclusions. Three scientists disagreed on the number of species, Tate (1935) recognized 11 species, while Cabrera (1961) recognized seven, and Huckinghaus (1961) recognized only three. Recent scientific compilations have generally followed either Cabrera or Huckinghaus. [10]

A domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) eating grass leaves Guinea pig eating grass leaves.jpeg
A domestic guinea pig (Cavia porcellus) eating grass leaves

At least five wild species of guinea pig are recognised, in addition to the domestic form:

Some authors also recognise the following additional species:

In addition, four fossil species have been identified: [12]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Guinea pig</span> Domesticated rodent from South America

The guinea pig or domestic guinea pig, also known as the cavy or domestic cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the genus Cavia, family Caviidae. Breeders tend to use the name "cavy" for the animal, but "guinea pig" is more commonly used in scientific and laboratory contexts. Despite their name, guinea pigs are not native to Guinea, nor are they closely related to pigs. Instead, they originated in the Andes region of South America, where wild guinea pigs can still be found today. Studies based on biochemistry and DNA hybridization suggest they are domesticated animals that do not exist naturally in the wild, but are descendants of a closely related cavy species such as C. tschudii. Originally, they were domesticated as livestock in the Andean region and are still consumed in some parts of the world.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caviidae</span> Family of rodents that includes the domestic guinea pig

Caviidae, the cavy family, is composed of rodents native to South America and includes the domestic guinea pig, wild cavies, and the largest living rodent, the capybara. They are found across South America in open areas from moist savanna to thorn forests or scrub desert. This family of rodents has fewer members than most other rodent families, with 19 species in 6 genera in 3 subfamilies.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mara (mammal)</span> Genus of rodents

Maras, subfamily Dolichotinae, are a group of rodents in the family Caviidae. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. There are two extant species, the Patagonian mara of the genus Dolichotis and the Chacoan mara of the genus Pediolagus. Traditionally this species was also thought to belong to Dolichotis; however, a 2020 study by the American Society of Mammalogists found significant difference between the two mara species to warrant resurrecting the genus Pediolagus for it. Several extinct genera are also known.

<i>Dolichotis</i> Genus of rodents

Dolichotis is a genus of the cavy family of rodents. These large relatives of guinea pigs are common in the Patagonian steppes of Argentina, but also live in Paraguay and elsewhere in South America. It contains a single extant species, the Patagonian mara, which is one of the largest rodents in the world after the two species each of capybaras and beavers, and the large species of porcupines, reaching about 45 cm (18 in) in height.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Caviinae</span> Subfamily of rodents

Caviinae is a subfamily uniting all living members of the family Caviidae with the exception of the maras, capybaras, and Kerodon. The subfamily traditionally contained the guinea pig or cavy-like forms along with the cursorially adapted (running) Kerodon. Molecular results suggest the Caviinae as so defined would be paraphyletic and Kerodon is more closely related to maras and capybaras than to other caviines. This led Woods and Kilpatrick (2005) to unite Kerodon and capybaras into the subfamily Hydrochoerinae within the Caviidae. These studies also suggest Microcavia and Cavia are more closely related to one another than either is to Galea.

<i>Kerodon</i> Genus of rodents

The genus Kerodon contains two species of South American rock cavies, related to capybaras and guinea pigs. They are found in semiarid regions of northeast Brazil known as the Caatinga. This area has a rocky terrain with large granite boulders that contain rifts and hollows where Kerodon species primarily live.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brazilian guinea pig</span> Species of rodent from South America

The Brazilian guinea pig is a wild guinea pig species found in Argentina, Brazil, Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Catarina's guinea pig</span> Rare species of rodent from South America

Santa Catarina's guinea pig or Moleques do Sul cavy is a rare guinea pig species of southeastern South America.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greater guinea pig</span> Species of rodent from South America

The greater guinea pig is a species of rodent found in the coastal strip of Brazil and Uruguay, where it lives in moist grassland and marshes.

<i>Mesomys</i> Genus of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Mesomys is a genus of South American spiny rats in the family Echimyidae.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Montane guinea pig</span> Species of rodent from South America

The montane guinea pig is a species of caviid rodent found in the Andes in South America. The montane guinea pig is the likely main ancestor of Cavia porcellus, the domestic guinea pig or domestic cavy, which appears to be a hybrid that includes lesser genetic contributions from other Cavia species.

<i>Olallamys</i> Genus of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Olallamys is a genus of Andean soft-furred spiny rat that range from Panama through Colombia and Venezuela to northern Ecuador. These species are typically found at elevations above 2,000 metres (6,600 ft).

Cavia anolaimae is a guinea pig species from South America. It is found in Colombia near Bogotá. It is believed to be a feral offshoot of the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, and is often treated as a synonym of C. porcellus, but Zúñiga et al. (2002), based on morphologic characters, recognized them as different species. According to the molecular analysis of Dunnum and Salazar (2010) C. anolaimae is a subspecies of Cavia aperea, C. aperea anolaimae, and a possible synonymous of C. a. guianae.

<i>Cavia guianae</i> Species of rodent

Cavia guianae is a guinea pig species from South America. It is found in southern Venezuela, Guyana, and portions of northern Brazil. Some biologists believe it to be a feral offshoot of the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus; others subsume it under the wild cavy, Cavia aperea. Molecular data collected show there is little genetic differentiation in C.a. guianae known to be a lowland locality in comparison to C. anolaimae which are predominantly highland populations.

The common yellow-toothed cavy is a species of rodent in the family Caviidae, closely related to the domesticated guinea pig. It is found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, and Peru. Its karyotype has 2n = 68 and FN = 136. G. musteloides is the most common and widely found member of Galea, and is present at elevations ranging from 20 to 5000 m above sea level. It has yellow teeth.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Muenster yellow-toothed cavy</span> Species of rodent

The Muenster yellow-toothed cavy is a species of rodent in the family Caviidae. It is known only from one location in Valle Hermoso in the Bolivian Andes, at an elevation of 2,557 m (8,389 ft). Specimens from this location were shipped to Muenster, Germany, in 1997 for laboratory research, where the species was recognized and described. Galea monasteriensis was recognized on the basis of morphological, behavioral, and reproductive differences from related species. However, its habits in the wild have not been studied.

<i>Galea</i> (genus) Genus of rodents

Galea is a genus of South American rodents of the family Caviidae. 5-6 extant species are known, found in Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Peru and Brazil. They are:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Myocastorini</span> A tribe of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Myocastorini is a tribe of echimyid rodents, proposed in 2017, and containing the five extant genera Callistomys, Hoplomys, Myocastor, Proechimys, and Thrichomys.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echimyini</span> A tribe of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Echimyini is a tribe of echimyid rodents, proposed in 2016, and containing 13 extant genera: all of the tree rats Echimys, Phyllomys, Makalata, Pattonomys, Toromys, Diplomys, Santamartamys, and Isothrix, the long recognized dactylomines Dactylomys, Olallamys, and Kannabateomys, and the enigmatic and previously classified as eumysopines Lonchothrix and Mesomys. All these spiny rats genera are arboreal. Worth of note, the arboreal genus Callistomys – the painted-tree rat – does not belong to the tribe Echimyini. Because it is phylogenetically closer to Myocastor, Hoplomys, Proechimys, and Thrichomys than to the above-mentioned Echimyini genera, it is classified in the tribe Myocastorini.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Echimyinae</span> A subfamily of mammals belonging to the spiny rat family of rodents

Echimyinae is a subfamily of rodents belonging to the spiny rats family Echimyidae. It contains 14 arboreal genera—all the members of the tribe Echimyini, plus Callistomys—a few terrestrial genera, and a subaquatic genus (Myocastor).

References

  1. 1 2 3 Woods, C.A.; Kilpatrick, C.W. (2005). "Infraorder Hystricognathi". In Wilson, D.E.; Reeder, D.M (eds.). Mammal Species of the World: A Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3rd ed.). Johns Hopkins University Press. pp. 1552–1553. ISBN   978-0-8018-8221-0. OCLC   62265494.
  2. ↑ Caviinae, Genus Cavia. In: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.: Family Caviidae In: Don E. Wilson, T.E. Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Herausgeber): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Band 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, S. 433–434. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4.
  3. ↑ Jonathan L. Dunnum: Genus Cavia Pallas, 1766 In: James L. Patton, Ulyses F.J. Pardinas, Guillermo D’Elía (Hrsg.): Mammals of South America, Volume 2 – Rodents. The University of Chicago Press, Chicago 2015; S. 691–704, hier 691–692. ISBN 978-0-226-16957-6.
  4. 1 2 Systematics. In: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.: Family Caviidae In: Don E. Wilson, T.E. Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Herausgeber): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Band 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, S. 406–407. ISBN 978-84-941892-3-4.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 „Morphological Aspects“ In: Thomas E. Lacher, Jr.: Family Caviidae In: Don E. Wilson, T.E. Lacher, Jr., Russell A. Mittermeier (Herausgeber): Handbook of the Mammals of the World: Lagomorphs and Rodents 1. (HMW, Band 6) Lynx Edicions, Barcelona 2016, S. 406–407.
  6. ↑ Stiefel, Chana Freeiman (1996). "Family feud – genetic evidence seems to show that guinea pigs are not rodents". Science World. Retrieved 2013-11-14.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2013-09-23. Retrieved 2012-05-19.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) (and references therein)
  8. ↑ ""Molecular Biology and Evolution," Vol 11, 593–604". Archived from the original on 2008-12-05. Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  9. ↑ "UCSC Genome Browser Gateway" . Retrieved 4 April 2017.
  10. ↑ Dunnum, Jonathan L, Salazar-Bravo, Jorge (21 January 2010), "Molecular systematics, taxonomy, and biogeography of the genus Cavia (Rodentia:Caviidae) Page 1
  11. ↑ Donnum, J.L.; Salazar-Bravo, J. (November 2010). "Molecular systematics, taxonomy and biogeography of the genus Cavia (Rodentia: Caviidae)". Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research. 48 (4): 376–388. doi: 10.1111/j.1439-0469.2009.00561.x .
  12. ↑ Candela, A.M.; Bonini, R.A. (July 2017). "A new guinea pig (Rodentia, Caviomorpha) from northwestern Argentina: implications for the origin of the genus Cavia". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (4): e1352591. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E2591C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1352591. hdl: 11336/58708 . S2CID   89872825.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.