Subsquamosal fenestra

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In some rodents, the subsquamosal fenestra is an opening between two parts of the squamosal bone, at the back of the skull. It can be seen in lateral view. Most Oryzomyini have the fenestra, but some species, including those in the genera Nectomys , Sigmodontomys , and Melanomys among others, lack it. [1]

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Oryzomyini tribe of mammals

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Nephelomys is a genus of South American oryzomyine rodents found in the Andes from Bolivia to Venezuela, with a westward extension into the mountains of Costa Rica. Its generic name is derived from the Ancient Greek word nephelê "mist", referring to the cloud forest habitat of the members of the genus.

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In anatomy, posterolateral palatal pits are gaps at the sides of the back of the bony palate, near the last molars. Posterolateral palatal pits are present, in various degrees of development, in several members of the rodent family Cricetidae. Many members of the family lack them or have only simple pits, but Arvicolinae and Oryzomyini have more highly developed posterolateral palatal pits. Posterolateral palatal pits are also present in some other rodents, including Glis, Jaculus, Hystrix, Abrocoma, Ctenomys, Chinchilla, and Lagidium.

The entepicondylar foramen is an opening in the distal (far) end of the humerus present in some mammals. It is often present in primitive placentals, such as the enigmatic Madagascan Plesiorycteropus. In most Neotominae and all Tylomyinae among cricetid rodents, it is located above the medial epicondyle of the humerus, but it is absent in all Sigmodontinae and Arvicolinae and this trait has been suggested as a synapomorphy for the former subfamily.

Capsular process

In rodents, the capsular process or projection is a bony capsule that contains the root of the lower incisor. It is visible on the labial (outer) side of the mandible as a raising in the bone. There is marked variation within species in the development of this process.

In some rodents, the alisphenoid strut is an extension of the alisphenoid bone that separates two foramina in the skull, the masticatory–buccinator foramen and the foramen ovale accessorium. The presence or absence of this strut is variable between species, but also within them; some Oryzomyini even have a strut on one side of the skull but lack it on the other side.

In some rodents, squamae are small tubercles resembling scales on the sole of the hindfeet. Among oryzomyine rodents, their development is variable; most have well-developed squamae, but in others they are indistinct or entirely absent. Delomys sublineatus and Peromyscus maniculatus also have squamae.

References

  1. Weksler, 2006, pp. 38–39

Literature cited