Castoridae

Castoridae Fossil range: Late Eocene - Recent
American Beaver, Castor canadensis
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Chordata Class: Mammalia Order: Rodentia Suborder: Castorimorpha Family: Castoridae Hemprich, 1820
Genera
†Migmacastor †Agnotocastor †Neatocastor †Anchitheriomys †Propalaeocastor †Oligotheriomys †Palaeocastor †Capacikala †Pseudopalaeocastor †Euhapsis †Fossorcastor †Priusaulax †Monosaulax †Eucastor †Dipoides †Castoroides †Procastoroides †Trogontherium †Boreofiber †Euronexomys †Youngofiber †Asiacastor †Palaeomys †Chalicomys †Steneofiber †Zamolxifiber †Romanofiber †Schreuderia †Sinocastor †Hystricops Castor

Skull of a beaver.

The family Castoridae contains the two living species of beaver and their fossil relatives. This was once a highly diverse group of rodents, but is now restricted to a single genus, Castor.

Taxonomy

McKenna and Bell (1997) divided Castoridae into two subfamilies, Castoroidinae and Castorinae. More recent studies (Korth, 2002; Rybczynski, 2007) have recognized two additional subfamilies of basal castorids, Agnotocastorinae and Palaeocastorinae, which is followed here. Within the family, Castorinae and Castoroidinae are sister taxa (Korth, 2002; Rybczynski, 2007); they share a more recent common ancestor with each other than with members of the other two subfamilies. Both subfamilies include semiaquatic species capable of constructing dams (Rybczynski, 2007). Palaeocastorinae includes beavers that are interpreted as fossorial (burrowing) (Rybczynski, 2007). The following taxonomy is based on Korth and Rybczynski, with preference given to the latter where the two differ.

• Family Castoridae
  • †Migmacastor
  • Subfamily †Agnotocastorinae (paraphyletic)
    • Tribe †Agnotocastorini
      • †Agnotocastor
      • †Neatocastor
    • Tribe †Anchitheriomyini
      • †Anchitheriomys
      • †Propalaeocastor
      • †Oligotheriomys
  • Subfamily †Palaeocastorinae
    • †Palaeocastor
    • †Capacikala
    • †Pseudopalaeocastor
    • Tribe †Euhapsini
      • †Euhapsis
      • †Fossorcastor
  • Subfamily †Castoroidinae (paraphyletic; monophyletic if Priusaulax is excluded)
    • †Priusaulax
    • Tribe †Castoroidini (paraphyletic)
      • †Monosaulax
      • †Eucastor
      • †Dipoides
      • †Castoroides
      • †Procastoroides
    • Tribe †Trogontheriini
      • †Trogontherium
      • †Boreofiber
      • †Euronexomys
      • †Youngofiber
      • †Asiacastor
  • Subfamily Castorinae
    • †Palaeomys or †Chalicomys
    • †Steneofiber
    • †Zamolxifiber
    • †Romanofiber
    • †Schreuderia
    • †Sinocastor
    • †Hystricops
    • Castor - modern beavers

References

• Korth W.W., 2002. Comments on the systematics and classification of the beavers (Rodentia, Castoridae) Journal of Mammalian Evolution 8(4):279-296.
• McKenna, Malcolm C., and Bell, Susan K. 1997. Classification of Mammals Above the Species Level. Columbia University Press, New York, 631 pp. ISBN 0-231-11013-8
• Rybczynski N., 2007. Castorid phylogenetics: implications for the evolution of swimming and tree-exploitation in beavers Journal of Mammalian Evolution 14(1):1-35.

See also

• Beaver

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