The genus name Euryzygomatomys derives from the three Ancient Greek words εὐρύς (eurús, or eury), meaning "wide, or which extends in width", ζύγωμα or ζύγωματος (zúgōma, zúgōmatos), meaning "a part of the forehead, or the zygomatic bone", and μῦς (mûs), meaning "mouse, rat".[3][4]
Phylogeny
Euryzygomatomys is the sister genus to Clyomys. Both taxa are closely related to the genus Trinomys.
In turn, these three genera — forming the clade of Euryzygomatomyinae — share phylogenetic affinities with a clade containing Carterodon and members of the family Capromyidae.
Analyses of craniodental characters proposed that Euryzygomatomys — and also Clyomys — may be associated with Carterodon.[5][6]
However, molecular data suggest the polyphyly of this assemblage of fossorial genera.[7]
Genus-level cladogram of the Euryzygomatomyinae with their relationship to Carterodon and Capromyidae.
The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.[8][9][10][11][12][7] According to this phylogenetic tree, the fossorial genera Euryzygomatomys, Clyomys, and Carterodon constitute a polyphyletic assemblage (red bar).
^Galewski, Thomas; Mauffrey, Jean-François; Leite, Yuri L. R.; Patton, James L.; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2005). "Ecomorphological diversification among South American spiny rats (Rodentia; Echimyidae): a phylogenetic and chronological approach". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 34 (3): 601–615. Bibcode:2005MolPE..34..601G. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2004.11.015. PMID15683932.
^Upham, Nathan S.; Patterson, Bruce D. (2012). "Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)". Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution. 63 (2): 417–429. Bibcode:2012MolPE..63..417U. doi:10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020. PMID22327013.
^Fabre, Pierre-Henri; Galewski, Thomas; Tilak, Marie-ka; Douzery, Emmanuel J. P. (2013-03-01). "Diversification of South American spiny rats (Echimyidae): a multigene phylogenetic approach". Zoologica Scripta. 42 (2): 117–134. doi:10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00572.x. ISSN1463-6409.
^Upham, Nathan S.; Patterson, Bruce D. (2015). "Evolution of Caviomorph rodents: a complete phylogeny and timetree for living genera". In Vassallo, Aldo Ivan; Antenucci, Daniel (eds.). Biology of caviomorph rodents: diversity and evolution. Buenos Aires: SAREM Series A, Mammalogical Research — Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos. pp. 63–120.