Species
Cavia
IUCN
NCBI
EOL Text
Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLD) Stats
Specimen Records:12
Specimens with Sequences:12
Specimens with Barcodes:12
Species:3
Species With Barcodes:3
Public Records:4
Public Species:1
Public BINs:1
Cavia is a genus in the Caviinae subfamily that contains the rodents commonly known as guinea pigs. The most well-known species in this genus is the domestic guinea pig, Cavia porcellus, an important meat animal in South America and a common household pet in the West.
Taxonomic controversy
Cavia are classified in order Rodentia, although there is a minority belief in the scientific community that evidence from mitochondrial DNA and proteins indicates that the Hystricognathi may belong to a different evolutionary offshoot, and therefore a different order.[1] If so, this would be an example of convergent evolution. Other scientists are critical of this hypothesis.[2]
Species
- Cavia anolaimae (often considered a synonym of C. porcellus) - Colombia
- Cavia aperea – Brazilian Guinea Pig: widespread east of the Andes
- Cavia fulgida – Shiny Guinea Pig: eastern Brazil
- Cavia guianae (often considered a synonym of C. porcellus) - Venezuela, Guyana, Brazil
- Cavia intermedia – Intermediate Guinea Pig: Moleques do Sul islands, Santa Catarina, Brazil, first described in 1999
- Cavia magna – Greater Guinea Pig: Uruguay, south-east Brazil
- Cavia nana (often considered a synonym of C. tschudii)
- Cavia porcellus – Domestic Guinea Pig: wild ancestor unknown
- Cavia tschudii – Montane Guinea Pig: Peru south to northern Chile and north-west Argentina
References
Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Cavia |
- ^ Stiefel, Chana Freeiman (1996). "Family feud - genetic evidence seems to show that guinea pigs are not rodents". Science World. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1590/is_n3_v53/ai_18773108. Retrieved 2007-11-15.
- ^ "Molecular Biology and Evolution," Vol 11, 593-604
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