Pedetidae Gray 1825

Wilson, Don E. & Reeder, DeeAnn, 2005, Order Rodentia - Family Pedetidae, Mammal Species of the World: a Taxonomic and Geographic Reference (3 rd Edition), Volume 2, Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, pp. 1535-1535 : 1535

Pedetidae Gray 1825

Pedetidae Gray 1825 , Ann. Philos., n. s., 10: 342.

Genera: 1 genus with 2 species:

Genus Pedetes Illiger 1811 (2 species)

Discussion: See Misonne (1974, Pt. 6:8). The phylogenetic position of the Pedetidae (as is also the case with ctenodactilids) has traditionally been uncertain because it shares both hystricognathic and sciurognatic characters. Ellerman (1940) suggested placing them in an independent Superfamily Pedetoidea within the Suborder Sciuromorpha , which was supported by Fischer and Mossman (1969), Lavocat (1974), and Wood (1974). Otianga’a-Owiti et al. (1992) investigated fetal membranes and placental development of the East African Springhare and confirmed a close relationship to Suborder Sciuromorpha , in which they would place springhares in their own Superfamily Pedetoidea . Landry (1999) recognized the pedetids as a group of high phylogenetic position and suggested the creation of a separate Suborder Pedetomorpha , of equal rank with Entodacrya and Sciurognathi. According to Huchon et al. (2000), the pedetids form an independent and early diverging major lineage because of their incisors possessing a multiserial enamel, thus suggesting a convergent evolution with the Hystricognathi. In their opinion, the pedetids could be a sister-clade of the Ctenohystrica and the earliest offshoot among rodents.