Isothrix

Toros look like large rats with soft fur on the body and long guard hairs on the scaly tail.Emmons, L.H. 2005. A Revision of the Genera of Arboreal Echimyidae (Rodentia: Echimyidae, Echimyinae), With Descriptions of Two New Genera. pp. 247–310 in Lacey, E.A. & Myers, P. 2005. Mammalian Diversification: From Chromosomes to Phylogeography (A Celebration of the Career of James L. Patton). University of California Publications in Zoology. Head and body is 18-27.5 cm and tail is 17–30 cm. Weight is 320-570 grams.

These animals appear to be arboreal, based on the shape of their hind feet. They are thought to spend the day in holes in the ground near trees.

The etymology of the genus name Isothrix corresponds to the two ancient greek words {{wikt-lang|grc|ἴσος}} ({{grc-transl|ἴσος}}), meaning "of equal length", and {{wikt-lang|grc|θρίξ}}, {{wikt-lang|grc|τρίχα|τριχός}} ({{grc-transl|θρίξ, τριχός}}), meaning "hair".{{Cite book |title=Abrégé du dictionnaire grec français |last=Bailly |first=Anatole |date=1981-01-01 |publisher=Hachette |isbn=978-2010035289 |location=Paris |oclc=461974285 }}{{Cite web |url=http://www.tabularium.be/bailly/ |title=Greek-french dictionary online |last=Bailly |first=Anatole |website=www.tabularium.be |access-date=December 23, 2017}} The etymology of the genus name synonym Lasiuromys corresponds to the three ancient greek words {{wikt-lang|grc|λάσιος}} ({{grc-transl|λάσιος}}), meaning "furry, with tufted hair", {{wikt-lang|grc|οὐρά}} ({{grc-transl|οὐρά}}), meaning "animal tail", and {{wikt-lang|grc|μῦς}} ({{grc-transl|μῦς}}), meaning "mouse, rat".

There are currently five species recognized in the genus Isothrix:{{MSW3 Hystricognathi | id = 13400433 | page = | heading = Genus Isothrix }}

• Isothrix barbarabrownae{{cite web| title = New squirrel-like rodent discovered in Peru | publisher = New Scientist | date = 2007-01-24 | url = https://www.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=dn11022 | access-date = 2011-11-23}}- Barbara Brown's Brush-tailed Rat
• Isothrix bistriata - Yellow-crowned brush-tailed rat
• Isothrix negrensis - Rio Negro brush-tailed rat
• Isothrix pagurus - Plain brush-tailed rat
• Isothrix sinnamariensis - Sinnamary brush-tailed rat

There does appear to be good support for the monophyly of three species found in this genus.

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Isothrix is a member of the Echimyini clade of arboreal Echimyidae rodents.{{Cite book|title=Handbook of the Mammals of the World. Vol 6. Lagomorphs and Rodents I|last1=Fabre|first1=Pierre-Henri|last2=Patton|first2=James L.|author2-link=James L. Patton|last3=Leite|first3=Yuri L. R.|year=2016|isbn=978-84-941892-3-4|editor-last1=Wilson|editor-first1=Don E.|editor-last2=Lacher|editor-first2=Thomas E. Jr|editor-last3=Mittermeier|editor-first3=Russell A.|publisher=Lynx Edicions|location=Barcelona|pages=552–641|chapter=Family Echimyidae (hutias, South American spiny-rats and coypu)|title-link=Handbook of the Mammals of the World}} Although tentatively considered an echimyine, it has been suggested that Isothrix may not be particularly closely related to other members of its subfamily. This is confirmed by molecular phylogenies in which Isothrix appears as a distant relative of the three clades of Echimyini: (i) Echimys, Phyllomys, Makalata, Pattonomys, and Toromys ; (ii) the bamboo rats Dactylomys, Olallamys, Kannabateomys together with Diplomys and Santamartamys ; and (iii) the arboreal eumysopines Mesomys and Lonchothrix.{{Cite journal|last1=Fabre|first1=Pierre-Henri|last2=Upham|first2=Nathan S.|last3=Emmons|first3=Louise H.|author-link3=Louise H. Emmons|last4=Justy|first4=Fabienne|last5=Leite|first5=Yuri L. R.|last6=Loss|first6=Ana Carolina|last7=Orlando|first7=Ludovic|last8=Tilak|first8=Marie-Ka|last9=Patterson|first9=Bruce D.|last10=Douzery|first10=Emmanuel J. P.|date=2017-03-01|title=Mitogenomic Phylogeny, Diversification, and Biogeography of South American Spiny Rats|journal=Molecular Biology and Evolution|volume=34|issue=3|pages=613–633|doi=10.1093/molbev/msw261|pmid=28025278|issn=0737-4038|doi-access=free|url=https://hal.umontpellier.fr/hal-03079822/file/msw261.pdf}}

The taxon Callistomys pictus was previously member of the genus Isothrix, but most authors considered it distinct enough to warrant a separate genus.{{MSW3 Hystricognathi | id = 13400423 | page = | heading = Genus Callistomys}} This distinctness has been confirmed by DNA comparative studies in which Callistomys even appears to branch with members of a distinct tribe (i.e., Myocastorini) of the subfamily Echimyinae. The arboreal genera of the subfamily Echimyinae therefore constitute a polyphyletic assemblage.

{{cladogram

|title=Genus-level cladogram of the Echimyini.

|caption=The cladogram has been reconstructed from mitochondrial and nuclear DNA characters.{{Cite journal|last1=Lara|first1=Márcia C.|last2=Patton|first2=James L.|author-link2=James L. Patton|last3=da Silva|first3=Maria Nazareth F.|year=1996|title=The Simultaneous Diversification of South American Echimyid Rodents (Hystricognathi) Based on Complete Cytochrome b Sequences|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=5|issue=2|pages=403–413|doi=10.1006/mpev.1996.0035|pmid=8728398|bibcode=1996MolPE...5..403L }}{{Cite journal|last1=Leite|first1=Yuri L. R.|last2=Patton|first2=James L.|author-link2=James L. Patton|year=2002|title=Evolution of South American spiny rats (Rodentia, Echimyidae): the star-phylogeny hypothesis revisited|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=25|issue=3|pages=455–464|doi=10.1016/s1055-7903(02)00279-8|pmid=12450750 |bibcode=2002MolPE..25..455L }}{{Cite journal|last1=Galewski|first1=Thomas|last2=Mauffrey|first2=Jean-François|last3=Leite|first3=Yuri L. R.|last4=Patton|first4=James L.|last5=Douzery|first5=Emmanuel J. P.|year=2005|title=Ecomorphological diversification among South American spiny rats (Rodentia; Echimyidae): a phylogenetic and chronological approach|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=34|issue=3|pages=601–615|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2004.11.015|pmid=15683932|bibcode=2005MolPE..34..601G }}{{Cite journal|last1=Upham|first1=Nathan S.|last2=Patterson|first2=Bruce D.|year=2012|title=Diversification and biogeography of the Neotropical caviomorph lineage Octodontoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi)|journal=Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution|volume=63|issue=2|pages=417–429|doi=10.1016/j.ympev.2012.01.020|pmid=22327013|bibcode=2012MolPE..63..417U }}{{Cite journal|last1=Fabre|first1=Pierre-Henri|last2=Galewski|first2=Thomas|last3=Tilak|first3=Marie-ka|last4=Douzery|first4=Emmanuel J. P.|date=2013-03-01|title=Diversification of South American spiny rats (Echimyidae): a multigene phylogenetic approach|journal=Zoologica Scripta|language=en|volume=42|issue=2|pages=117–134|doi=10.1111/j.1463-6409.2012.00572.x|issn=1463-6409}}{{Cite journal|last1=Loss|first1=Ana|last2=Moura|first2=Raquel T.|last3=Leite|first3=Yuri L. R.|date=2014|title=Unexpected phylogenetic relationships of the painted tree rat Callistomys pictus (Rodentia: Echimyidae)|url=http://www.naturezaonline.com.br/natureza/conteudo/pdf/05_LossACetal_132-136.pdf|journal=Natureza on Line|volume=12|pages=132–136|access-date=2017-12-22|archive-date=2021-06-23|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623231029/http://www.naturezaonline.com.br/natureza/conteudo/pdf/05_LossACetal_132-136.pdf|url-status=dead}}{{Cite journal|last1=Fabre|first1=Pierre-Henri|last2=Vilstrup|first2=Julia T.|last3=Raghavan|first3=Maanasa|last4=Der Sarkissian|first4=Clio|last5=Willerslev|first5=Eske|last6=Douzery|first6=Emmanuel J. P.|last7=Orlando|first7=Ludovic|date=2014-07-01|title=Rodents of the Caribbean: origin and diversification of hutias unravelled by next-generation museomics|journal=Biology Letters|language=en|volume=10|issue=7|pages=20140266|doi=10.1098/rsbl.2014.0266|pmid=25115033|issn=1744-9561|pmc=4126619}}{{Cite book|title=Biology of caviomorph rodents: diversity and evolution|last1=Upham|first1=Nathan S.|last2=Patterson|first2=Bruce D.|publisher=SAREM Series A, Mammalogical Research — Sociedad Argentina para el Estudio de los Mamíferos|year=2015|editor-last1=Vassallo|editor-first1=Aldo Ivan|location=Buenos Aires|pages=63–120|chapter=Evolution of Caviomorph rodents: a complete phylogeny and timetree for living genera|editor-last2=Antenucci|editor-first2=Daniel}}

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|clades={{Cladogram of Echimyini genera}}

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Category:Rodent genera

Category:Taxa named by Johann Andreas Wagner