Capricorn rabbit rat | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Chordata |
Class: | Mammalia |
Order: | Rodentia |
Family: | Muridae |
Genus: | Conilurus |
Species: | †C. capricornensis
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Binomial name | |
†Conilurus capricornensis Cramb & Hocknull, 2010
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The Capricorn rabbit rat (Conilurus capricornensis) is an extinct species of rodent from Queensland, Australia. It was described as a new species in 2010 on the basis of Pleistocene and Holocene dental remains. The specific name refers to the Capricorn Caves in Queensland, one of the locations where remains were unearthed.[2] Some of the subfossil material post-dates the European settlement of Australia, so the Capricorn rabbit rat is a modern extinction. Since there has not been a targeted survey for the Capricorn rabbit rat, there is a thin hope of its survival, although this is unlikely.[1]