Lagostomus crassus

Lagostomus crassus
Temporal range: Late Holocene
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Rodentia
Family: Chinchillidae
Genus: Lagostomus
Species:
L. crassus
Binomial name
Lagostomus crassus
Thomas, 1910

Lagostomus crassus is an extinct species of viscacha that was native to Peru. It is known from a single skull found in southern Peru.

The skull is not in any way fossilized, indicating that the animal it belonged to lived very recently. The skull is also identical to that of the extant plains viscacha, being comparable in size to that of a large individual. Based on the above factors, it is probable that Lagostomus crassus is not a valid taxon, and merely a plains viscacha that was transported to Peru in ancient times.[2]

  1. ^ Roach, N. (2016). "Lagostomus crassus". IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. 2016: e.T136452A78324250. doi:10.2305/IUCN.UK.2016-2.RLTS.T136452A78324250.en. Retrieved 13 November 2021.
  2. ^ Spotorno, A.; Patton, J.L. (2015). "Superfamily Chinchilloidea Bennett 1833". Mammals of South America. Volume 2, Rodents. The University of Chicago Press. pp. 762–782.