Myocastor

Myocastor is a genus of rodent that contains the living nutria (or coypu), as well as several fossil species.

Taxonomy

Due to similar cranial morphology, the nutria was once considered a close relative of the Caribbean hutias and placed together with them in the family Capromyidae.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref> Later, it was more accepted to place it in its own family, the Myocastoridae.<ref name="Woods1982">Template:Cite book</ref> Recent molecular studies place them in the family Echimyidae, in the tribe Myocastorini.<ref name="Galewski2005">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Upham2012">Template:Cite journal</ref><ref name="Fabre2017">Template:Cite journal Template:Free access</ref>

Fossil record

Kerber et al. (2013) recognize the following species as valid:<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>

• Myocastor columnaris (Middle Pleistocene)
• Myocastor obesus (Late Miocene)
• Myocastor paranensis (Late Miocene)

Other species described but no longer considered valid include Myocastor minor, Myocastor perditus, and Myocastor priscus.