Families
- Infraorder Caviomorpha - New World hystricognaths
- †Luribayomys - incertae sedis
- Superfamily Erethizontoidea
- Family Erethizontidae - New World porcupines
- Superfamily Cavioidea
- †Guiomys
- †Scotamys
- Dasyproctidae - agoutis and acouchis
- Cuniculidae - pacas
- †Eocardiidae
- Dinomyidae - pacarana
- Caviidae - cavies, capybaras, and maras
- Superfamily Octodontoidea
- †Caviocricetus - incertae sedis
- †Dicolpomys - incertae sedis
- †Morenella - incertae sedis
- †Plateomys - incertae sedis
- †Tainotherium - incertae sedis
- Octodontidae - degus and relatives
- Ctenomyidae - tuco-tucos
- Echimyidae - spiny rats
- Myocastoridae - nutria
- Capromyidae - hutias
- †Heptaxodontidae - giant hutias (probably paraphyletic)
- Superfamily Chinchilloidea
- Chinchillidae - chinchillas and viscachas
- †Neoepiblemidae
- Abrocomidae - chinchilla rats
Note that some changes to this taxonomy have been suggested by molecular studies. The Dinomyidae may belong to the Chinchilloidea, the Abrocomidae may belong to the Octodontoidea, and the Hydrochaeridae may have evolved from within the Caviidae.
Read more about this topic: Caviomorpha
Famous quotes containing the word families:
“Take two kids in competition for their parents’ love and attention. Add to that the envy that one child feels for the accomplishments of the other; the resentment that each child feels for the privileges of the other; the personal frustrations that they don’t dare let out on anyone else but a brother or sister, and it’s not hard to understand why in families across the land, the sibling relationship contains enough emotional dynamite to set off rounds of daily explosions.”
—Adele Faber (20th century)
“Accidents will occur in the best regulated families; and in families not regulated by that pervading influence which sanctifies while it enhances the—a—I would say, in short, by the influence of Woman, in the lofty character of Wife, they may be expected with confidence, and must be borne with philosophy.”
—Charles Dickens (1812–1870)
“For those parents from lower-class and minority communities ... [who] have had minimal experience in negotiating dominant, external institutions or have had negative and hostile contact with social service agencies, their initial approaches to the school are often overwhelming and difficult. Not only does the school feel like an alien environment with incomprehensible norms and structures, but the families often do not feel entitled to make demands or force disagreements.”
—Sara Lawrence Lightfoot (20th century)