Paraphiomys australis

Antoñanzas, Raquel López, Sen, Sevket & Mein, Pierre, 2004, Systematics and phylogeny of the cane rats (Rodentia: Thryonomyidae), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 142, pp. 423-444 : 430

PARAPHIOMYS AUSTRALIS MEIN, PICKFORD ET SENUT ,

2000

In their preliminary study of the micromammals from the Upper Miocene Harasib deposits of Namibia, Senut et al. (1992) reported Ch’orora sp.2., which Mein et al. (2000) named P. australis on the basis of 317 isolated teeth and two maxillae ( Fig. 3F, G). The holotype of this species (GSW Ari 13) is a right p4 ( Mein et al., 2000: fig. 1, no. 13). This species differs from P. roessneri in being larger, in having a better developed anterolabial cingulum on the p4, and in having often accessory crest in the upper molars ( Mein et al., 2000). This species clearly differs from P. pigotti , P. hopwoodi , Paraphiomys sp. nov. from Saudi Arabia, P. occidentalis , Epiphiomys coryndoni and Sacaresia moyaeponsi , notably in the absence of metalophulid II on the lower molars. Paraphiomys australis is distinct from Neosciuromys africanus and P. simonsi in being much smaller and lower-crowned. Paraphiomys australis is larger than P. orangeus , P. renelavocati sp. nov., P. shipmani Apodecter stromeri and Kochalia geespei , and lacks the anterior cusp on the lower molars (present in the five latter taxa). One of the differences between P. australis and the two species of Paraulacodus is its lack of the anterolabial cusp on lower molars.

According to Mein et al. (2000: 379), P. chororensis (renamed as P. afarensis ) and P. australis are quite close. However, the taxa show some small differences, e.g. P. australis has the m2 smaller than the m1, the m3 shorter than the m2 and it lacks the anterolabial cusp on the lower molars.