Platacanthomyidae
In spite of their appearance, these animals are not true dormice, but are part of the large and complex superfamily Muroidea.The platacanthomyids can be distinguished from the true dormice, because they have no premolars, giving them three cheek teeth, like their relatives, the Muroidea.The evolutionary relationship of the Platacanthomyidae was uncertain until a molecular phylogenetic study found it to be the earliest extant lineage to branch within the superfamily Muroidea.[citation needed] They can be distinguished from both the family Spalacidae and the Eumuroida (all non-spalacid and non-platacanthomyid muroids), by the distinct shape of their infraorbital canal and by the presence of multiple openings in the palate of the skull.More work is needed to determine the evolutionary position of this subfamily.
Malabar spiny dormouseScientific classificationEukaryotaAnimaliaChordataMammaliaRodentiaMuroideaAlstonType genusPlatacanthomysGeneraTyphlomysrodentspiny dormiceChinese pygmy dormicedormicesuperfamilypremolarsSpalacidaeEumuroidainfraorbital canalopeningspalatespeciesPlatacanthomys lasiurusTyphlomys cinereusEutheriaEuarchontogliresSciuromorphaAplodontiidae (Mountain beaver)Gliridae (Dormice)Sciuridae (Squirrels, chipmunks, marmots, susliks and prairie dogs)CastorimorphaCastoroideaCastoridae (Beavers)GeomyoideaGeomyidae (Pocket gophers)Heteromyidae (Kangaroo rats and mice, pocket mice)MyomorphaDipodoideaDipodidae (Jerboas, jumping mice and birch mice)Spalacidae (Zokors, bamboo rats, mole rats, blind mole rats)Calomyscidae (Mouse-like hamsters)Nesomyidae (Malagasy rats and relatives)Cricetidae (Hamsters and relatives)Muridae (House mouse and relatives)AnomaluromorphaAnomaluridae (Anomalures)Pedetidae (Springhares)HystricomorphaCtenodactylidae (Gundis)Diatomyidae (Laotian rock rat)Hystricidae (Old World porcupines)PhiomorphaBathyergidae (Blesmols)Petromuridae (Dassie rat)Thryonomyidae (Cane rats)Caviomorpha (New World hystricognaths)Erethizontidae (New World porcupines)Caviidae (Cavies)Cuniculidae (Pacas)Dasyproctidae (Agoutis and acouchis)Dinomyidae (Pacarana)Ctenomyidae (Tuco-tucos)Echimyidae (Spiny rats, coypus, hutias)Octodontidae (Degus and relatives)Abrocomidae (Chinchilla rats)Chinchillidae (Chinchillas and viscachas)WikidataWikispeciesiNaturalistOpen Tree of LifePaleobiology Database