Basic info Taxonomic history Classification Included Taxa
Morphology Ecology and taphonomy External Literature Search Age range and collections

Hystrix (porcupine)

Mammalia - Rodentia - Hystricidae

Synonymy list
YearName and author
1758Hystrix Linnaeus p. 56
1811Hystrix Illiger p. 90
1825Histrix Gray p. 341
1997Hystrix McKenna and Bell
2001Hystrix Sen
2005Hystrix Wilson and Reeder
2023Hystrix Halaçlar et al. p. 3

Is something missing? Join the Paleobiology Database and enter the data

RankNameAuthor
kingdomAnimalia()
Bilateria
EubilateriaAx 1987
Life
Deuterostomia
phylumChordataHaeckel 1874
subphylumVertebrata
superclassGnathostomata
Osteichthyes()
subclassSarcopterygii()
subclassDipnotetrapodomorpha(Nelson 2006)
subclassTetrapodomorpha()
Tetrapoda
Reptiliomorpha
Anthracosauria
subclassAmphibiosauriaKuhn 1967
Cotylosauria()
Amniota
subclassSynapsida
Therapsida()
infraorderCynodontia()
Mammaliamorpha
RankNameAuthor
Mammaliaformes
classMammalia
Theriamorpha(Rowe 1993)
Theriiformes()
Trechnotheria
Cladotheria
Zatheria
subclassTribosphenida()
subclassTheria
Eutheria()
Placentalia
Boreoeutheria
EuarchontogliresMurphy et al. 2001
GliriformesWyss and Meng 1996
Glires()
Simplicidentata()
orderRodentiaBowdich 1821
CtenohystricaHuchon et al. 2000
infraorderHystricognathi(Tullberg 1899)
familyHystricidaeFischer de Waldheim 1817
genusHystrix

If no rank is listed, the taxon is considered an unranked clade in modern classifications. Ranks may be repeated or presented in the wrong order because authors working on different parts of the classification may disagree about how to rank taxa.

G. Hystrix Linnaeus 1758 [porcupine]
show all | hide all
Subg. †Hystrix (Hystricops) Leidy 1858
Subg. Hystrix (Hystrix) Linnaeus 1758
Subg. Hystrix (Thecurus) Lyon 1907
hide
Hystrix (Thecurus) crassispinis Günther 1876 [Thick-spined porcupine]
Hystrix (Thecurus) pumila Günther 1879 [Phillipine porcupine]
Hystrix (Thecurus) sumatrae Lyon 1907 [Sumatran porcupine]
Hystrix africaeaustralis Peters 1852 [Cape porcupine]
hide
Hystrix angressi Frenkel 1971
Hystrix arayanensis Sen 2001
Hystrix cristata Linnaeus 1758 [crested porcupine]
Hystrix depereti Sen 2001
Hystrix kayae Halaçlar et al. 2023
Hystrix primigenia Wagner 1848
Diagnosis
No diagnoses are available
Measurements
partNmean

Composition: phosphaticsubp
Environment: terrestrialsubc
Locomotion: actively mobilec
Life habit: semifossorialg
Diet: herbivoref
Diet 2: frugivoref
Reproduction: viviparoussubc
Created: 2012-05-15 12:43:23
Modified: 2012-05-14 21:43:23
Source: g = genus, f = family, subc = subclass, c = class, subp = subphylum
References: Carroll 1988, Nowak 1991, Lillegraven 1979, Samuels and Van Valkenburgh 2008, Ji et al. 2002, Hendy et al. 2009

Age range

Maximum range based only on fossils: base of the MN 11 to the top of the Holocene or 8.70000 to 0.00000 Ma
Minimum age of oldest fossil (stem group age): 7.75 Ma

Collections (217 total)

Oldest occurrences

Time interval Ma Country or state Original ID and collection number
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246Moldova Hystrix bessarabica (75802) Hystrix sp. (75803)
Tortonian11.62 - 7.246China (Yunnan) Hystrix sp. (11798)
Tortonian - Messinian11.62 - 5.333Kenya Hystrix sp. (22241)
Tortonian - Zanclean11.62 - 3.6Ethiopia Hystrix sp. (22139)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Turkey (Cankiri) Hystrix kayae (184368)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Turkey (Usak) Hystrix primigenia (34462)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Algeria Hystrix sp. (34642)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Greece (Attiki) Hystrix primigenia (195562)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Greece (Attica) Hystrix primigenia (202630) Lamprodon primigenius (182754)
Late/Upper Miocene11.608 - 5.333Algeria (Oran) Hystrix sp. (136913)
MN 118.7 - 7.75Austria (Burgenland) Hystrix suevica (37789)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Greece (Larissa) Hystrix primigenia (207134)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333China (Yunnan) Hystrix sp. (44221 44222 44223 44224)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Greece (Euboea) Hystrix primigenia (202213)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Greece (Samos Island) Hystrix primigenia (205351)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Afghanistan Hystrix sp. (75492)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Greece (Makedonia Thraki) Hystrix primigenia (157582)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Bulgaria Hystrix primigenia (208569)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Greece (Macedonia) Hystrix sp. (32376)
Turolian8.7 - 5.333Spain (Valencia) Hystrix sp. (40758)