Abstract

OJEDA, Agustina A; TARQUINO-CARBONELL, Andrea Del Pilar; VELEZ, Leandro M  and  OJEDA, Ricardo A. Tympanoctomys: 75 años de historia: Estado actual del conocimiento del género. Rev. Mus. Argent. Cienc. Nat. [online]. 2018, vol.20, n.1, pp.109-122. ISSN 1853-0400.

This contribution is a tribute to José Yepes on the 75th anniversary of his description of the genus Tympanoctomys, and the 90th anniversary of his admission to the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences “Bernardino Rivadavia”. Viscacha rats are the epitome of South American rodents adapted to desert habitats, and are a true model, not only to present different specialized attributes for life in xeric environments, but also as one of the mammals with the highest chromosomal number. In this chapter, we present an overview of the state of knowledge of the genus and related species, regarding aspects such as distribution, ecology, genetic and conservation. Perspectives focus on gaps and unresolved issues that are fascinating and promising research lines.

Keywords : José Yepes; Octodontids; Rodents; Viscacha Rats.