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Is the guinea-pig a rodent?

D Graur¹, W A Hide, W H Li

¹Department of Zoology, George S. Wise Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Ramat Aviv, Israel.

|June 20, 1991

Summary

Guinea-pig evolution challenges rodent classification. Phylogenetic analysis suggests guinea-pigs diverged earlier than previously thought, potentially requiring a new mammalian order separate from rodents.

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Area of Science:

Mammalian evolutionary biology
Molecular phylogenetics
Comparative genomics

Background:

Guinea-pigs (Cavia porcellus) exhibit unique morphological and molecular traits, such as distinct insulin properties.
Previous studies often attributed these anomalies to rapid evolution or convergent evolution within the rodent order.
The traditional classification of guinea-pigs as New World hystricomorph rodents is based on prevailing assumptions.

Purpose of the Study:

To re-evaluate the phylogenetic position of the guinea-pig within mammalian evolution.
To investigate whether the guinea-pig's unique characteristics necessitate a revision of its taxonomic classification.
To challenge the existing understanding of rodent evolutionary history.

Main Methods:

Phylogenetic analyses were conducted using amino-acid sequence data.
Comparative analysis of molecular and morphological features was performed.
Evolutionary relationships were inferred based on sequence alignments and divergence times.

Main Results:

Phylogenetic analyses indicate that guinea-pigs diverged earlier than the split between primates and artiodactyls from myomorph rodents.
The findings suggest that myomorphs and caviomorphs (including guinea-pigs) may not form a natural clade.
This implies that Caviomorpha (or Histricomorpha) might warrant a higher taxonomic rank, potentially a separate mammalian order.

Conclusions:

The traditional classification of guinea-pigs as rodents may be inaccurate.
Guinea-pigs might represent an early divergence in eutherian radiation, possibly forming a distinct mammalian order.
This reclassification could significantly alter our understanding of mammalian evolutionary history and rodent phylogeny.

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