Belongs within: Hystricognathi.
Contains: Thryonomyidae.
The Phiomorpha are African hystricognathous rodents, including the cane rats (Thryonomyidae) and bathyergid mole rats (Bathyergidae). Some authors have also included the the Old World porcupines (Hystricidae) in this group, though they may not form a monophyletic clade with the Phiomorpha sensu stricto. The bathyergids are the most speciose living group of phiomorphs, and are highly specialised burrowers. One species of bathyergid, the naked mole rat Heterocephalus glaber, is famed for its complex social behaviour, living in colonies with a single reproductive queen.
Characters (from Lavocat 1978): Lower jaw always hystricognath. Infraorbital structure primarily hystricomorph (greatly modified in some Bathyergoidea). Molar teeth tetra- or pentalophodont (simplified in Bathyergidae); three to five (usually four) cheek teeth.
Phiomorpha
|--ThryonomyoideaL78
| |--Petromus Smith 1831SM93 [PetromuridaeMJ11, Petromyidae]
| | |--P. minorL78
| | `--P. typicusB78
| |--KenyamyidaeL78
| | |--Kenyamys Lavocat 1973SM93
| | | `--K. mariaeL78
| | `--Simonimys Lavocat 1973SM93
| | `--S. genovefaeL78
| |--PhiomyidaeJ88
| | |--PseudospalaxW68
| | |--GlibiaMJ11
| | |--Andrewsimys Lavocat 1973SM93
| | | `--A. parvusL78
| | `--Phiomys Osborn 1908W68
| | |--*P. andrewsi Osborn 1908W68
| | `--P. paraphiomyoides Wood 1968W68
| `--DiamantomyidaeL78
| |--Metaphiomys Osborn 1908SS09, W68
| | |--*M. beadnelli Osborn 1908W68
| | `--M. schaubi Wood 1968W68
| `--+--‘Paraphiomys’ simonsi Wood 1968SS09, W68
| `--+--ThryonomyidaeSS09
| `--+--PhthynillaW68
| `--+--Pomonomys dubiusW68, L78
| `--Diamantomys Stromer 1922SS09, SM93
| `--D. luederitziSS09, L78
`--BathyergoideaL78
|--Bathyergoides Stromer 1926SM93 [BathyergoididaeL78]
| `--B. neotertiariusL78
`--BathyergidaeJ88
| i. s.: Proheliophobius leakeyiL78
| Paracryptomys mackennaeL78
| GypsorhynchusL78
| |--G. dartiL78
| |--G. makapani Broom 1948WC56
| `--G. minorL78
|--Heterocephalus glaberFS15
`--+--Heliophobius argenteocinereusFS15
`--+--+--Georychus capensisFS15
| `--BathyergusFS15
| |--B. janettaIT07
| `--B. suillusB74
`--CryptomysFS15
| i. s.: C. robertsiL78
|--C. hottentotusFS15
| |--C. h. hottentotusJK05
| `--C. h. natalensisJK05
`--+--+--C. foxiFS15
| `--C. ochraceocinereusFS15
`--+--+--C. mechowiFS15
| `--C. zechiFS15
`--+--C. bocageiFS15
`--+--C. darlingiFS15
`--+--C. damarensisFS15
`--+--C. anselliFS15
`--C. kafuensisFS15
*Type species of generic name indicated
References
[B78] Bigalke, R. C. 1978. Present-day mammals of Africa. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 1–16. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).
[B74] Bugge, J. 1974. The cephalic arterial system in insectivores, primates, rodents and lagomorphs, with special reference to the systematic classification. Acta Anatomica 87 (Suppl 62): 1–160.
[FS15] Faurby, S., & J.-C. Svenning. 2015. A species-level phylogeny of all extant and late Quaternary extinct mammals using a novel heuristic-hierarchical Bayesian approach. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 84: 14–26.
[IT07] Isaac, N. J. B., S. T. Turvey, B. Collen, C. Waterman & J. E. M. Baillie. 2007. Mammals on the EDGE: conservation priorities based on threat and phylogeny. PloS One 2 (3): e296.
[J88] Jaeger, J.-J. 1988. Rodent phylogeny: new data and old problems. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Phylogeny and Classification of the Tetrapods vol. 2. Mammals pp. 177–199. Clarendon Press: Oxford.
[JK05] Jenkins, P. D., C. W. Kilpatrick, M. F. Robinson & R. J. Timmins. 2005. Morphological and molecular investigations of a new family, genus and species of rodent (Mammalia: Rodentia: Hystricognatha) from Lao PDR. Systematics and Biodiversity 2 (4): 419–454.
[L78] Lavocat, L. 1978. Rodentia and Lagomorpha. In: Maglio, V. J., & H. B. S. Cooke (eds) Evolution of African Mammals pp. 69–89. Harvard University Press: Cambridge (Massachusetts).
[MJ11] Meredith, R. W., J. E. Janečka, J. Gatesy, O. A. Ryder, C. A. Fisher, E. C. Teeling, A. Goodbla, E. Eizirik, T. L. L. Simão, T. Stadler, D. L. Rabosky, R. L. Honeycutt, J. J. Flynn, C. M. Ingram, C. Steiner, T. L. Williams, T. J. Robinson, A. Burk-Herrick, M. Westerman, N. A. Ayoub, M. S. Springer & W. J. Murphy. 2011. Impacts of the Cretaceous terrestrial revolution and KPg extinction on mammal diversification. Science 334: 521–524.
[SS09] Sallam, H. M., E. R. Seiffert, M. E. Steiper & E. L. Simons. 2009. Fossil and molecular evidence constrain scenarios for the early evolutionary and biogeographic history of hystricognathous rodents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the USA 106 (39): 16722–16727.
[SM93] Stucky, R. K., & M. C. McKenna. 1993. Mammalia. In: Benton, M. J. (ed.) The Fossil Record 2 pp. 739–771. Chapman & Hall: London.
[WC56] Wells, L. H., & H. B. S. Cooke. 1956. Fossil Bovidae from the Limeworks Quarry, Makapansgat, Potgietersrus. Palaeontologia Africana 4: 1–55.
[W68] Wood, A. E. 1968. The African Oligocene Rodentia. Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, Bulletin 28: 23–105.