Hydrochoerinae Gray 1825

Hydrochoerinae Gray 1825, Ann. Philos., n. s., 10: 341.

Genera: 2 genera with 4 species:

Genus Hydrochoeris Brisson 1762 (2 species)

Genus Kerodon F. Cuvier 1825 (2 species)

Discussion: Molecular data (Rowe and Honeycutt, 2002) clearly support the inclusion of Hydrochoeris within the Caviidae . Kerodon is included due to the consistently observed sister taxon relationship between Hydrochoeris and Kerodon (dos Reis, 1994; Rowe and Honeycutt, 2002; Woods, 1984). Several distinct linages of the Hydrochoerinae are known in the fossil record and some fossil forms extend into North America during the late Pliocene and Pleistocene Mones (1984).