Extinct genus of rodent
Kritimys, also known as the Cretan giant rat is an extinct genus of murid rodent that was endemic to the island of Crete during the Early and Middle Pleistocene. There are two known species, "K. kiridus" from the Early-Mid Pleistocene, and its descendant "K. catreus" from the Middle Pleistocene. It is suggested to be closely related to and probably derived from "Praomys." As with most island rodents, "Kritimys" was larger than its mainland relatives, with its size increasing over time, with "K. catreus" estimated to weigh , around 6.7 times the weight of its mainland ancestor, an example of island gigantism. The temporal range of the genus is considered to define the regional "Kritimys" biozone, during which time there were only two other species of mammal native to the island, a species of dwarf mammoth, "Mammuthus creticus" and the dwarf hippopotamus "Hippopotamus creutzburgi". It became extinct during the late Middle Pleistocene, following the arrival of the "Mus bateae-minotaurus" lineage (which appears to be related to "Mus musculus") to the island, exhibiting a decrease in size shortly before its extinction.
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